meta refresh
Also called: meta refresh redirect, http-equiv refresh, meta redirect
A meta refresh is a client-side redirect fired by an HTML <meta http-equiv="refresh"> tag that moves the browser to another URL after a set number of seconds. Google reads an instant (0-second) meta refresh as a permanent redirect and a delayed one as temporary, but recommends server-side 301s instead.
How Google handles it
Google splits meta refresh into two cases based on the delay you set in the content attribute. An instant redirect, <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new">, fires the moment the page loads, and Google reads it as a permanent (301-style) redirect. A delayed version like content="5; url=..." waits five seconds and is read as a temporary redirect. You can put the tag in the <head> or send it through an HTTP header.
It works, but Google ranks it below server-side redirects. The official docs give a clear order of preference: use a server-side redirect first because it has the highest chance of being interpreted correctly, use meta refresh only when your platform cannot do server-side redirects, and use JavaScript redirects only if you can do neither. Instant meta refresh also carries a usability cost. Because the swap happens after the old page has already loaded, that old URL can land in browser history, so the back button just bounces the visitor forward to the new page again.
There is a crawl cost too. A search engine has to download and parse the HTML before it even sees the redirect, which is slower and less reliable than reading a clean HTTP status code returned by the server. Nothing guarantees a meta refresh passes signals as cleanly as a real 301.
For a migration, a URL change, or consolidating duplicate pages, reach for a server-side 301 (or 308 for permanent, 302/307 for temporary). Keep meta refresh as a fallback only when your platform blocks server-side control.
How it affects your traffic
Meta refresh redirects show up often in technical audits, especially on hosted platforms where you cannot edit server config. When old pages hold rankings or backlinks, a delayed meta refresh (read as only temporary) can leave signals stranded and hold the new URL back, so a crawl that flags them is the first step to recovering lost traffic. Our Technical SEO service audits your redirect setup and swaps fragile meta refresh hops for clean server-side 301s, so ranking signals and equity land on the right pages.
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