What Is a Meta Redirect?
A meta redirect (or meta refresh) is a way of redirecting users to a new URL using an HTML meta tag with a timed delay, rather than an HTTP-level redirect handled by the server.
How It Works
The tag specifies a number of seconds to wait before automatically loading a different URL, and is processed entirely by the browser after the original page has already loaded — unlike a server-side redirect, which happens before any content is delivered at all.
Why a 301 Redirect Is the Better SEO Practice
Search engines have historically treated meta refreshes inconsistently and sometimes flagged them as a spam or cloaking risk, particularly with very short or zero-second delays that mimic disguising one page as another. A proper 301 redirect, handled at the server level, passes link equity more reliably and is universally recognized as the correct, guideline-compliant way to permanently move a page.
