What to do when a web page changes address
What happens when a web page moves?
When a page changes address, old links can lead nowhere. These notes explain redirects in plain words: what they are, which type to use, how to set one up and how to check it works. Every point comes from the makers' own documents.
All the notes
What is a redirect, and why do pages need them?A redirect sends visitors from an old web address to a new one. Here's what happens to old links when a page moves, and when sites use redirects.
301 and 302 redirects: the difference in plain wordsA 301 redirect says a page moved for good, a 302 says it moved for now. Here's what each means and how Google and web servers treat them.
When you need a redirect and when you don'tDeleted a page, renamed it, or fixed a typo in the address? Here's when a redirect helps, when an error page is the honest answer, and why.
How to redirect one page to anotherHow to send one old web address to one new address on Apache, nginx, PHP and hosted platforms, with the exact wording from each project's documents.
Redirect chains and loops: what they are and how to fix themWhy a browser says 'too many redirects', why one jump beats several, and how to find and fix a chain or a loop, using Google and MDN's own advice.
How to check that a redirect worksHow to see a redirect's status code, its type and where it lands, using the curl command and the checks Google suggests, plus what the results mean.
What search engines say about redirectsWhat Google's own documents say about redirects and moved pages: which type to use, what shows in results, and how long to keep them.