302 Found

What HTTP 302 Found Means

The resource temporarily resides at a different URL.

Resource temporarily moved but may return to original URL.

Common Causes

• Temporary redirect
• A/B testing
• Maintenance mode redirect

What Visitors Should Do

• Browser should automatically redirect

Notes for Developers

• Use 307 instead for temporary redirects that preserve method
• Set Location header

302 vs 301 vs 307 vs 308

Code	Permanent?	Method on redirect	Typical use
301	Yes	May change POST to GET	Moved pages, domain or HTTPS migrations
302	No	May change POST to GET	Short-term moves, login redirects
303	No	Always GET	Redirect after a form POST
307	No	Must keep method and body	Temporary moves of APIs or forms
308	Yes	Must keep method and body	Permanent moves of APIs or forms

RFC 9110 allows clients to switch a POST to GET on a 301 or 302 for historical reasons, which is why 307 and 308 exist.

Returning a 302 Found (Code Examples)

If you build APIs or web apps, here is how to send an HTTP 302 response and how to test for it:

Node.js (Express)

app.get('/resource', (req, res) => {
  res.status(302).json({ error: 'Found' });
});

Python (Flask)

@app.route('/resource')
def resource():
    return jsonify(error='Found'), 302

PHP

<?php
http_response_code(302);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Found']);

Check the status with curl

curl -I https://example.com/resource
# Look for: HTTP/1.1 302 Found

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HTTP 302 Found mean?

Resource temporarily moved but may return to original URL. In short: The resource temporarily resides at a different URL.

How should I handle an HTTP 302 Found response?

Use 307 instead for temporary redirects that preserve method. Set Location header.

Official Specification

The 302 Found status code is defined in RFC 9110 Section 15.4.3.

View the IANA HTTP Status Code Registry →