A redirect is a line of code used to make browsers send users to a different URL than the one they were originally trying to visit. There are several types of redirects available to Web developers, including manual redirects, HTTP 3xx series status codes, server-side scripts, JavaScript, frame redirects, and metatag refreshes.
A URL redirect may also be known as an HTTP code 3xx redirect, URL forwarding, domain redirection, and domain forwarding.
Redirects are very useful for situations like these:
- Temporary page maintenance
- Permanent page deletion
- Page merger
- Domain change
- A change of business name
The various HTTP protocol 3xx series codes are the most common way to redirect a Web page and are embedded in the HTML of the page. Members of this series have the following attributes:
- 300 offers multiple redirect choices. For example, alternative languages can be selected.
- 301 is when a site is moved permanently, such as when a business’s name changes.
- 302 is for an unspecified redirect.
- 303 displays or acts on the results of common gateway interface (CGI) scripts
- 307 is used for temporary redirect, such as when a site is being redesigned.
In web development, we use redirects all the time to avoid sending the user to a dead page. This helps with user experience and SEO, we need to use redirects whenever the location of a web page is moved. Not using redirects, users and search engines will not be forwarded to the new one, and this in itself can cause issues with SEO as well as causing customers to drop off.
RESOURCES:
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1708/url-redirect
https://www.semrush.com/blog/redirects/
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Redirections