What is a meta redirect?
A meta redirect is a redirect done on the page rather than on the server. A line in the HTML head, <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=https://example.com/new/">, tells the browser to go somewhere else, and the number sets how many seconds to wait first. With a delay of zero the user barely sees the original page. With a delay of five or ten, the page can show a message ("this page has moved, you will be redirected shortly") before it goes.
It exists because it is easy. Anyone who can edit a page can add one, with no access to server configuration or the ability to send HTTP status codes. That ease is also why it is generally the wrong tool.
Why it matters
Why a meta redirect matters
Because redirects carry weight in search, and the kind of redirect you use changes how that weight moves. A server-side 301 tells engines clearly that the page has moved permanently and passes its ranking value to the new URL. A meta redirect is interpreted: Google has said it treats an instant meta refresh as a permanent redirect and a delayed one as temporary, but it is a signal engines have to work out rather than a statement. On the user's side, delayed meta redirects feel like a broken page, interrupt the back button and are flagged by accessibility guidelines.
It also matters because the technique has a history. Delayed redirects were a cloaking tactic, showing engines one page and sending users to another, so a site full of them attracts scrutiny.
In practice
How a meta redirect works in practice
- 01
Use a server redirect whenever you can. On most hosts and content management systems that means a redirect rule, a plugin or a line in the server configuration that returns a 301 for permanent moves and a 302 or 307 for temporary ones. This is faster for the user, clearer for search engines and keeps the redirect logic in one place.
- 02
Reserve meta redirects for the rare cases where the server is out of reach: a static page on a platform that offers no redirect control, a one-off landing page you are retiring, a page that genuinely needs to show a message before moving on. Set the delay to zero unless the message is essential, point the redirect at the final destination rather than another redirect, and record it so the next person to audit the site knows it is there. If you later gain server access, replace it.
Watch out
What people get wrong about meta redirects
Using them for a site migration. Hundreds of meta refresh redirects across a site are slow, inconsistent in how engines treat them and a maintenance trap. The other mistake is the delayed redirect as a design choice: a "please wait" page serves nobody.
Finally, people confuse the meta redirect with a JavaScript redirect. Both are client-side, both are second-best, and neither replaces a status code from the server.
