301 and 302 redirects in Rest API - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - 301 and 302 redirects

Client sends HTTP request

↓

Server checks resource location

↓

Resource moved

↓

Send 301 Redirect

↓

Client updates URL

↓

Client requests new URL

When a client requests a URL, the server can respond with a 301 or 302 redirect to tell the client the resource has moved permanently or temporarily, guiding the client to the new URL.

Execution Sample

Rest API

GET /old-page HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: /new-page

GET /old-temp HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: /temp-page

This shows a client requesting two URLs and the server responding with 301 and 302 redirects pointing to new locations.

Execution Table

Step	Request URL	Server Response Code	Location Header	Client Action
1	/old-page	301	/new-page	Update URL to /new-page and request it
2	/new-page	200	-	Display content of /new-page
3	/old-temp	302	/temp-page	Request /temp-page but keep /old-temp as original URL
4	/temp-page	200	-	Display content of /temp-page

💡 After final 200 OK response, client displays the requested content.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 3	Final
Requested URL	/old-page	/new-page	/temp-page	/temp-page
Response Code	-	301	302	200
Location Header	-	/new-page	/temp-page	-

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the client update the URL after a 301 but not after a 302?

Because 301 means the resource moved permanently, so the client updates the URL (see execution_table step 1). For 302, the move is temporary, so the client requests the new URL but keeps the original URL for future requests (see step 3).

What happens if the client ignores the Location header?

The client will not request the new URL and will not get the updated resource, so it may show an error or old content. The Location header tells the client where to go next (see execution_table Location Header column).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the client’s requested URL after step 1?

A /old-page

B /new-page

C /old-temp

D /temp-page

💡 Hint

Check the 'Requested URL' variable after step 1 in variable_tracker.

At which step does the client receive a 302 redirect?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Server Response Code' column in execution_table.

If the server changed the 302 to a 301 in step 3, what would the client do differently?

A Keep requesting /old-temp URL

B Update URL to /temp-page permanently

C Ignore the Location header

D Request /new-page instead

💡 Hint

Recall the difference between 301 and 302 redirects explained in key_moments.

Concept Snapshot

301 and 302 Redirects:
- 301 = Moved Permanently: client updates URL permanently.
- 302 = Found (Temporary): client uses new URL temporarily.
- Server sends Location header with new URL.
- Client follows Location to get resource.
- 301 affects bookmarks and SEO; 302 does not.

Full Transcript

When a client requests a web resource, the server can respond with a redirect status code. A 301 redirect means the resource has moved permanently, so the client updates its stored URL and requests the new location. A 302 redirect means the resource is temporarily at a new location, so the client requests the new URL but keeps the original URL for future requests. The server includes a Location header with the new URL in both cases. The client follows this header to get the resource. This process helps keep links working when websites change structure.