Digital marketing term
Redirect
An HTTP response that sends browsers and crawlers from one URL to another; permanent (301) and temporary (302/307) codes do different jobs. Broken pages, moved content, and short campaign paths all use this mechanism.
Detailed explanation
A redirect tells anyone who opens the old address where to go next. Site moves, HTTPS, merged pages, and short detours sit in the same family, but the status code carries the intent. A server response is not the same signal as a JavaScript bounce.
Chains (A→B→C) burn crawl budget; dumping everything on the homepage reads like a soft 404. Leaving a real move on a temporary code, or 301ing a two-week promo, splits rankings and analytics.
If the original URL will not come back, use 301; for a short hop, 302 or 307. Watch the target and index state in Search Console. Update internal links to the new URL; redirects are a safety net, not the lasting architecture.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a redirect the same as a canonical tag?
- No. A redirect moves the user. A canonical names the primary URL among duplicates; the browser can stay on the old address.
- Can you skip updating internal links if redirects exist?
- They stop immediate traffic loss. Over time, pointing internal links at the new URL reduces crawl waste and signal leakage.
Related terms
Internal links for the topic cluster — read these concepts together.
- 301 RedirectAn HTTP response that tells browsers and crawlers a URL has moved for good, and the new address should replace it. Use it for migrations, HTTPS, and retired pages that have a real equivalent.
- 302 RedirectA temporary HTTP response that sends users to another URL while signaling the original address should return. Use it for maintenance, tests, geo detours, or short campaign paths.
- URLThe full address a browser opens: scheme, host, and path in one string. People share it, crawlers fetch it, and analytics treat it as a page — canonical choice should pin signals to one address.
- Canonical URLA Canonical URL is an HTML tag that tells search engines which address should be treated as the "primary" version among multiple pages with identical or very similar content.
- Dead LinkA URL that no longer returns the resource, often as a 404 or a timeout. They collect in menus, emails, and body copy and quietly tax both crawl and trust.
- SEOSEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the set of technical and content practices that help a website rank more visibly in organic search results.