Direct Answer
Use 301 for permanent moves and 302 for temporary ones. Use 308 or 307 only when forms, APIs or webhooks must keep their request data. Choose Frame (Masking) to keep your domain in the address bar, but only if the destination allows being framed. Choose Custom HTML to show your own page instead of redirecting.
When you create or edit a redirect in RedirHub, the Method dropdown decides how visitors and search engines reach the destination. The four HTTP methods (301, 302, 307 and 308) send the browser to the new URL. Frame and Custom HTML keep the visitor on your domain. This guide explains what each option does and when to use it.
Quick comparison#
| Method | Address bar shows | SEO | Keeps form/API data | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 Moved Permanently | Destination | Passes ranking signals to the destination | No | Domain changes, site migrations, permanent moves |
| 302 Found | Destination | Keeps the original URL indexed | No | Testing, maintenance, short-term campaigns |
| 307 Temporary Redirect | Destination | Same as 302 | Yes | Temporary moves of forms, APIs and webhooks |
| 308 Permanent Redirect | Destination | Same as 301 | Yes | Permanent moves of forms, APIs and webhooks |
| Frame (Masking) | Your URL | Destination content does not rank for your domain | — | Showing a site hosted elsewhere under your domain |
| Custom HTML (Pro) | Your URL | Indexed as your own page | — | Notices, holding pages, simple landing pages |
301 Moved Permanently (SEO friendly)#
A 301 tells browsers and search engines that the page has moved for good. Search engines move the old URL's ranking signals to the destination and eventually show the new URL in results. This is the right choice for domain changes, rebrands, site migrations and any URL that will not come back. If you are unsure, 301 is the default for permanent redirects.
Browsers remember permanent redirects
After a visitor follows a 301 or 308, their browser can keep sending them to the old destination even after you change it in RedirHub, until they clear their cache.
While testing, or if the destination might still change, start with 302 and switch to 301 once the destination is final.
302 Found (Temporary)#
A 302 says the move is temporary. Search engines keep the original URL indexed and do not treat the destination as its replacement. Use it for maintenance pages, seasonal promotions, A/B tests, and redirects whose destination changes regularly. Browsers do not keep a 302 in cache the way they keep a 301, so changes take effect right away. For a deeper comparison, read 301 vs 302 redirects.
307 Temporary Redirect and 308 Permanent Redirect#
307 and 308 mean the same as 302 and 301, with one difference: the browser must repeat the request exactly as it was sent. With 301 and 302, most browsers turn a form submission (a POST request) into a normal page load at the new address, so the submitted data is lost. 307 and 308 keep the method and the data.
- 308: an API endpoint, webhook URL or form handler has moved permanently.
- 307: the same kind of endpoint is moving only for a while, for example during a migration window.
For ordinary web pages that people open in a browser, 301 and 302 are the better-known choice and work just as well.
Frame (Masking)#
Frame loads the destination inside a full-screen frame on your domain, so the address bar keeps showing your URL. It is useful when a site is hosted elsewhere, for example on a page builder or portfolio platform, and you want visitors to see only your domain.
Before you choose Frame, check these limitations:
- Many sites refuse to be framed. If the destination sends an X-Frame-Options header or a Content-Security-Policy with frame-ancestors, the browser shows a blank or error page inside the frame. Most large platforms and almost all login pages do this.
- The destination must use HTTPS. Browsers block http:// pages inside an https:// page.
- The address bar never changes. Visitors cannot bookmark or share a specific inner page, and refreshing takes them back to the first page.
- Logins may not work. Browsers restrict cookies inside frames from another domain, so sign-in and checkout flows can break.
- No SEO benefit. Search engines see a page on your domain that only contains a frame, so the destination's content does not rank for your domain. If search traffic matters, use 301.
To check a destination, open it in your browser, open the developer tools, and look at the response headers of the page in the Network tab. If you see X-Frame-Options (DENY or SAMEORIGIN), or a frame-ancestors rule that does not include your domain, Frame will not work for that destination. More ideas in when to use URL forwarding with masking.
Custom HTML (Pro)#
Custom HTML does not redirect at all. Instead, RedirHub serves the HTML you enter as the page for that source URL. Use it for a maintenance or “coming soon” notice, a holding page for a parked or for-sale domain, or a simple landing page that does not need its own hosting. Custom HTML is available on the Pro plan and above.
Forwarding options and variables#
The four HTTP methods and Frame all work with Path forwarding, Query forwarding and destination URL variables. For example, Frame with Path forwarding turned on opens the matching inner page of the destination on the first visit. See Destination URL Variables for details.
Which method should I choose?#
- Moving a site or domain for good: 301
- Testing, a short-term campaign, or the destination is not final yet: 302 (switch to 301 later)
- Moving an API, webhook or form endpoint: 308 (permanent) or 307 (temporary)
- Keeping your domain in the address bar: Frame (Masking), after checking that the destination allows framing
- Showing a page instead of redirecting: Custom HTML
You can change the method at any time. If a redirect does not behave as expected after a change, see Troubleshooting new redirects.
Frequently asked questions
For a permanent move, use 301 (or 308 for endpoints that receive form or API data). It tells search engines to transfer the old URL's ranking signals to the destination. Use 302 only while the move is temporary.
No. Starting with 302 while you test and switching to 301 once the destination is final is a common and safe approach. Search engines treat the redirect as permanent from the moment they see the 301.
Browsers cache 301 and 308 redirects. Your browser remembers the old destination until its cache is cleared. Test in a private window or another browser. Visitors who have not followed the old redirect see the new destination right away.
The destination most likely blocks being shown inside a frame with an X-Frame-Options or Content-Security-Policy header, or it uses http:// instead of https://. Only the destination's owner can change this. Otherwise, use 301 or 302.
Not for your domain. Google sees your page as a frame with almost no content of its own, and indexes the destination on its own domain. If you want search engines to credit the destination's content, use a 301 redirect.