Checklist: 302 server redirect vs JavaScript/meta redirect

Checklist: 302 server redirect vs JavaScript/meta redirect

How you bounce the click changes who can route and who gets blocked.

Server 302 (HTTP redirect):
☐ Fastest, no render — best for raw routing speed
☐ Passes referrer control via headers
☐ Some ad networks flag chains of 302s as cloaking

Client-side (JS / meta refresh):
☐ Lets you read screen size, timezone, language before routing — richer device logic
☐ Survives some referrer-stripping setups
☐ Slower, blockable by no-JS bots (which can be a feature for filtering)

Step — Layer them: 302 for the geo/IP decision, then a thin JS step only when you need client signals the server can't see.

Tradeoff: server redirects win on speed and bot survival; client redirects win on data richness.

Review redirect type whenever a traffic source updates its compliance rules.