Temporary or permanent web redirect?

The practical difference

A temporary redirect tells browsers and search engines that the change may not be final.

A permanent redirect says the old address has been replaced by another stable address.

When to choose temporary

Choose a temporary redirect when:

• you are testing;
• the final website is not ready;
• you want to send visitors to a provisional page;
• the destination may change soon;
• you are doing a migration in steps.

It is the safer option when the change is not confirmed.

When to choose permanent

Choose a permanent redirect when:

• an old website is replaced by a new one;
• you want to consolidate an address;
• the change is final;
• browsers and search engines should treat the new URL as the main one.

Do not use it for short tests if you expect to revert easily.

What visitors see

In both cases, visitors normally end up at the destination URL and may see that URL in the browser bar.

The difference is mostly technical meaning: temporary or permanent.

How PRIMARI handles it

At PRIMARI.NET, when creating or editing a webforwarding entry, you can select temporary or permanent redirect.

The panel also asks for:

• the source;
• HTTP or HTTPS protocol;
• the full destination URL.

Then activate the changes.

When to contact PRIMARI.NET

Contact PRIMARI.NET if the redirect affects a website with traffic, search visibility or published campaigns. In those cases, choose carefully before activating.