Unit 1 · How the web works
Is a 301 redirect an error? No, here is why
No. A 301 means the page moved permanently and the server knows where. It sends the browser to the new address, usually so fast the visitor never notices. Nobody needs to fix anything.
The mix-up
What people often think
“A redirect is something the site needs to fix.”
What the tutor says
A 301 is the site working as planned, sending old links to the new address. Nobody needs to act.
How it works
A moved page is not a missing page. When a site renames /menu.html to /menu, a 301 from the old address keeps old links, bookmarks and search results working.
A 404 is the opposite: the server has no idea where the page went. If a page moved and returns 404, add a redirect.
Close cousins of this mix-up
The tutor watches for these in the same lesson.
“A page that moved is a missing page.”
A 301 knows where the page went and sends your browser there. You usually never notice it happened.
Practise it with a tutor watching
Status codes
Read a status code and say who needs to fix the problem.
Free with an account. The first two units need no account.