Redirect Checker
Trace HTTP redirect chains, view per-hop status codes, measure response times, and identify redirect issues that affect SEO — all from your browser.
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How redirect tracing works
This tool uses a server-side Cloudflare Worker to fetch each URL and inspect the redirect chain directly from the HTTP response. Because requests are made server-to-server, there are no CORS restrictions — any publicly accessible URL can be checked.
What Is a URL Redirect?
Understanding how redirects work in HTTP.
A URL redirect is an HTTP response that instructs a browser or search engine to navigate from one URL to another automatically. When a server returns a 3xx status code, the client follows the Location header to the new URL, creating a redirect chain. These chains can be short (a single hop) or long (multiple URLs before reaching the final destination).
Redirects are essential for website maintenance, domain migrations, URL restructuring, and content updates. They ensure that users and search engines can always find the correct content, even when the underlying URL structure changes.
Every website generates redirects — even healthy ones. Common scenarios include non-www to www redirection, HTTP to HTTPS upgrades, trailing slash normalization, and legacy URL rewrites.
How This Redirect Checker Works
The redirect tracing process, step by step.
1. URL Validation
The tool validates the entered URL and normalizes it — adding https:// if no protocol is specified. It checks for valid domain format, supported protocols (HTTP and HTTPS only), and blocks localhost URLs before sending any request.
2. Server-Side HEAD Request
The validated URL is sent to a Cloudflare Worker, which issues a HEAD request with redirect: 'manual'. This tells the HTTP client to return the raw response without automatically following redirects. The Worker then inspects the response status code and extracts the Location header to find the next URL. Each hop is timed individually.
3. Chain Tracing
For each hop in the chain, the Worker records the URL, HTTP status code, response time, response headers, redirect type, and the target Location header. It continues following the chain until it reaches a non-redirect status code, detects a loop, or hits the configured hop limit (default 20 for single checks, 10 for bulk). Because requests are server-to-server, there are no CORS restrictions.
4. Results and Analysis
The Worker returns the full chain data to the browser, where the tool renders a visual timeline, computes an SEO health score, flags warnings (slow hops, protocol mismatches, long chains), and displays performance metrics. You can then export the results as CSV, JSON, TXT, or Markdown.
HTTP Redirect Status Codes
Understanding the different types of redirects and when to use each.
Moved Permanently
The most important redirect for SEO. 301 indicates that the resource has been permanently moved to a new URL. Search engines transfer the majority of ranking signals (PageRank, backlinks, authority) from the old URL to the new one. Use 301 for permanent URL changes, domain migrations, and HTTPS upgrades. Browsers cache 301 redirects, so changes may take time to propagate.
Found (Temporary Redirect)
302 indicates a temporary move. Search engines continue to reference the original URL and do not transfer ranking signals. Use 302 for A/B testing, temporary promotions, or content that moves temporarily. Never use 302 for permanent URL changes — search engines will not transfer SEO value to the target URL.
Temporary Redirect
Similar to 302 but guarantees that the HTTP method is preserved. If a POST request receives a 307, the browser resends the POST to the new URL (302 may change it to GET). Use 307 when you need method-preserving temporary redirects in API contexts.
Permanent Redirect
Like 301 but preserves the HTTP method. For most SEO purposes, 301 and 308 are treated similarly by search engines. Use 308 when you need method preservation. Less commonly used than 301 but fully valid for permanent redirects.
See Other
Used when the response to a request can be found at another URL using GET. Typically used after form submissions to prevent duplicate resubmission. Not commonly used for SEO-related redirects.
Best Practices for Redirects
Follow these recommendations to avoid SEO pitfalls with redirects.
Use 301 for Permanent Moves
When you permanently move content to a new URL, always use a 301 redirect. This tells search engines to transfer ranking signals to the new location. Never use 302 or 307 for permanent changes.
Keep Redirect Chains Short
Every redirect hop adds latency and dilutes SEO value. Aim for zero redirects or a single hop. Chains longer than 3 hops should be fixed by updating links to point directly to the final URL. Google generally stops following chains longer than 5-10 hops.
Avoid Redirect Loops
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to B, and B redirects back to A (or forms a longer circle). Loops create infinite-loading pages and break the user experience. Always test redirect chains after implementing changes.
Update Internal Links
Redirects are a band-aid, not a permanent solution. After moving content, update your internal links to point directly to the new URL. This eliminates unnecessary hops in the user journey and preserves crawl budget for search engines.
Use HTTPS and Canonical URLs
Ensure your site redirects HTTP to HTTPS and that canonical URLs point to the correct version (www vs non-www). These redirects should be a single 301 hop, not a chain.
Monitor Response Times
Slow redirects hurt user experience and SEO. Each hop should respond in under 500ms. If redirects are slow, investigate server performance, DNS resolution, and the redirect implementation method (server-level redirects are faster than application-level ones).
Use Server-Level Redirects
Implement redirects at the server level (Apache .htaccess, Nginx, or your reverse proxy) rather than at the application level (WordPress plugins, JavaScript, or meta refresh). Server-level redirects are faster, more reliable, and properly recognized by search engines.
Test After Every Change
After implementing or modifying redirects, test them with this Redirect Checker tool. Verify the chain length, final status, and response times. Also test with real browser sessions to ensure the user experience is smooth.
Common Redirect Issues
Problems that frequently appear in redirect chains and how to fix them.
Redirect Chains
Multiple redirect hops between the original URL and final destination. Each hop adds latency and dilutes SEO value. Fix by updating links to point directly to the final URL or by combining multiple redirect rules into a single rule.
Redirect Loops
URL A redirects to B, which redirects back to A, creating an infinite loop. The browser will eventually stop with a "too many redirects" error. Caused by misconfigured rewrite rules or conflicting redirects. Debug by tracing each hop backwards from the error.
