HTML http-equiv: Meta Refresh Examples vs. 301 Redirects

http-equiv is an attribute of the HTML meta element that provides a limited set of processing instructions to the browser. One common use is refresh, which can reload a page or redirect it after a specified delay.

It does not let you replace arbitrary HTTP response headers with HTML. In particular, adding meta refresh does not change the page's HTTP status code to 301. This guide explains the syntax, practical examples and differences between redirect methods.

Basic http-equiv syntax

Place the meta element in the document's head. The http-equiv attribute identifies the instruction, and content supplies its value:

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page">

The initial number in content specifies the delay in seconds. The value following url= is the destination. Replace example.com with your actual destination when implementing the redirect.

The name comes from “HTTP equivalent,” but the attribute is not a general-purpose way to rewrite server response headers. Browsers recognize only supported values, so check whether the setting you need is available through this mechanism.

Meta refresh examples: instant redirects, delays and reloads

Redirect immediately with a zero-second delay

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page">
<title>This page has moved</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>If you are not redirected, open the <a href="https://example.com/new-page">new page</a>.</p>
</body>
</html>

A zero-second delay requests a redirect as soon as the page is loaded. It can be an alternative when your hosting or CMS cannot perform a server-side redirect. Include an ordinary link so visitors can still reach the destination if automatic navigation does not work.

Redirect after five seconds

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=https://example.com/new-page">

This example specifies a five-second delay. Although a delay may be intended to let someone read an announcement, people read at different speeds. Automatic navigation can interrupt reading, assistive technology or form input. Consider a normal link when the visitor should decide when to leave.

Reload the current page

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="60">

Without a destination URL, the instruction reloads the current page after the specified interval. This may suit some monitoring interfaces, but check for lost input, reset reading positions and unnecessary repeated requests. Ordinary article pages generally do not need it.

How meta refresh differs from 301 and 302

The official Google redirect documentation explicitly distinguishes instant and delayed meta refresh. A zero-second redirect is not, by itself, an SEO penalty trigger.

For a permanent site move, prefer a server-side 301 or 308 when your platform supports it. Review the hosting or CMS redirect feature and understand the difference from a redirect that waits for HTML to load. Deceptive redirect behavior is a separate issue from the delay value.

A redirect alone does not guarantee rankings. Map old pages to relevant new pages and align internal links, sitemaps and canonical signals with the intended destination.

Common http-equiv values and current alternatives

Use meta charset for character encoding

<meta charset="utf-8">

This is a concise encoding declaration for an HTML document. Check that the file's actual encoding and the server's Content-Type are consistent. Changing the declaration will not repair text that was saved or converted incorrectly.

Do not assume a meta-based CSP covers every policy

Some Content Security Policy directives can be delivered in a meta element, while others require HTTP headers. For example, frame-ancestors is not supported in a meta element. Writing it there does not provide the intended control over which sites may embed your page.

A CSP change can also block scripts, images or other resources your site needs. Identify the required sources and test the policy before applying it to a live site. See the MDN http-equiv reference and its linked directive documentation for supported behavior.

Checklist for redirects that fail or behave unexpectedly

• Placement: Is the meta element in the head, and does the CMS preserve it?
• Syntax: Check quotation marks, the semicolon, the url parameter and the destination.
• Publication: Did you update the published HTML, rather than only a draft or preview?
• Competing redirects: Check hosting rules, CMS settings and JavaScript for conflicting behavior.
• Loops: Make sure the new page does not redirect back to the old one.
• Destination: Confirm that the target works and does not produce an error or require an unexpected login.

The browser's Network panel can help distinguish an HTTP redirect from navigation triggered after an HTML response. A page using meta refresh may still return 200: the HTML instruction does not convert that response into 301.

Include post-migration checks in your plan

Create an old-to-new URL mapping and test representative pages. Redirecting every old URL to an unrelated homepage can leave visitors without the information they expected. Choose relevant destinations and update internal links to point directly to them.

After a migration, review the old and new URLs in Search Console and monitor which pages are selected for search. Our SEO checklist covers related checks beyond the redirect itself.

Official information reviewed: September 22, 2026.