A Actualizar meta redirect uses a small HTML page with a <meta http-equiv="refresh"> tag to send visitors to your destination after a brief delay (typically a fraction of a second).
It’s slower than a 301 or 302, but that tiny pause is exactly what makes it useful for some scenarios.
Cómo funciona
When a visitor clicks a meta-refresh link, Pretty Links serves a minimal HTML page that:
- Records the click in your reports.
- Optionally runs any tracking scripts you’ve configured.
- Tells the browser to load your target URL after the delay.
The visitor briefly sees a blank or branded page, then arrives at the destination.
When to Use Meta Refresh
The main reason to use meta refresh is to give tracking scripts time to fire before the visitor leaves the page.
A standard 301 or 302 happens at the HTTP level — the visitor’s browser never even renders the pretty URL as a page, so any JavaScript-based tracking (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, conversion tags) doesn’t get a chance to run.
With meta refresh, there’s a real HTML page in the visitor’s browser for a brief moment. That’s enough time for:
- Google Analytics page view events;
- Facebook Pixel custom events;
- Conversion tracking pixels;
- Any other client-side analytics you’ve added to your site.
When Not to Use Meta Refresh
- For SEO link equity — Meta refresh passes very little SEO authority. Use a 301 if SEO matters;
- For form actions — Meta refresh can’t preserve POST data. Use 307 instead;
- When speed matters — A 302 is faster and usually invisible to the visitor;
- For affiliate links — Some affiliate networks specifically don’t credit meta-refresh redirects.
Setting It Up
- Edit the link you want to convert.
- En el Redirect type dropdown, select Meta refresh.
- Haga clic en Actualización.
The redirect delay is short by default — enough for tracking scripts to fire without the visitor noticing. No configuration is required.
Adding Your Tracking Scripts
For meta refresh to fire your analytics, those tracking scripts need to be present on the meta-refresh page. The most reliable way to ensure this is to install them site-wide via your normal WordPress methods:
- Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager — via a plugin like Site Kit, MonsterInsights, or a header/footer scripts plugin;
- Píxel de Facebook — via Meta’s official plugin or your scripts plugin;
- Other pixels — usually pasted into your theme’s header or footer.
Whatever loads on every page of your site will load on the meta-refresh page too. That’s what gives you the tracking opportunity.
What Visitors See
Visitors will briefly see a near-blank page (or whatever your theme’s empty template looks like) before being redirected. The pause is short — usually well under a second — and most visitors won’t consciously register it.
If you want a more polished pause page with branding, consider a Pretty Bar instead, which gives you a branded experience that loads the target alongside.
Combinación con otras funciones
Meta refresh works with most Pretty Links features:
For visitor-side tracking that’s even more bot-resistant, see Redirección con JavaScript.