Search & metadata
What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent forwarding instruction that sends a browser from an old web address to a new one and tells search engines that the page has moved.
By Plainview WebReviewed
The meaning
A visitor can arrive through an old bookmark, an email, or a link on another website. When the old address returns a 301 response, it supplies a destination in the response's Location header. The browser then requests that destination, so the visitor can continue to the replacement page.
The permanent part describes the intended move. A 301 suits an address you have replaced for the foreseeable future. Temporary moves use different redirect responses. Redirect rules belong in the website's hosting, server, or supported platform settings; changing a navigation link alone does not forward requests arriving at the old address.
An example
Example: moving a fictional service page
https://example.com/book-repairs
301 → https://example.com/services/book-restorationA fictional bookbinding business replaces its book-repairs page with a fuller book-restoration page. The replacement serves the same visitor need, so the old address forwards directly to it.
The website's menu and other editable links should use the new address. The redirect remains useful for older links the business cannot update. This example is a planned mapping, not a redirect rule ready to install on every platform.
When it matters
Address changes affect routes people already use. Mapping each old page to a relevant replacement helps preserve those routes during a redesign or content reorganization. Google also treats permanent redirects as a strong signal about which address should represent the content.
Before a move, review the destination and check for loops or unnecessary chains. After implementation, test the old address, the response, and the page reached. A clean planning spreadsheet does not establish that the live redirect works.
A common confusion
A redirect is not a canonical tag
A canonical tag expresses a preferred version of similar content; it does not send the visitor to that version. A redirect changes where the request goes. Choose according to whether both addresses need to remain usable, rather than treating these methods as interchangeable.