By using a different URL, the real URL of a website can be hidden using the URL masking technique. When you want the user to see a different URL from the one they are really viewing, this technique is typically utilized. When an affiliate marketer advertises a product and wishes to conceal the real URL of the product, they frequently employ the practice of URL masking.
However, URL masking is not advised, and certain browsers might even warn users that it poses a security risk. The rationale is that masking a URL might be used for evil intentions like phishing attempts or to conceal a website that is compromised with malware.
Email will not be affected by a record change. The DNS records of a domain, which include the IP address of the hosting server, are updated when a record is changed. Since email is typically hosted on a different server, changing the DNS records will have no impact on email.
A 302 redirect is a short-term redirect that forks the user over to a different URL. Both users and search engines can still access the original page’s URL. A 302 redirect, then, does not permanently alter the URL and does not conceal the original URL from users or search engines.
Although a 302 redirect is not advised for permanent redirects, it does not harm SEO. Because search engines see it as a temporary redirect, they might not pass the link juice to the new URL. The usage of a 302 redirect for persistent redirects is therefore not advised.
On the other hand, a 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that always directs users to a new URL. Users and search engines cannot see the original page’s URL, and the link juice is passed to the new URL instead. For permanent redirection, such as when switching to a new domain or redesigning the website, a 301 redirect is advised.
Finally, it should be noted that URL masking is a potentially dangerous technique. A 302 redirect does not permanently alter the URL or harm SEO, and changing a record will not have an impact on email. Permanent redirection should be made using a 301 redirect.