What is a meta refresh?
A meta refresh is a tag in a page's <head> that instructs the browser to load another URL, or reload the current one, after a delay in seconds. It is a redirect carried out by the browser, not the server: the first page is delivered with a 200 status and the move happens afterwards.
Search engines follow it, but it is the fallback for when you cannot set a real server-side redirect.
Syntax
An instant redirect:
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page/">
A delayed one, after five seconds:
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=https://example.com/new-page/">
With no url part, as in content="30", the page just reloads itself every 30 seconds, which is how old dashboards and scoreboards refreshed.
How Google interprets it
Google's documentation on redirects distinguishes two cases:
| Type | Delay | Treated as |
|---|---|---|
| Instant meta refresh | 0 seconds | A permanent redirect, like a 301 |
| Delayed meta refresh | More than 0 | A temporary redirect, like a 302 |
So an instant meta refresh can consolidate signals on the target. Google still recommends server-side redirects wherever they are possible, because they are the clearest signal and work before any HTML is parsed. The order of preference is a server redirect first, then meta refresh, then a JavaScript redirect as the last resort.
Why it is second best
- It is slower. The browser has to download and start parsing the first page before it learns it should leave.
- The status code says 200. Tools and crawlers that only read headers see a normal page. Other search engines and bots may not treat the tag the way Google does.
- Delayed versions frustrate people. A page that changes under the reader, or a "you will be redirected in 5 seconds" notice, is disorienting, and accessibility guidelines advise against timed redirects the user cannot control.
- The back button can trap visitors. Going back lands on the page that immediately forwards them again.
- It has a history of abuse. Sending searchers somewhere other than the page they chose is covered by Google's sneaky redirects policy, whatever technique does it.
When it is the right tool
Use it when you have no control over the server's responses: a static host with no redirect configuration, a page on a platform that only lets you edit HTML, or a single file on someone else's server. Set the delay to 0, point it at the final URL, and add a canonical tag with the same target plus a plain link in the body for anything that does not follow the refresh.
On WordPress you should never need it. PHP can send a proper Location header, and redirect tools do exactly that; Hydrogen SEO's redirection manager creates 301 and 302 redirects from the dashboard. To convert a list of old and new addresses into server rules, use our redirect rule generator.
Common questions
Is a meta refresh bad for SEO?
An instant one is not harmful: Google treats it as a permanent redirect. It is weaker than a 301 because it is slower and less widely understood by other crawlers, so use it only when a server-side redirect is impossible.
Does a meta refresh pass link equity?
Google treats a zero-second meta refresh like a permanent redirect, so the target can become the canonical URL and inherit signals. A delayed refresh is treated as temporary, and the original URL may stay indexed.
How do I find meta refresh tags on my site?
Search your page source or a site crawl for http-equiv="refresh". Many crawling tools list pages that use it alongside their redirect report.