An instruction that sends a visitor and crawler from one URL to another — permanent (301) or temporary (302) — and that passes (or withholds) ranking signals accordingly.
A 301 redirect says "this URL has permanently moved here" and passes the old page's ranking authority to the new one. A 302 says "temporarily here" and is meant to be reversed, so signals stay with the original URL. Using the wrong one — a 302 on a permanent move — can strand the authority you've built.
Redirects become a problem when they chain: URL A → B → C → D. Each hop adds latency, wastes crawl budget, and dilutes signals; some get dropped entirely. A redirect that points at a 404 or loops back on itself is worse still.
CommandSEO flags redirect issues — wrong type, chains, redirects to broken pages — in the audit, and re-verifies the fix on the live page so you know the chain is actually gone.
What to do about it
Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 only when you'll genuinely reverse it. Collapse chains so each old URL points directly to its final destination in one hop, and make sure redirects land on a live 200 page, never a 404 or another redirect.
Common questions
301 vs 302 — which should I use?
Use a 301 (permanent) for any move you don't intend to undo; it passes ranking authority to the new URL. Use a 302 (temporary) only for short-lived changes you'll reverse, since it keeps signals on the original URL.
Are redirect chains bad for SEO?
Yes. Each extra hop adds load time, spends crawl budget, and dilutes ranking signals — and crawlers may stop following a long chain. Point each old URL straight to its final destination in a single redirect.