What Does HTTP Status 301 Mean? (Moved Permanently)
What HTTP 301 (Moved Permanently) Means In Plain English
A 301 status (Moved Permanently) means the URL permanently redirects to another location. Reachability is usually fine, but redirect targets can still fail.
If you want the broader context across all status code families, use the full HTTP Status Codes Guide (2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 5xx).
Quick Navigation
- What HTTP 301 (Moved Permanently) Means In Plain English
- How to Read HTTP 301 in WebsiteDown Results
- Most Common Root Causes
- What to Do Next
- What to Avoid During Triage
- Real-World Examples
- HTTP 301 FAQ
How to Read HTTP 301 in WebsiteDown Results
In WebsiteDown checks, 301 usually indicates the domain is up and routing traffic. Problems appear when the target URL is misconfigured, blocked, or looping.
If you see this code only in one region, compare with official provider status and retest from another network. Mixed regional results often indicate routing, policy, or edge differences rather than full global outages.
For deeper triage, compare this with the HTTP 302 guide, HTTP 307 guide, HTTP 308 guide, and the post-deploy recovery checklist.
Most Common Root Causes
- HTTP to HTTPS migration redirects.
- Domain canonicalization (`example.com` to `www.example.com`).
- Old URL paths moved permanently to new structures.
- Misconfigured redirect chains that become too long.
What to Do Next
- Validate the final destination URL responds correctly in all regions.
- Check for redirect chains and loops across HTTP/HTTPS and host variants.
- Ensure canonical redirects are consistent with TLS certificates and DNS.
- Test key deep links, not only the root domain.
What to Avoid During Triage
- Do not assume 301 equals healthy destination behavior.
- Do not stack multiple permanent redirects without reason.