If you’ve ever explored the depths of Google Search Console, you might have stumbled across the “Page with redirect” status under the “Pages” section in the Indexing report. It’s one of those terms that sounds technical but is actually pretty straightforward once you break it down. So, what does it mean, why does it happen, and should you be worried? Let’s dive in.

What Does “Page with Redirect” Mean?

In simple terms, “Page with redirect” shows up in Google Search Console when Googlebot—the tool Google uses to crawl and index websites—tries to visit a page on your site but gets redirected to another URL instead. When this happens, the original page doesn’t get indexed. Instead, Google follows the redirect and may index the destination page (the one it lands on), depending on its own status.

You’ll find this status listed under “Why pages aren’t indexed” in the Indexing > Pages section of Google Search Console. It’s a signal that the page you submitted or that Google discovered isn’t staying put—it’s sending visitors (and Google) somewhere else.

Why Redirects Happen

Redirects are a normal part of website management, and they happen for all sorts of reasons. Here are some common examples:

• Consistency: Redirecting “homepage.com” to “www.homepage.com” (or vice versa) to avoid duplicate content.
• Security: Moving users from HTTP to HTTPS for a safer browsing experience.
• Content Updates: Sending visitors to a new URL when a page’s address changes (like after a site redesign).
• Consolidation: Pointing multiple similar pages to a single “canonical” page to streamline your site and boost SEO.

There are two main types of redirects you’ll encounter:

1. 301 (Permanent Redirect): This tells Google the page has moved for good. The target URL is usually the one that gets indexed.
2. 302 (Temporary Redirect): This suggests the move is temporary. Google might hold off on indexing the target URL and keep an eye on the original.

Is “Page with Redirect” a Problem?

Most of the time, no—it’s not a problem at all. Redirects are often intentional and even helpful. If you’ve set up redirects to handle outdated pages or enforce HTTPS, seeing “Page with redirect” just means everything’s working as planned.

But there are times when it’s worth a closer look:

• Unintended Redirects: If a key page you want indexed is redirecting somewhere else by mistake, Google won’t index it. This could hurt your visibility for important keywords.
• Wrong Page Indexed: If the redirect points to a less relevant page, you might not rank as well as you’d like.

In short, it’s only an issue if the redirect conflicts with your goals for that page.

How to Investigate in Google Search Console

Want to dig into this status? Here’s how:

1. Open Google Search Console and head to Indexing > Pages.
2. Scroll to “Why pages aren’t indexed” and look for “Page with redirect.”
3. Click it to see a list of affected URLs.
4. Pick a URL and use the URL Inspection Tool to see where it’s redirecting and get more details.

From there, you can decide if the redirect makes sense or if something’s gone wrong.

What to Do About It

If you spot “Page with redirect” in your report, here’s your game plan:

• Check Intent: Type the URL into your browser. Does it redirect where you expect? If yes, you’re probably fine.
• Fix Mistakes: If the redirect is unintentional (say, a misconfigured server rule), tweak your site settings—whether that’s in your CMS, hosting panel, or .htaccess file.
• Optimize Indexing: If the redirect is intentional but causing issues, ensure the target URL is the one you want Google to index. Update your XML sitemap to reflect the final URLs, not the redirected ones.

The Bottom Line

“Page with redirect” in Google Search Console is just a heads-up that a page is pointing elsewhere. It’s not inherently good or bad—it’s all about context. If your redirects are doing their job (guiding users and Google to the right place), you can rest easy. But if they’re misfiring, a quick fix can get your site back on track. Either way, now you know what it means and how to handle it—another SEO mystery solved!