See Other

3xx Redirection

ELI5

You submitted something successfully. Now go fetch this other page to see the result.

Use 303 when the original request succeeded or was accepted, but the client should retrieve a different resource next with GET or HEAD.

•Return 303 for post/redirect/get flows after form submissions or write operations
•Use it when the redirect target is an indirect result, confirmation page, or status resource
•After POST, PUT, or DELETE when the next step should be a safe retrieval
•Redirecting to a confirmation page, status page, or canonical read view of the result
•Preventing accidental form resubmission with a browser refresh
•Returning a resource URI after an action without repeating the original method

•A short explanatory body is optional, but the redirect target should be unambiguous from Location

•Do not use 303 when the redirected request must keep the original method
•Do not confuse 303 with a generic temporary redirect; its value is the forced switch to retrieval semantics
•When the redirected request must preserve the original method and body; use 307 or 308
•When you are simply moving a GET page temporarily or permanently; use the usual redirect codes instead
•When the original request should directly return its own final representation

Request:POST https://api.example.test/users

Response:

303 See Other

# Headers
Location: https://api.example.test/users/123

The write request succeeds, then the client fetches the created user's page with GET.

Request:POST https://api.example.test/exports

Response:

303 See Other

# Headers
Location: https://api.example.test/exports/jobs/abc

The client is redirected to a safe retrieval URI rather than repeating the POST.

Everything worked perfectly! The server understood your request and sent back exactly what you asked for.

We got your request and we're working on it! We'll process it later, but don't wait around - check back later to see if it's done.

Go somewhere else for now, but don’t assume this new address is the permanent one.

Go to this other address for now, and send the exact same kind of request there.