Meta Refresh Tag

[atop420]

How to using a Meta Refresh Tag?

[rosarionet]

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2;url=http:// somewhere dot com/">
content = 2 - seconds

[SteveGerencser]

Meta refresh redirects have been used by spammers to fool search engines. So search engines remove those sites from their database. If you use a lot of meta refresh tags to redirect pages, the search engines may decide your site is spam and delete it from their index. It’s better to use a 301 Server Redirect instead.

Old news.. Very old and no longer accurate.. Google came out and said a while back the if no other options were available a time 0 meta refresh would be treated as a 301..

[mirudula]

The meta refresh redirect code is often used when you request your browser to redirect to another page. Usually, this is done when you have moved your page and you have to re-direct your visitors to another site. This is very important from SEO perspective as well for your visitors because your webpage does not display error in such cases. Although making an HTML redirect code using Meta tags is not difficult, it is also easy to mess it up.

[indiarajasthan]

It use to refresh page automatically for every interval that given in meta tag . But don't use this is against the webmaster rules

[SteveGerencser]

It use to refresh page automatically for every interval that given in meta tag . But don't use this is against the webmaster rules

Please, show us where ti says that..

[LD]

Usually, this is done when you have moved your page and you have to re-direct your visitors to another site.

Right - as Steve has mentioned, you can do that if no other choice, but 301 redirects would be the better choice if you had to choose.



Although making an HTML redirect code using Meta tags is not difficult, it is also easy to mess it up.


I'm not sure I understand this statement - how is it easy to mess up?

[LD]

Search engines do not like meta refresh tags

And why, exactly don't SE's like meta refresh?



and they are annoying and distract user’s attention.


So a meta refresh of "0" takes a split second to redirect. How is that annoying and distracting? It only bothers me if I can't click the browser back button to view a previous web page. So I practice clicking fast. :) However, when I've used "refresh" in the past, I usually set the refresh to 1 second which give people a chance to go back. But IMO, I personally wouldn't use it now.

[deepsand]

I think you might be better off 301 redirecting stuff. Engines see meta refresh tags as being spammy.
What evidence is there to support this contention?

[deepsand]

I would suggest avoiding meta refresh tag as its not search engine friendly, I would suggest using 301 redirection and rel="canonical" to avoid duplicate content issues on your website
How is it not "search engine friendly?"

[deepsand]

Its better to use 301 redirects than meta refresh tags, if your website is static.... Search engines do not like meta refresh tags and they are annoying and distract user’s attention.
<meta refresh> is a perfectly legitimate tool, one that is long and well understood and handled by SEs.

The fact is that not all those who construct and/or maintain web resources have the means to quickly and easily effect 301/302 re-directs; <meta refresh> is an HTTP directive intended to provide them with the means of effecting on-page re-directs.

Most SEs consider a fast (delay=0) refresh to be the equivalent of a 301; slow refreshes, a 302.