Page indexing report · Search Console
Page with redirect
The URL redirects to another page, so Google indexes the destination instead. Google calls it a non-canonical URL that won’t be indexed.1 Most of the time that’s exactly what you want. Here’s how to spot the cases where it isn’t, and what to change.
Check the URL first
The checker follows the redirect, shows each hop and tells you whether it ends on a working page. It can’t tell you whether Google has indexed the destination. URL Inspection in Search Console can.
In 30 seconds
- The URL in the report isn’t indexed because it redirects. The target may or may not be indexed.1
- Redirects from http to https, from www to non-www and from old URLs are normal. They belong here.
- 301 and 308 are strong signals for which URL to index; 302 and 307 are weak ones.3
- Act when a page you want indexed redirects, or when old URLs all point to the homepage.6
What the status means
Google’s description is short: the URL is non-canonical, it redirects to another page, and so it won’t be indexed. Whether the target is indexed depends on what Google thinks of the target.1
When Googlebot meets a redirect, it ignores whatever the redirecting URL sent and processes the final URL instead, following up to 10 hops.3 A permanent redirect also tells Google’s indexing systems that the target should be the canonical: the one URL indexed for that content.2
The status is set during indexing, when Google picks canonicals. Select a stage to see what happens there.
Discover
Google learns that a URL exists, mostly from links on pages it already knows and from XML sitemaps.
What goes wrong: Nothing links to the page and it isn’t in a sitemap, so Google never hears about it.
Report statuses at this stage
- URL is unknown to Google (shown in URL Inspection, not in the report)
Crawl
Googlebot checks robots.txt, then requests the URL. It spaces requests out so it doesn’t overload the server.
What goes wrong: The URL is blocked, returns an error, or the server is slow, so Google backs off and crawls less.
Report statuses at this stage
Render
Google runs the page’s JavaScript in a recent version of Chrome to see the finished page.
What goes wrong: Content only appears after a click or scroll, or the scripts fail, so the rendered page is nearly empty.
Report statuses at this stage
- No status of its own. Problems show up at the next stage as thin pages or soft 404s.
Index
Google decides which version of the page to keep and whether it is worth storing at all.
- Group duplicates. Pages with the same or very similar content go into one group.
- Pick a canonical. One URL represents each group. Canonical tags, redirects and sitemaps are hints, not commands.
- Select for the index. Google decides whether the canonical page is worth keeping. Google says this largely depends on quality.
What goes wrong: The page duplicates another, is marked noindex, or Google decides it adds too little to keep.
Report statuses at this stage
Serve
Indexed pages can appear in search results. Being indexed is not the same as ranking; an indexed page can still get no clicks.
What goes wrong: The page is indexed but doesn’t match what people search for, or other pages answer it better.
Report statuses at this stage
This row lists the old URLs. To know whether the redirect did its job, check the destination: inspect it in Search Console and confirm it says the URL is on Google.
Is it a problem?
Usually fine
- http:// URLs redirecting to https://
- www and non-www, or trailing-slash, variants redirecting to one version
- Old URLs after a redesign or migration, redirecting to their new addresses
- Pages you merged into another page
- A large count right after a site move
Worth fixing
- A page you want in Google that redirects somewhere else
- Many old URLs all redirecting to the homepage
- Redirects that end on an error, a login page or an unrelated page
- 302 or 307 used for a permanent move
- Redirecting URLs still listed in your sitemap or linked from your pages
Find the cause
The report doesn’t tell you where each redirect goes or why it’s there. Run the URL through the checker above, then answer a few questions.
An unintended redirect
A URL that redirects can’t be indexed itself; Google processes the target instead.3 Redirects often come from layers you don’t look at every day: SEO or redirect plugins, server and CDN rules, framework middleware, or a login, cookie or location check that sends Googlebot elsewhere. Find the layer, remove the rule, and the URL can return 200.
Everything redirects to the homepage
A common shortcut when deleting pages, and one Google has spoken against. In a 2016 hangout, Mueller said redirecting all old pages to the homepage is something Google would see as soft 404s.6 Redirect each URL to its closest replacement. If there isn’t one, a 404 is the honest answer.
Temporary redirects for permanent moves
Google follows 302, 303 and 307 redirects but doesn’t take them as a signal that the target should be canonical.2 Frameworks pick temporary codes by default more often than you’d expect: Next.js’s redirect() sends 307.10 If the move is permanent, say so with 301 or 308.
Redirect chains
Google follows up to 10 hops and processes only the last one.3 Chains build up over time: an old URL moved once, then again, then the site went to HTTPS. Point each old URL straight at the final address. A chain Google can’t finish turns into Redirect error.1
Your sitemap or links still use the old URL
Google says a sitemap should list the URLs you want shown in search, which are usually the canonical ones.5 Redirecting URLs in a sitemap, internal links or canonical tags keep sending Google to addresses you don’t want indexed. The redirect still works; it’s just wasted requests.
Redirect types and how Google treats them
Google splits redirects into permanent and temporary, and prefers server-side redirects over all others.2 Pick a type to see how Google treats it.
301 Moved Permanently
The standard permanent redirect. Google treats it as a strong signal that the target should be the URL it indexes.3 Use it for moved pages, merged pages and domain or HTTPS moves.
HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://example.com/new-page308 Permanent Redirect
Google treats 308 the same as 301.3 The difference is for browsers: a 308 keeps the request method, so a form POST stays a POST.
