HTTP 302 Found

What HTTP 302 Found means

302 Found is a temporary redirect: the resource is briefly at a different URL, but clients should keep using the original. Because its historical handling was inconsistent, prefer 307 when you need to guarantee the method is preserved.

Which category is it?

302 is a 3xx code — Redirection. 3xx means further action is needed to complete the request, usually because the resource lives at a different URL.

Example 302 response

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/login?next=/account
Cache-Control: no-store

How to check a 302

1. Use curl -I to see the Location header and confirm where the redirect points.
2. Check that the temporary redirect is really temporary. Login redirects and A/B tests fit; a permanent move should use 301 or 308.
3. Follow the chain with curl -IL and make sure it ends at a 200, not at a loop between two URLs.
4. If a POST becomes a GET after the redirect, that is classic 302 behavior. Use 307 to keep the method.

302 compared with similar codes

• 301: 301 is permanent and replaces the old URL in search results. 302 tells clients to keep using the original URL.
• 307: 307 is a temporary redirect that guarantees the method and body are preserved. 302 is looser: clients often switch POST to GET.
• 303: 303 explicitly asks for a GET at the new URL, which is the intended use for the Post/Redirect/Get pattern.

302 Found: common questions

When should I use a 302 instead of a 301?

Use 302 when the move is temporary, such as redirecting to a login page, a maintenance page or a regional variant, and you want the original URL to remain the one that is indexed and bookmarked.

Does a 302 pass SEO value?

Search engines treat a long-lived 302 more like a permanent redirect over time, but for permanent moves 301 or 308 communicates your intent clearly.

Other redirection (3xx) codes