When to use a 302 redirect
- A page is briefly unavailable, for example during maintenance.
- You are testing a new version of a page with part of your traffic.
- A product is temporarily out of stock and you send visitors to a related page for now.
- A seasonal campaign page temporarily takes the place of a regular page.
302 vs 301 redirects
A 301 says “this page has moved for good”; a 302 says “use this other page for now”. With a 302, search engines usually keep showing the original URL. If a 302 stays in place for a long time, Google may start treating it as permanent, but it is better to be clear: if the move is permanent, use a 301.
A 307 redirect is the temporary equivalent that keeps the request method (such as a form submission) unchanged, and a 308 is the permanent equivalent.