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After a POST, should I do a 302 or a 303 redirect?

Asked 2011-02-26T19:01:31.840
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A common scenario for a web app is to redirect after a POST that modifies the database. Like redirecting to the newly created database object after the user creates it.

It seems like most web apps use 302 redirects, but 303 seems to be the correct thing to do according to the specification if you want the url specified in the redirect to be fetched with GET. Technically, with a 302, the browser is supposed to fetch the specified url with the same method that the original url was fetched with, which would be POST. Most browsers don't do that though.

302 - https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#name-302-found

303 - https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#name-303-see-other

So should I be using 302 or 303?

http-status-codes http-status-code-302
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1 Answer

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In theory, you (and all the world) should be using 303 as you have noted. But also, most browsers react to a 302 like they should react to a 303. So, overall, it seems that it won't matter if you send 302 or 303. In the link you provided for the 303 specification, theres an interesting note:

Note: Many pre-HTTP/1.1 user agents do not understand the 303 status. When interoperability with such clients is a concern, the 302 status code may be used instead, since most user agents react to a 302 response as described here for 303.

It's important to note the pre-HTTP/1.1 user agents, so maybe this was important a while ago, but I don't believe it is the case now.

So, all in all, it's up to you (I could bet whatever you want that browsers won't change their behavior against 302 statuses never, for fear of breaking the internet for their users).

answered 2011-02-26T19:14:25.067

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