HTTP 307 Temporary Redirect

What It Means

The HTTP 307 Temporary Redirect tells the client that the resource has temporarily moved to a different URL. Unlike 302, it guarantees that the HTTP method and body will not change when following the redirect.

307 vs 302: The Critical Difference

When redirecting a POST request:

302: Browser may change POST to GET (historical behavior)
307: Browser must keep POST as POST with same body

When to Use 307

API redirects: When POST/PUT/DELETE must reach new endpoint with body intact
Form submissions: Redirecting form POSTs to different handler
HTTPS upgrade: HTTP → HTTPS while preserving POST data
Load balancing: Temporarily routing requests to different server

Example Response

POST /api/orders HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Content-Type: application/json

{"item": "widget", "qty": 5}

---

HTTP/1.1 307 Temporary Redirect
Location: https://api2.example.com/api/orders

(Browser re-sends POST with same body to new URL)

Redirect Code Comparison

Code	Permanent?	Preserves Method?
301	Yes	May change to GET
302	No	May change to GET
307	No	Yes, guaranteed
308	Yes	Yes, guaranteed

HSTS and 307

When HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) is enabled, browsers internally use 307 to redirect HTTP to HTTPS. This is called an "internal redirect" and preserves the request method.

Implementation

Express.js

app.post('/old-endpoint', (req, res) => {
  res.redirect(307, '/new-endpoint');
});

Nginx

location /old-endpoint {
    return 307 /new-endpoint;
}

Important Notes

Browser will ask user confirmation before resending POST with body
For permanent method-preserving redirects, use 308
Location header is required