Can HTTP 301 response contain custom HTTP header or cookie values?

Question

I found that 301 redirect response in my web service written in PHP doesn't carry custom http headers and custom cookie values if the visit is the very first visit. What I am not sure is whether this is how 301 redirect is supposed to work or whether this is just a matter of how to write my PHP code?

If this is unclear, please clarify and I will make the question clearer. My question is on how http protocol is supposed to behave in this case.

Answer 1

It is possible to add custom HTTP headers to a 301 Redirect response (HTTP 301 Moved Permanently).

For an example of this, visit http://www.hotmail.com which is now redirected to http://www.outlook.com and carries some custom HTTP headers on its 301 redirect response.

Answer 2

ANY response can contain cookies and custom headers. There is nothing in the HTTP spec to prevent that.