Page with redirect
Why a redirecting URL should not be indexed, the chains and loops that do need fixing, and when to use a 301 rather than a 302.
“Page with redirect” means the URL you are looking at redirects to another URL, so Google indexed the destination instead of this address. This is not an error — it is Google correctly declining to index a URL that forwards somewhere else. For any site that has ever moved a page, this status will always have entries in it, and that is exactly as it should be.
Normal, and working as intended
When you move a page and set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one, the old URL correctly shows up under “Page with redirect.” Google is telling you it saw the redirect, followed it, and indexed the destination. There is nothing to fix — the old URL is doing its one job, which is to send everyone to the new one.
When it needs attention
Redirect chains. If URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C, every hop wastes crawl budget and dilutes the signals passing through. Collapse the chain so A points straight to the final destination C.
Redirect loops. If A redirects to B and B redirects back to A, the page never resolves and neither URL can be indexed. A loop is always a bug to fix.
Redirects to an irrelevant page. Sending a moved product to the homepage or a generic category, rather than to its specific equivalent, can be treated as a soft 404. Redirect to the closest real replacement instead.
Redirecting URLs left in your sitemap. A sitemap should list final destination URLs that return 200, not URLs that redirect. Remove redirecting URLs from the sitemap so Google is not pointed at addresses that immediately forward elsewhere.
Internal links pointing at the redirect. If your own pages link to the old, redirecting URL, update those links to point at the destination directly. It saves a hop on every crawl and every click.
Check the redirect
Run the URL through the redirect checker to see the full chain: every hop, the status code at each step, and the final destination. That is how you catch a chain you did not know was three hops long, or a redirect that quietly ends on a 404. Confirm the destination is a live, indexable page — a redirect to a noindexed or broken URL helps no one.
301 versus 302
Use a 301 for a permanent move: it tells Google the change is final and consolidates the old URL’s ranking signals onto the destination. A 302 means temporary, and signals to Google that the original will return, so it keeps the original in the index. Using a 302 for what is really a permanent move is a common mistake that slows the transfer of ranking signals — match the status code to your actual intent.
For how this sits with the other statuses, see the Page indexing report reference, or run a full site check to map every redirect on your site at once.
Frequently asked questions
- What does 'Page with redirect' mean in Search Console?
- It means the URL redirects to another address, so Google indexed the destination instead of this URL. It is not an error — Google is correctly declining to index a URL that forwards elsewhere. Any site that has moved pages will always have entries here, and in the normal case there is nothing to fix.
- Is 'Page with redirect' a problem?
- Usually not. A 301 from an old URL to a new one correctly shows up here, confirming Google followed the redirect and indexed the destination. It only needs attention when the redirect is a chain of several hops, a loop that never resolves, or a redirect to an irrelevant page such as sending every moved URL to the homepage.
- Should redirecting URLs be in my sitemap?
- No. A sitemap should list final destination URLs that return a 200 status, not URLs that redirect. Leaving redirecting URLs in the sitemap points Google at addresses that immediately forward elsewhere, which wastes crawl budget. Update the sitemap to list the destinations directly.
- What is a redirect chain and why is it bad?
- A redirect chain is when URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C, instead of A going straight to C. Each hop wastes crawl budget and dilutes the ranking signals passing through, and long chains can be dropped before Google reaches the end. Collapse chains so the first URL points directly to the final destination.
- Should I use a 301 or 302 redirect?
- Use a 301 for a permanent move — it tells Google the change is final and passes the old URL's ranking signals to the destination. Use a 302 only when the move is genuinely temporary and the original will return, since Google keeps the original indexed. Using a 302 for a permanent move is a common mistake that slows the transfer of ranking signals.