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What is a 307 Temporary Redirect?

The 307 temporary redirect is an HTTP status code that indicates a resource has been temporarily moved from its previous location to a new one. The browser is expected to make a request to the new location using the same request method it used when it attempted to access the resource at the previous location. 

For example, if the browser requested the previous location using a GET request method, it must request the new location using the same GET request method. It must not change it to another request method like POST or PUT. 

The temporary location is specified in the location header of the HTTP response. However, the content is expected to return to the previous location on a future date. 

The 307 temporary redirect belongs to the 3xx series of HTTP status codes.

  • 3 indicates the status code is a redirection
  • xx is a placeholder for two numbers indicating the type of redirection

How the 307 Temporary Redirect Works

The 307 redirect process begins with visitors clicking a link, anchor text, or entering a URL into their address bar.

For example, let us assume a visitor enters the URL to your homepage into their browser. Their browser will send the HTTP request below to your server. Notice that the browser used a GET request method. 

GET /index.html HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

However, you have changed your homepage URL because you are currently redesigning your homepage, so you temporarily redirect all visitors to a new URL. Your server will then return the HTTP response specifying the new location. 

HTTP/1.1 307 Temporary Redirect
Location: https://example.com/home

The browser will then make another request to your server, requesting to access the resource at the new location. It uses the same GET request it used with the initial request. 

GET /index.html HTTP/1.1
Host: https://example.com/home

Why the 307 Temporary Redirect is Important

The 307 temporary redirect is helpful when you need to move a resource to a location for the time being but will return to the original location in the future. 

This is handy in certain situations, including when A/B testing multiple webpages, updating a webpage, or rectifying an error on the original webpage. 307 redirect can also be used to run promotions and geotarget visitors. 

In all situations, the 307 redirect signals to search engines that you want to return to the original URL in the future. So, the original URL will retain the link equity and not pass it to the new webpage. 

Difference Between the 302 Found and 307 Temporary Redirects

The 302 Found and 307 redirects are both used for temporary redirects. However, the primary difference lies in how they handle the request method. 

The 302 redirect allows the browser to use a different request method from the one used with the original request. On the other hand, the 307 redirect does not allow this, and the browser must use the same request method it used when it made the initial request. 

For example, if the browser used a GET request within its original request, it would have to use the same GET request when making a new request to the server. However, the 302 allows the browser to change the request method to something else, such as POST or PUT. 

The 307 redirect is used when a site wants to ensure that the browser does not change the request method used for the initial request. This is necessary as some browsers may change the request method when making the request to the new location. This could sometimes cause issues that may prevent visitors from accessing the resource. 

That said, the 302 and 307 requests will typically act the same way with GET request methods. However, they may behave differently when used with other request methods. 

The 307 redirect is also rarer than the 302 redirect. Most bloggers use the 302 redirect. However, if you want to ensure that the browser does not change the header request after the initial request, use the 307 redirect. 

How 307 Redirects Impact SEO

Google treats 307 redirects the same way it treats 302 redirects. It will continue to index and display the content on the original page on search results pages. Similarly, Google will not pass link equity to the final page, so the original webpage will retain the link equity since the resource is expected to return to that location. 

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