A 308 redirect (Permanent Redirect) is an HTTP status code for a permanent move. The client must reuse the original request method and body, so a POST stays a POST.
At a glance
- Status code
- 308
- Class
- 3xx (redirection)
- Duration
- permanent
- In Google
- same as 301: strong signal that the target should be processed
- Request method
- kept (POST stays POST)
- Caching
- heuristically cacheable
- Specification
- RFC 9110, Section 15.4.9
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How does a 308 redirect work?
RFC 9110 states that the target resource has been assigned a permanent URI and that the user agent must not change the request method when it repeats the request. Clients should use the new URI for future references. MDN adds that the response is cacheable by default.
The 301 code has the same purpose but allowed older clients to turn a POST into a GET. The 308 closes that gap. For ordinary page requests with GET, the two behave alike.
Google’s documentation lists 301 and 308 as permanent and treats 308 equivalently to 301, a strong signal that the redirect target should be canonical.
| Type | Permanent or temporary? | Request method | Effect in Google | How reliably Google detects it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 Moved Permanently | permanent | POST may become GET when followed | Signal that the target should become canonical | most reliable (server-side) |
| 308 Permanent Redirect (this term) | permanent | preserved | same as 301 | most reliable (server-side) |
| 302 Found | temporary | POST may become GET when followed | not used as a canonical signal for the target; other signals can still get it indexed | most reliable (server-side) |
| 307 Temporary Redirect | temporary | preserved | same as 302 | most reliable (server-side) |
| Meta refresh, instant (0 s) | permanent | – (redirect inside the HTML, no 3xx status code) | same as 301 | after server-side redirects |
| Meta refresh, delayed (> 0 s) | temporary | – (redirect inside the HTML, no 3xx status code) | same as 302 | after server-side redirects |
| JavaScript (location) | permanent | – (redirect in the browser) | same as 301, but only if Google renders the page | least reliable: if rendering fails, Google may never see it |
Google orders redirect types by how likely it is to interpret them correctly: server-side redirects first, JavaScript last. Request-method behaviour is defined in RFC 9110 (section 15.4). Sources: Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search (last updated 2026-04-14); Google Search Central: How to specify a canonical URL (redirects as canonical signal); RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics, 15.4 Redirection 3xx. Last checked: .
Example
HTTP/1.1 308 Permanent Redirect
Location: https://www.example.com/new-path/
Common mistakes
A 308 is used for a move that will be reverted. Browsers can cache permanent redirects, which makes rollback harder.
FAQ
Is a 308 the same as a 301 for SEO? Google treats them equivalently.
Sources
- RFC 9110, Section 15.4.9: 308 Permanent Redirectrfc-editor.org
- 308 Permanent Redirect – MDNdeveloper.mozilla.org
- How HTTP status codes, and network and DNS errors affect Google Search – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Redirects and Google Search – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
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