What Is an HTML Redirect? Why You Should Avoid It
Michel Bardelmeijer is Tech Lead and Sales at redirect.pizza, where he helps DevOps and IT teams solve domain redirect challenges at scale. Michel has guided organizations like SD Worx, Zurich Airport and Harvard through complex redirect scenarios involving thousands of domains.
Have questions about bulk redirects, HTTPS migrations, or domain consolidations? Connect with Michel on LinkedIn or reach out to the redirect.pizza team.
HTML redirects use a meta refresh tag to forward visitors from one URL to another. They work, but they come with real downsides: slower page loads, lost link equity, and poor SEO performance. This article covers what HTML redirects are, why they cause problems, and which redirect methods actually preserve your search rankings. For a broader overview of all redirect types, see our complete guide to URL redirects.
Key Takeaways
- HTML redirects use a meta refresh tag in the page code to forward visitors, but only after the browser loads the page first
- They hurt SEO because search engines don't transfer link equity through HTML redirects
- HTML redirects are slower than server-side redirects (301/302) because they require an extra page load
- Use a 301 redirect for permanent moves and a 302 for temporary changes instead
- DNS-level redirect services handle the redirect before any page loads, making them faster and more reliable than any HTML-based approach
There are a lot of reasons to not use an HTML redirect, but the main reason is that it hurts SEO in a major way. Search engines can't read them, so they won't know where the redirect is pointing to. This means that search engines will see the original location of your redirect as a dead end, and it will negatively affect your ranking.
If you want to redirect from one page to another, use an HTTP redirect instead, such as a 301 redirect. It tells search engines that the page has moved permanently, which will preserve your ranking and direct users to the correct place!
What is an HTML Redirect?
HTML redirects are used by website owners to automatically send users from one URL (webpage address) to another. They're most often used when a site is in transition and being displayed at multiple URLs during the process.
When you create an HTML redirect, you're telling the web browser via a HTML tag where to navigate to, and sends you there without any additional interaction.
The HTML redirect code looks like this:
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com">
This tag goes in the <head> section. The "0" means the redirect fires immediately after the page loads.
What is the difference between an HTML and HTTP redirect?
An HTML redirect and an HTTP redirect both send users from one URL to another but operate differently. An HTML redirect occurs on the client side. In other words, the redirect is executed by the browser and is triggered after the content on the page is loaded.
In contrast, a HTTP redirect occurs on the server side. Therefore, the server executes the redirect before any content is loaded on the page. The HTTP status codes are the redirect codes you're probably familiar with, i.e. 301, 302, 307, 308 redirects.
The fact that HTTP redirects allow the server to redirect the user before any content is loaded, makes HTTP redirects faster and more SEO-friendly. Search engine crawlers don't have to spend time crawling a page that isn't meant to be indexed.
For a full comparison of redirect methods, see DNS-Level vs Server-Side Redirects.
Why HTML Redirects are a Missed Opportunity
HTML redirects require the user's browser to:
- Request the webpage that's been redirected
- Receive the HTML code that indicates the page has been redirected
- Request the new URL
- Receive the new webpage from the server
- Display the new webpage for the user to see
An HTML redirect takes longer and is less user-friendly than using a server-side redirect. It requires the browser to fetch the redirect page from your server, which increases load time and uses more bandwidth. This can be frustrating for users, particularly if they're on a mobile device or have a slow connection.
An HTML redirect also won't pass along any referral information (i.e. where traffic is coming from) to your new page, so you won't be able to track how many people are coming from different sources.
HTML redirects also don't help with search engine optimization (SEO). They don't pass along link equity, which means you won't get any of the benefits of having backlinks to your site. Search engines like Google will also see multiple URLs leading to the same content as being duplicate content, which could negatively impact your search ranking.
Why 301 and 302 Redirects are Better
The short answer is 301 and 302 redirects are better than HTML redirects because they're simpler, faster, and maintain your website's SEO.
The 301 redirect tells search engines that the move is permanent, while the 302 redirect tells them that it's temporary.
The 301 is the best redirect to use if you have permanently moved content from one URL to another. A 301 will transfer 90-99% of link equity from an old page to a new page, so it's great for dealing with expired content (such as old blog posts).
A 302 redirect is ideal for temporarily moving content, for example, if you're doing maintenance on your site. It will not transfer any link equity from an old page to a new page, but it will prevent the loss of ranking power or traffic during your maintenance period. Learn more about the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect
Unlike HTML redirects, 301 and 302 redirects get to keep their page rank, the value attributed to a page by search engines like Google. If a page gets a lot of traffic and is considered a high-quality resource, it will have a high page rank.
When you use other methods, that page rank is lost, so when you send people from an old page to a new one, it hurts your SEO because the new page has no credits to its name. The 301 or 302 redirect, however, essentially transfers that credit over with the user as they go from one URL to another.
This means that you don't lose any momentum in your online presence when you use these redirects, and that's why they're the best!
Related Guides
- 301 vs 302 Redirect: Which Should You Use? - Choose the right redirect type for your situation
- DNS-Level vs Server-Side Redirects - Compare redirect methods beyond HTML
- Why HTTPS Redirects Break (And How DNS Fixes It) - The SSL certificate problem explained
- How to Set Up a Domain Redirect in 3 Minutes - Skip the code entirely with DNS-based redirects
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. HTML redirects don't pass link equity to the destination URL, which means backlink value is lost. Search engines may also treat the redirect page and the destination as duplicate content. Server-side redirects like 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) are faster, pass link equity, and are recognized by all major search engines.
The HTML redirect code is a meta refresh tag placed in the <head> section: <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com">. The "0" means the redirect fires immediately. While this works, it requires the browser to load the page first, adding latency. A 301 redirect handles the forwarding at the server level before any page loads.
An HTML redirect happens in the browser after loading the page (client-side), while a 301 redirect happens on the server before any content is sent (server-side). A 301 redirect transfers SEO value to the new URL and is faster because no extra page load is needed. HTML redirects don't transfer link equity and add an extra step to the loading process.
The most common alternatives are 301 and 302 server-side redirects, configured through your web server (.htaccess for Apache, nginx.conf for Nginx) or a CMS plugin. For domain-level redirects without server access, DNS-based redirect services handle the redirect at the infrastructure layer with automatic SSL certificates, requiring only a DNS record change.
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