What is a 301 Redirect and How to Set Up Permanent Redirection
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirection from one URL to another. It tells search engines: “This page no longer exists — its content has permanently moved here.”
Unlike temporary redirects (302, 307), a 301 redirect passes 90–99% of SEO equity to the target page. This makes it essential when:
- changing domains,
- restructuring a website,
- merging duplicate pages,
- fixing broken links (404 errors).
Why do you need it?
Without 301 redirects, you’ll lose traffic, rankings, and Google’s trust. For example, if you change a URL from /old-page/ to /new-page/ without a redirect, visitors and Googlebot will encounter a 404 error.
How to check 301 redirects on your site
Use:
- Google Search Console → “URL Inspection”,
- Screaming Frog → “Response Codes” tab,
- online tools like Redirect Checker.
Common mistakes
A frequent error is redirecting all pages to the homepage. This delivers a poor user experience and signals to Google: “The content has disappeared.”
How we use 301 redirects in audits
In our technical SEO audit, we always check for:
- “orphaned” 301 redirects,
- redirect chains and loops,
- correct HTTP status codes.
Why 301 redirects matter for charities and ethical projects
If you’re restructuring your site, always plan a redirect map in advance. This saves months of recovery time. For charities, every visitor could be a potential supporter — don’t let them land on a 404.
How to set up a 301 redirect
The method depends on your server:
- Apache — via the
.htaccessfile, - Nginx — via the server configuration file,
- WordPress — via plugins like Redirection or Simple 301 Redirects.
In summary
A 301 redirect is the foundation of site reliability. Never ignore it — it’s your best defence against losing traffic and rankings.