A link redirect sends a visitor from the address they opened to a different one. The server answers with a 3xx status code and a Location header naming the new address. The browser follows it without any action from the visitor. Short links and dynamic QR codes both depend on redirects.
301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308
The status code tells browsers and search engines two things. Is the move permanent or temporary? And may the browser change the request method along the way?
Google groups 301 and 308 as permanent, and 302, 303 and 307 as temporary. A permanent redirect tells Google the target should be the canonical URL. A temporary one doesn't (Google Search Central).
A 307 or 308 requires the browser to keep the request method, such as a form's POST. After a 301 or 302, a browser may turn a POST into a GET. That matters for forms, not for links. A click on a link sends a GET request. MDN notes that 302 and 307 behave the same for GET (MDN). For short links, the real choice is permanent or temporary.
Permanent redirects get cached
Browsers may store a 301 and skip the server on the next visit. The HTTP standard allows it, calling a 301 "heuristically cacheable" unless cache headers say otherwise (RFC 9110). A 302 gets no such default.
For a website move, that caching is fine, because the old URL is gone for good. For a short link, it causes two problems. A browser that stored the old target may keep going there after you edit the destination. And the repeat visit never reaches the server, so it isn't counted.
Which redirect Reqlick uses
Reqlick answers short-link clicks with a 302. That covers links on rqk.sh, links on your custom domain and every QR code. The code is fixed, and links can't be switched to a 301.
A 302 fits how short links get used. Destinations change, like a flyer link that moves to next month's offer. Every click has to reach the server to be tracked. A 302 keeps both working.
Some links show a page instead of redirecting straight away:
- Password-protected links and file links open a Reqlick page first.
- Expired links show an expiry notice, and the visit still counts.
- Deactivated or archived links show a not-found page.
Links flagged as dangerous are blocked. With device targeting on Pro and Business, Reqlick picks the iPhone or Android destination before it sends the 302. Any query string on the short link passes through to the destination.
When to use a 301 instead
Use a 301 or 308 when a page on your own website moves for good. Google then treats the new URL as canonical and shows it in results. Set that redirect on your web server or hosting platform. Use a short link with a 302 when the destination will change or you need click counts.
Worked example: page move vs short link
Suppose your pricing page moves from yourbrand.com/pricing-2025 to yourbrand.com/pricing. The move is permanent, so you add a 301 on your web server. Google moves to the new URL, and old bookmarks follow.
Suppose you print go.yourbrand.com/offer on a flyer and change the offer every month. That's a Reqlick short link, answered with a 302. In May you point it at the May offer. A visitor who scanned in April and scans again in May reaches the May page, and both scans count. With a cached 301, that second visit could land on April's offer and never show up in your report.