# What Is a 301 Redirect? Permanent Redirects > A 301 redirect permanently sends visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new one. When to use it, how it differs from a 302, and why redesigns need it. Source: https://pentaclay.com/glossary/301-redirect Glossary # What is a 301 redirect? A 301 redirect is a server response that tells browsers and search engines a page has moved permanently to a new URL, sends visitors there automatically, and passes the old page’s search signals to the new address. Also called permanent redirect ## How it works When someone requests an old URL, the server answers with the HTTP status code 301 (Moved Permanently) and the new address. The browser loads the new page without the visitor doing anything. Search engines take it as a sign to replace the old URL with the new one in their index over time. Other redirect codes exist. A 302 means the move is temporary, so search engines may keep the old URL indexed. A 308 is also permanent and keeps the request method unchanged, which matters for forms and APIs more than for normal pages. ## Why it matters for B2B websites Old URLs are valuable. They sit in other sites’ articles, partner pages, email signatures, sales decks and search results. If a redesign changes URLs without redirects, those links lead to a 404 page and the rankings built up over years can drop. A redirect map, a list of every old URL and the new page it should go to, is the single most important document in a website migration. ## Good practice - Redirect each old URL to the closest matching new page, not everything to the home page - Avoid chains: old URL to new URL in one step, not through two or three hops - Update internal links to point straight at the new URLs - Keep redirects in place for the long term; links to old URLs keep arriving for years - Check Search Console for 404 errors in the weeks after launch ## Example A company renames its “Solutions” section to “Services”. /solutions/data-pipelines should 301 to /services/data-pipelines, not to /services. Anyone who bookmarked or linked the old page lands on the same topic, and search engines move its rankings across. ## How we handle it On every [redesign](https://pentaclay.com/services/website-redesign) or [migration](https://pentaclay.com/services/website-migration) we collect old URLs from the live sitemap, Search Console and known links, map each one to a page, and test every redirect before the domain switches. When we moved pentaclay.com itself to a new build in November 2026, we did the same for our own site. Read next - [Website migration](https://pentaclay.com/services/website-migration) - [Website redesign](https://pentaclay.com/services/website-redesign) Last updated 15 November 2026 Related terms ## Terms that go with 301 redirects - [Website migration A website migration is any project that moves a website to a new platform, domain, URL structure or hosting setup in a way that changes how search engines find and index its pages.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/website-migration) - [Canonical tag A canonical tag is a line of HTML in a page’s head, written as , that tells search engines which URL is the preferred version of a page when the same or very similar content is available at more than one address.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/canonical-tag) - [Website redesign A website redesign is a project that substantially changes a website’s design, structure or copywriting, and often all three, to match where the company is now, while keeping what already works, such as search rankings and key URLs.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/website-redesign) - [Sitemap A sitemap is a file, usually sitemap.xml at the root of a website, that lists the URLs a site wants search engines to find, often with the date each page last changed.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/xml-sitemap) [All glossary terms](https://pentaclay.com/glossary) ## Questions about 301 redirects ### Can’t find your answer? Book a call and let’s talk. [Book a call](https://cal.com/pentaclay/discovery-call) Or email us at [contact@pentaclay.com](mailto:contact@pentaclay.com) Do 301 redirects lose SEO value? Google has said 301 and other server-side redirects pass ranking signals to the new URL. What loses value is redirecting to an unrelated page, using long chains or leaving old URLs without any redirect. When should I use a 302 instead of a 301? Use a 302 only when the move is temporary, for example during a short promotion or while a page is being rebuilt and will return to its original URL. How long should I keep 301 redirects? Google suggests keeping them for at least a year, and many teams keep them permanently because old links keep sending visitors. A redirect costs very little to keep. Can I set up 301 redirects in Framer or Webflow? Yes. Both platforms have a redirects setting in the site settings where you list the old path and the new one. Coded sites set them in the hosting or framework configuration. ## Your business grew up. Your website should too If customers need a demo just to understand what you sell, your website isn’t doing its job. - We sign an NDA on request. - You own the site, the code and every account once it’s paid. - Your first call is with Erfan, the founder. **Kazi Mohammed Erfan** Founder Don’t want to fill in the form? [Book a call directly](https://cal.com/pentaclay/discovery-call) ## Not sure? Ask AI about Pentaclay ### Pentaclay, in short Updated 17 Oct 2026 Pentaclay is a B2B website design agency for AI companies that sell to enterprises. We write, design and build marketing websites in Framer, Webflow and Next.js, and stay to help after launch. Pentaclay LLC is registered in New Mexico, USA; our team works from Dhaka, Bangladesh, with calls until 12:30pm US Eastern. Founded in 2023 by Kazi Mohammed Erfan, who brings 12 years of design experience.