HTTP/1.1 308 Permanent Redirect
Location: https://example.com/new-page302 Found
Google follows it but treats it as a weak signal for which URL to index.3 Right for short-lived moves, such as a page that will come back. Mueller has said it’s a myth that 302s pass no PageRank,7 but that doesn’t make them the right choice for a permanent move.
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/sale303 See Other
Google lists 303 among temporary redirects: it follows them, but doesn’t use them as a signal that the target should be canonical.2 Mostly used after a form submission.
307 Temporary Redirect
Google treats 307 the same as 302.3 It’s also what Next.js’s redirect() sends by default, so check which one your routes use.10
HTTP/1.1 307 Temporary Redirect
Location: https://example.com/loginMeta refresh, 0 seconds
An instant meta refresh is interpreted as a permanent redirect.2 Use it only when you can’t set redirects on the server, for example on some static hosts.
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page">Meta refresh, delayed
A meta refresh with any delay above zero is interpreted as a temporary redirect.2
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=https://example.com/new-page">JavaScript location
Google can follow a JavaScript redirect once it renders the page, and treats it as permanent, but advises using one only if server-side or meta refresh redirects aren’t possible.2
window.location.replace('https://example.com/new-page');Next.js redirect() and permanentRedirect()
redirect() sends 307, permanentRedirect() sends 308, and Server Action form submissions get 303. Once a page has started streaming, redirect() can’t change the status any more and inserts a meta tag to redirect in the browser instead.10 For permanent moves, use permanentRedirect() or redirects in next.config.js, which run before rendering.
import { permanentRedirect } from 'next/navigation';
if (post.movedTo) permanentRedirect(post.movedTo);How to fix it
- Export the URLs from the report row and sort them into intended and unintended redirects. Most sites find nearly all are intended.
- For unintended ones, find the rule that adds the redirect and remove it.
- For intended ones, check each lands on a live, relevant page, not the homepage or an error.6
- Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves, and point straight at the final URL.2
- Replace redirecting URLs in your sitemap, internal links, canonical tags and hreflang with the final addresses.5
- Keep the redirects. Google says to keep them as long as possible, generally at least a year.4
What other guides get wrong
Two claims that turn up in popular guides to this status:
| Often said | What’s actually true |
|---|---|
| “Page with redirect” is an error to fix | Google lists it as a reason the URL isn’t indexed, not as an error. Intended redirects belong in it.1 |
| Google eventually treats a 302 the same as a 301 | Google’s documentation treats 302 as a weak signal and gives no point at which it becomes permanent. Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves.3 |
How long it takes
Google doesn’t give a timeline for this row to shrink. These are the timings it does give:
- A few weeksfor most pages of a small to medium site to move after a migration; larger sites take longer.4
- Up to about 2 weeksfor Search Console to validate a fix, sometimes longer.1 Mueller has said validation only tracks reprocessing; it doesn’t speed it up.9
- At least 1 yearto keep redirects in place after a move. Mueller explained that Google needs to see a redirect several times to record the change.8
Page with redirect vs Redirect error
| Page with redirect | Redirect error | |
|---|---|---|
| Did the redirect work? | Yes, Google reached the target | No |
| Google’s explanation | Non-canonical URL that redirects; not indexed1 | Chain too long, a loop, a URL over the maximum length, or a bad or empty URL in the chain1 |
| Usually | Fine | Needs fixing |
| What to check | That the target is right and indexed | Every hop in the chain |
Questions
Is “Page with redirect” an error?
No. It lists URLs that redirect somewhere else, so Google indexes the destination instead. After a migration or an HTTPS move, a large count here is expected. It only needs work when a URL you want indexed is redirecting, or the redirect lands somewhere wrong.
Should I click Validate fix for Page with redirect?
Usually there is nothing to validate, because the redirects are meant to be there. John Mueller has said validation only tracks reprocessing and doesn’t speed it up. Use it only after you have changed redirects that were wrong.
What is the difference between Page with redirect and Redirect error?
Page with redirect means the redirect worked and Google moved on to the destination. Redirect error means Google couldn’t complete it: a loop, a chain that was too long, a URL that grew too long, or an empty or bad URL in the chain.
Should redirected URLs be in my sitemap?
No. Google says to list the URLs you want to appear in search, which are the final addresses. Replace redirecting URLs in your sitemap with the pages they point to.
How long should I keep a 301 redirect?
Google advises keeping redirects for as long as possible, and generally at least a year after a site move. Keeping them longer does no harm, and old links elsewhere keep working.
Does a 302 redirect hurt SEO?
Not in itself, and it isn’t true that 302s pass no PageRank. But Google treats 302 and 307 as temporary, a weak signal for which URL to index. For a permanent move, use 301 or 308 so the choice is clear.
Sources
- Google, “Page indexing report”, Search Console Help
- Google, “Redirects and Google Search”, Search Central, updated April 2026
- Google, “How HTTP status codes, and network and DNS errors affect Google Search”, Search Central, updated February 2026
- Google, “Site moves with URL changes”, Search Central, updated August 2026
- Google, “Build and submit a sitemap”, Search Central, updated July 2026
- John Mueller (Google), Webmaster Central hangout, October 2016, reported by Search Engine Roundtable
- John Mueller (Google), Google+, February 2016, reported by Search Engine Roundtable
- John Mueller (Google), Ask Googlebot video, December 2021, reported by Search Engine Journal
- John Mueller (Google), Reddit, January 2025, reported by Search Engine Journal
- Vercel, “redirect”, Next.js documentation, updated July 2026