HTTP 302 Found vs 502 Bad Gateway
HTTP 302 (Found) is a 3xx Redirection response, while 502 (Bad Gateway) is a 5xx Server Error response. 302 indicates that the resource temporarily resides at a different URL. The client should continue using the original URL for future requests. In contrast, 502 means that the server, acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from the upstream server.
Description
The resource temporarily resides at a different URL. The client should continue using the original URL for future requests.
When You See It
During A/B testing, temporary maintenance pages, or geo-based redirects.
How to Fix
Follow the Location header. Note: browsers may change POST to GET on redirect.
Description
The server, acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from the upstream server.
When You See It
When Nginx/Apache can't reach the application server (e.g., Gunicorn is down, upstream timeout).
How to Fix
Check if the upstream server is running. Verify proxy configuration. Check for upstream timeouts.
Key Differences
302 is a 3xx Redirection response, while 502 is a 5xx Server Error response.
HTTP 302: The resource temporarily resides at a different URL. The client should continue using the original URL for future requests.
HTTP 502: The server, acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from the upstream server.
You encounter 302 when during A/B testing, temporary maintenance pages, or geo-based redirects.
You encounter 502 when when Nginx/Apache can't reach the application server (e.g., Gunicorn is down, upstream timeout).
When to Use Which
For 302 (Found): Follow the Location header. Note: browsers may change POST to GET on redirect. For 502 (Bad Gateway): Check if the upstream server is running. Verify proxy configuration. Check for upstream timeouts.