Redirect Checker
See every hop a URL takes before it lands. The redirect checker shows the status code, redirect type and destination of each step, and flags loops, long chains and HTTP↔HTTPS or www changes.
How to use the Redirect Checker
Step 1: Paste the URL to trace.
Step 2: Select Trace redirects.
Step 3: Review each hop’s status code and the flags for loops, long chains and HTTPS changes.
Reading a redirect chain
Each numbered step is one HTTP request. Its status code says what kind of redirect it is:
- 301 / 308 — permanent. The old URL is retired. Search engines move ranking to the new address and browsers may cache the redirect.
- 302 / 307 — temporary. The original URL should keep being used. Fine for A/B tests and maintenance pages; a mistake for permanent moves.
- 303 — see other. Usually seen after a form submission.
What the checker flags
HTTP → HTTPS and www / non-www hops are canonicalisation: the same page at a normalised address. They are expected, but ideally each should happen in a single hop — sendinghttp://example.com straight to https://www.example.com/ rather than via an intermediate. HTTPS → HTTP downgrades are flagged as a warning because they drop encryption. Mixed permanent and temporary hops often indicate redirects configured in two different places, such as a CDN and an application.
Fixing slow chains
Update internal links and sitemaps to point at the final URL, and configure the first hop to redirect directly to the destination. Then re-run the check — each hop removed saves a round trip on every visit. For shortened links from other services, the URL expander gives a simpler view focused on the final destination.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a redirect chain?
- When a URL redirects to another URL that itself redirects, the sequence of hops is a redirect chain. http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com/home is a three-hop chain. Each hop costs a network round trip.
- How many redirects are too many?
- One is normal, two is common, three or more is worth fixing. Browsers give up after about 20, and Google follows up to 10 but recommends as few as possible. This tool stops after 15 and reports the chain as too long.
- How does it detect redirect loops?
- It remembers every URL in the chain. If a redirect points back to one already visited — A → B → A — it stops and reports a loop instead of spinning forever.
- Should I use 301 or 308?
- Both are permanent. 301 lets clients change a POST into a GET when following the redirect; 308 requires the method to be preserved. For ordinary page moves either works; 308 is the precise choice for APIs and form endpoints.
- Does it follow JavaScript or meta-refresh redirects?
- No. It follows HTTP redirects (3xx status codes with a Location header), which is what search engines rely on. Redirects performed by JavaScript or <meta http-equiv="refresh"> in the page are not executed.