Beginner LevelExpress JS
How does res.redirect() work and what is the difference between 301 Permanent and 302 Temporary redirects?
❓ Interview Prompt: Explain res.redirect(), setting Location headers, and comparing 301 Permanent vs 302 Temporary HTTP redirect status codes.
'res.redirect([status], url)' issues an HTTP redirect by sending a 'Location' header to the browser.
Redirect Status Codes:
•
302 Found (Default): Temporary redirect. Search engines preserve the original URL in indexing.
•
301 Moved Permanently: Permanent redirect ('res.redirect(301, "/new-url")'). Browsers and search engines cache the new URL permanently and transfer SEO link equity.
Code Implementation Example
javascript
import express from 'express';
const app = express();
// 1. Default 302 Temporary Redirect
app.get('/old-route', (req, res) => {
res.redirect('/new-route');
});
// 2. Explicit 301 Permanent Redirect (for domain/SEO migrations)
app.get('/legacy-page', (req, res) => {
res.redirect(301, '/permanent-page');
});💡Executing temporary 302 and permanent 301 redirects using res.redirect.
🎯 Interview Key Takeaway
res.redirect() defaults to 302 temporary redirect. Specify 301 status explicitly for permanent SEO redirects.
#res.redirect#Redirects#HTTP Status#Beginner
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