Using 302 for Permanent Changes
302 redirects do not pass SEO value. Using them for permanent URL changes means ranking signals remain at the old URL. This is one of the most common SEO redirect mistakes. Switch to 301 for all permanent redirects.
Broken Chain (Redirect → 404)
A redirect points to a URL that no longer exists and returns a 404. This creates a poor user experience and wastes crawl budget. Every URL in a redirect chain must resolve to a working page.
Mixed Protocol Redirects
A chain that goes HTTP → HTTPS → HTTP wastes hops. Ensure your redirect chain moves in one direction. Ideally: HTTP → HTTPS (single 301) with no further redirects.
Trailing Slash Inconsistency
Some sites redirect /page to /page/ or vice versa. While not harmful individually, inconsistent slash handling across a site creates unnecessary redirects and can indicate poor URL normalization configuration.
Meta Refresh and JavaScript Redirects
Client-side redirects using <meta http-equiv="refresh"> or window.location are not true HTTP redirects. Search engines do not handle them consistently and they may not pass SEO value. Use server-side 301 redirects instead.
Redirect Chain Examples
Real-world redirect scenarios and what they mean for SEO.
Clean Redirect (Single 301)
The ideal scenario. One permanent redirect from the old URL to the new URL. SEO value is fully transferred. Internal links should still be updated to point directly to the new URL.
└─ 301 Moved Permanently → /new-page
└─ 200 OK ✓
Short Chain (2 Hops)
Acceptable but should be fixed. The first redirect could be eliminated by redirecting directly to the final URL. Typically occurs when multiple site migrations have accumulated.
└─ 301 → https://example.com/renamed-page
└─ 301 → https://example.com/final-page
└─ 200 OK ✓
Long Chain (3+ Hops)
Problematic for SEO. Each hop dilutes ranking signals and adds latency. Fix by routing each start URL directly to the final target URL. Long chains often indicate accumulated redirects from multiple migrations.
└─ 301 → https://new-domain.com/page
└─ 302 → https://new-domain.com/new-page
└─ 301 → https://www.new-domain.com/new-page
└─ 301 → https://www.new-domain.com/ultimate-page
└─ 200 OK ✓
Broken Redirect Chain (Ends in 404)
The redirect chain leads to a page that no longer exists. Users see an error page, and search engines cannot index the content. Fix by redirecting to a working, relevant page.
└─ 301 → https://example.com/deleted-product
└─ 404 Not Found ✗
Documentation
Technical details about HTTP redirects, status codes, and best practices.
What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is an HTTP response status code that indicates a resource has been permanently moved to a new URL. When a search engine encounters a 301, it transfers the majority of ranking signals — including PageRank, backlink equity, and trust — from the old URL to the new one. This makes 301 the most SEO-friendly redirect type.
Common use cases: domain migrations, URL restructuring, HTTPS upgrades (http:// to https://), www to non-www (or vice versa), and individual page moves.
SEO Impact: Positive when used correctly. 301 redirects preserve the SEO value of the original URL. However, a small percentage of PageRank may be lost with each hop, which is why keeping chains short is important.
What Is a 302 Redirect?
A 302 redirect indicates a temporary move. Search engines continue to index the original URL and do not transfer ranking signals. The 302 tells browsers and crawlers: "The content is temporarily at this other URL, but come back to the original URL next time."
Common use cases: A/B testing, temporary promotions, seasonal landing pages, maintenance pages, or when content moves temporarily. Never use 302 for permanent URL changes.
SEO Impact: Neutral when used for temporary purposes. Harmful when used for permanent moves because SEO value is not transferred. Many SEO audits find 302s used incorrectly for permanent redirects — this tool helps you detect such issues.
What Is a Redirect Chain?
A redirect chain is a series of redirect hops between the URL you request and the final destination URL. For example, URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, which finally resolves with a 200 status. Each link in the chain adds latency, consumes bandwidth, and potentially dilutes SEO value.
Chains often form when multiple site changes accumulate over time. A page might be moved once, then moved again, creating a 2-hop chain. After several years of migrations, chains can grow to 4+ hops. Google recommends keeping redirect chains under 3 hops.
SEO Impact: Negative for long chains. Each redirect hop can cause a small loss of PageRank and increases page load time. Search engines may stop following chains longer than 5-10 hops, resulting in unindexed content.
What Is a Redirect Loop?
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B, and URL B redirects back to URL A (or forms a longer circular pattern). The browser follows redirects until it reaches a limit and displays an error like "ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS." These loops make pages completely inaccessible.
Common causes: conflicting rewrite rules in .htaccess or Nginx config, mismatched www/non-www redirects, incorrect HTTPS enforcement rules, and plugin conflicts in CMS platforms.
SEO Impact: Critical. Pages in a loop cannot be indexed and may be removed from search results. Users cannot access the content. Fix immediately by correcting the conflicting rules.
How Do Redirects Affect Page Speed?
Every redirect hop adds at least one HTTP round trip to the page load time. For a user on a slow connection, a single redirect can add 200-500ms of latency. A chain of 3+ redirects can add over a second of unnecessary delay. Google's PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals measure the time it takes for the browser to reach the final URL, making redirect latency a performance factor.
Server-level redirects (301/302 from Apache or Nginx) are significantly faster than application-level redirects (WordPress plugins, JavaScript, or meta refresh). Redirect chains that mix HTTP and HTTPS protocols are particularly slow due to TLS handshake overhead at each hop.
SEO Impact: Moderate. Redirect latency contributes to page speed metrics, which are a ranking factor. Eliminating unnecessary redirects improves Real User Monitoring (RUM) scores and Core Web Vitals.
Redirect vs. