A 301 is a permanent redirect — use it when a page has moved for good. It passes ranking signals (link equity) to the new URL and tells search engines to update their index. A 302 is temporary and does not reliably pass ranking signals. For SEO migrations, almost always use 301.

In the .htaccess file at the root of your site (same folder as your homepage), on an Apache server with mod_rewrite enabled. Rules apply top to bottom, so put more specific redirects above broader ones. Always back up the file before editing.

Inside the relevant server { } block in your Nginx config (often /etc/nginx/sites-available/yoursite). After adding rules, test with 'nginx -t' and reload with 'nginx -s reload'. Unlike .htaccess, Nginx doesn't read per-directory files, so changes require a config reload.

A single redirect adds a tiny round-trip (usually under 100ms). The real problem is redirect chains — A→B→C→D — which multiply the delay and dilute ranking signals. Always redirect straight to the final destination. Use our Redirect Chain Checker to find existing chains.

With a proper 301, you retain the vast majority of ranking signals. Google has confirmed 301s pass full PageRank. Some temporary ranking fluctuation during a migration is normal, but well-implemented redirects to relevant, equivalent pages recover quickly — usually within a few weeks.

Only if there's no relevant alternative. Redirecting many deleted pages to the homepage can be treated by Google as a 'soft 404' and the ranking signals may not transfer. Redirect to the most relevant existing page instead — a related article, category, or product.

Yes. Both Apache and Nginx support pattern-based redirects with regular expressions — e.g. redirecting everything under /old-blog/ to /blog/ while preserving the rest of the path. This tool generates exact one-to-one rules; for pattern rules, use the generated examples as a starting template.