Meta Refresh Tag Generator

Create HTML meta refresh tags for page redirects and auto-refresh with configurable delay timers.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Meta Refresh Tag Generator does and how it behaves

Meta Refresh Tag Generator converts a delay and an optional destination URL into an HTML meta refresh element. Supply only the timer to reload the current document, or add a URL to send the browser elsewhere after that interval. The resulting tag belongs in the document head. The important distinction is that this is a client-side instruction embedded in HTML, not an HTTP redirect response. The original page must be loaded and its markup processed before the requested refresh or navigation can occur.

How the result is produced

Refresh directive

The generated element sets http-equiv to refresh and places the timing instruction in its content attribute. A refresh value begins with a delay measured in seconds. When a destination is supplied, the value also identifies the URL to load after that delay. Without a destination, the browser is instructed to reload the current document.

Document placement

Copy the generated meta element into the page's head so the browser encounters it as document metadata. A redirect requests one navigation to the selected destination. An auto-refresh reloads the document; if the reloaded version still contains the same tag, it can schedule another reload and therefore behave as a repeating full-page refresh.

Good uses

Create a redirect from an old static HTML page when the page can be edited but the web server cannot be configured to return a redirect status.
Move visitors from a temporary notice, splash page, or migration message to a specified destination after allowing time for the notice to be read.
Reload a status display, kiosk page, or simple monitoring page at a fixed interval by generating a refresh directive without a destination URL.

Limits and checks

The output does not create an HTTP 301, 302, 307, or 308 response. The original document is served first, so this tag is not equivalent to a server-managed permanent or temporary redirect.
The delay is expressed in seconds, not milliseconds. A zero-second value still describes a client-side navigation initiated from the loaded document rather than a redirect issued before the document is delivered.
Timed navigation can interrupt reading, form entry, media playback, or assistive-technology use. A repeating auto-refresh also reloads document state instead of merely updating one data region within the existing page.

Common questions

Is a generated meta refresh tag the same as a server redirect?

No. The generator returns HTML markup that a browser can interpret after receiving the page. A server redirect instead communicates an HTTP redirect status before delivering destination content. Prefer server configuration when you need explicit status semantics, redirect handling independent of page markup, or firm control over how the original URL is served.

Will an auto-refresh tag run only once?

Not necessarily. With no destination URL, the browser reloads the current document. If that document still contains the generated tag, processing the reloaded copy can schedule the next refresh, creating a repeating cycle. This is a full document reload, not an in-page timer that fetches and replaces only selected content.

References and verification

The behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.