What is a redirect?
A redirect automatically sends visitors and search engines from one URL to another; a 301 is permanent, a 302 is temporary.
In plain English
Use a 301 when a page has permanently moved so its ranking signals transfer to the new URL. Use 302 for temporary changes. Broken links and lost authority are common when redirects are missed during site migrations or URL changes.
Why it matters for AI search
Clean redirects preserve the authority AI engines have already associated with a URL, so a move or rebrand doesn't reset the trust you've built as a citable source.
Frequently asked
301 is permanent and passes ranking signals to the new URL; 302 is temporary and tells engines to keep the original indexed.
A correct 301 passes nearly all authority. Problems come from redirect chains, loops, or redirecting to irrelevant pages.
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