301 redirect
A server-side permanent redirect that tells crawlers a URL has moved for good and that ranking signals should consolidate on the…
TechnicalClient-side redirect
Meta refresh redirect
A redirect implemented with `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` in the HTML; Google understands it but recommends server-side redirects instead.
In full
Meta refresh executes in the browser after the page loads, so it is slower, harmful to accessibility, and depends on rendering. Google treats an instant meta refresh similarly to a permanent redirect but explicitly prefers HTTP-level redirects; delayed refreshes are weaker signals and have historically been associated with doorway and cloaking patterns. JavaScript `location.replace()` redirects behave similarly and are also understood but deferred until render.
Example
A legacy CMS emits `<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=/new-page">`, which is replaced with a server 301.
Related terms
JavaScript rendering
The execution of a page's client-side JavaScript by a search engine so that content and links generated at runtime become indexable.
Cloaking
Presenting different content or URLs to search engines than to users with the intent to manipulate rankings; a Google spam policy violation.
Doorway pages
Pages or sites created to rank for many similar queries and funnel users to a single destination, providing no unique value themselves.
HTTP status codes
Numeric codes in an HTTP response that tell crawlers how to treat a URL: 200 index it, 3xx follow the redirect, 404/410 drop it, 5xx come…