Location header

The HTTP Location {{Glossary("response header")}} indicates the URL to redirect a page to. It only provides a meaning when served with a 3XX redirection response or a {{HTTPStatus("201", "201 Created")}} status response.

In redirections, the HTTP method used to make the redirected request to fetch the page pointed to by Location depends on the original method and the kind of redirection:

• {{HTTPStatus("303", "303 See Other")}} responses always result in a {{HTTPMethod("GET")}} request in the redirection.
• {{HTTPStatus("307", "307 Temporary Redirect")}} and {{HTTPStatus("308", "308 Permanent Redirect")}} use the same method as the initiating request.
• {{HTTPStatus("301", "301 Moved Permanently")}} and {{HTTPStatus("302", "302 Found")}} should use the same request method as the initiating request, although this is not guaranteed for older user-agents.

All responses with one of the above status codes include a Location header.

In cases of resource creation, it indicates the URL of the newly-created resource so that a client can make a request for it immediately.

Location and {{HTTPHeader("Content-Location")}} are different. Content-Location indicates the URL to use to directly access the resource in future when content negotiation occurred. Location is associated with the response, while {{HTTPHeader("Content-Location")}} is associated with the representation that was returned.

Syntax

Location: <url>

Directives

• <url>
  • : May be relative to the request URL or an absolute URL.

Examples

Location: /index.html

Specifications

{{Specifications}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also

• {{HTTPHeader("Content-Location")}}
• Status responses including a Location header: {{HTTPStatus("201")}}, {{HTTPStatus("301")}}, {{HTTPStatus("302")}}, {{HTTPStatus("303")}}, {{HTTPStatus("307")}}, {{HTTPStatus("308")}}.