Redirect Checker Results and What They Mean
200 OK
The request was successful, and the server returned the requested page or resource. For an indexable webpage, this is normally the expected response.
A 200 response does not guarantee that a page will be indexed. Search engines may still exclude thin, duplicate, blocked, or low-quality pages, and a page that displays an error message while returning 200 may be treated as a soft 404.
206 Partial Content
The server successfully returned part of a resource in response to a range request. This is commonly used for videos, audio files, downloads, and other large resources that can be delivered in sections.
A 206 response does not mean that an element failed to load. It is usually normal when the browser or another client requested only a specific portion of a file.
The requested page or resource has permanently moved to a different URL.
A 301 redirect is generally the correct choice when a page has been permanently renamed, replaced, consolidated, or moved during a website or domain migration. Search engines treat the destination URL as a strong canonical signal and transfer relevant ranking signals over time.
The redirect should point directly to the closest relevant replacement page. Avoid redirect chains, redirect loops, and sending large numbers of unrelated URLs to the home page.
Redirects are not harmful when they are implemented for a legitimate reason. They are an important part of redesigns, URL changes, HTTPS migrations, content consolidation, and domain moves.
308 Permanent Redirect
A 308 response also indicates that a resource has moved permanently. It is similar to a 301, but it requires the browser or client to preserve the original request method and request body.
For standard webpage migrations, either a 301 or 308 can be used. The 301 remains more familiar and widely used in most SEO implementations.
302 Found (Temporary Redirect)
A 302 response indicates that the requested page or resource has moved temporarily. The original URL is generally expected to return or remain the primary URL.
A 302 redirect is appropriate for temporary promotions, maintenance pages, location-based routing, testing, or short-term content changes. It is not inherently dangerous and does not normally cause a website to be removed from search results.
Do not use a 302 when the move is intended to be permanent. In that situation, use a 301 or 308 so search engines receive a clearer signal about which URL should become canonical.
If a 302 redirect remains in place for an extended period, Google may eventually interpret the move as permanent and treat the destination as the canonical URL. This is sometimes informally described as a “soft 301.” However, there is no published timeframe for when this may occur, so permanent moves should still use a 301 or 308 redirect.
304 Not Modified
A 304 response tells the browser or crawler that the requested resource has not changed since its previously cached version. The client can reuse the stored copy instead of downloading the resource again.
This is a normal caching response and is not an error.
307 Temporary Redirect
A 307 response indicates a temporary redirect. It is similar to a 302, but it requires the client to preserve the original request method and request body.
Use it when the redirect is temporary and the request method must not change.
400 Bad Request
The server could not process the request because it considered the request malformed or invalid. This may be caused by incorrect syntax, invalid parameters, oversized headers, corrupted cookies, or another client-side request problem.
401 Unauthorized
The requested resource requires valid authentication credentials. This response is commonly returned for login-protected pages, APIs, dashboards, and other restricted resources.
403 Forbidden
The server understood the request but refused to authorize access. This can occur because of file permissions, security rules, firewall restrictions, blocked IP addresses, or access-control settings.
Unlike a 401 response, providing different login credentials may not resolve a 403 response.
404 Not Found
The server could not find the requested page or resource. The URL may be incorrect, the page may have been removed, or an internal or external link may be outdated.
A normal 404 response does not automatically harm the rankings of the rest of a website. However, important URLs that return 404 errors should be reviewed. Restore the page when it should still exist, correct broken links, or redirect the URL when there is a clear and relevant replacement.
Do not redirect every missing URL to the home page. Irrelevant redirects can confuse visitors and may be treated as soft 404s.
410 Gone
A 410 response indicates that the requested resource is no longer available and that its removal is expected to be permanent.
Use a 410 when a page was intentionally removed and there is no suitable replacement. If you are uncertain whether the removal is permanent, a 404 response is more appropriate.
Search engines generally handle 404 and 410 responses similarly by eventually removing the URL from their indexes.
500 Internal Server Error
The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from completing the request. Common causes include application errors, failed scripts, incorrect server configuration, database problems, exhausted resources, or file-permission issues.
Occasional server errors can happen, but persistent or widespread 500 responses can interfere with crawling, indexing, and user access. Review server logs or contact your hosting provider or developer when the problem continues.
