302
Redirection
302 Found: The Temporary Redirect
✦ The Golden Answer: The 302 Found status code (historically "Moved Temporarily") indicates that the requested resource is temporarily located at a different URI. The client should continue using the original URI for future requests. Unlike 301, this is not a permanent move. However, like 301, the request method may change from POST to GET, which can cause issues with form submissions. For cases where method preservation is important, use 307 Temporary Redirect instead.
When to Use 302
- Short‑term maintenance – you're temporarily moving a page while you update it.
- A/B testing – redirecting users to different versions of a page to test performance.
- Seasonal content – redirecting to a different page during specific times of the year.
- Load balancing – temporarily routing traffic to another server during spikes.
Example Response
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/temporary-page
Content-Length: 0
Method Behavior (POST → GET)
One of the most important characteristics of 302 (and 301) is that the request method may change from POST to GET. This behavior, while specified in HTTP/1.1, is not always consistent across clients. In practice:
- Most browsers will change POST to GET when following a 302 redirect, discarding the request body.
- This can lead to data loss if you're processing form submissions.
- If you need to preserve the method, use 307 Temporary Redirect instead.
302 vs. 303 vs. 307
| Status | Permanent? | Method Change? | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 302 | ❌ No | POST → GET (may change) | Temporary redirect (legacy, common). |
| 303 | ❌ No | Always GET | After POST to show a result page (e.g., "thank you"). |
| 307 | ❌ No | ❌ No (method preserved) | Temporary redirect, method and body preserved. |
SEO Implications
- No PageRank transfer – search engines do not pass link equity from the old URL to the new one for 302 redirects, because it's assumed to be temporary.
- Caching behavior – 302 responses are typically not cached by browsers or CDNs, which is good for temporary changes.
- If the redirect becomes permanent – you should switch to 301 so that search engines transfer ranking signals.
When Not to Use 302
- For permanent moves – use 301.
- When you need to preserve the request method – use 307.
- When you want to force GET after POST – use 303 (more explicit).
- For SEO – if you want to keep link equity, use 301.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 302 the same as "Found"?
Yes, the official name is "302 Found". Historically it was called "Moved Temporarily". The name changed in HTTP/1.1 to better reflect that the resource is not actually moved, but rather temporarily located elsewhere.
Can 302 be cached?
By default, 302 responses are not cached because they are temporary. However, you can add caching headers if you want to cache them for a short period.
When should I use 302 instead of 307?
Use 302 when you are okay with the method potentially changing (e.g., for GET requests). Use 307 when you must preserve the method and body (e.g., for POST/PUT forms).