How does the Googlebot handle Meta Refreshs.

The Meta refresh is a simple type of redirect which you can easily implement in your webpage. Often webmasters and content writers have the problem, that it is not possible to easily implement http redirects in CMS or into deployment process that fast as it is needed. Often a meta refresh or javascript redirect is the only solution, that can implemented into the HTML Header or page content.

But how does the googlebot treat this meta refresh or javascript redirect?

The googlebot can and will follow meta refreshs and inline javascript redirects. [Source: http://www.stonetemple.com/articles/interview-matt-cutts.shtml].

Also Google will display the Title and Meta Description of the TargetURL, when using meta refresh, but will show the old URL in index.

Google strongly recommends not using meta refresh and also not using javascript redirects. John Mu (Google Webmaster Tools) [google webmaster tools forum] [google webmaster tools forum]. Instead use common 301 redirects.

Important: Yes, Googlebot can handle Meta Refresh and passes Link Juice, but you should avoid using Meta Refresh and Javascript Redirect, because other google algorithm might identify this methods as black-hat or hacking.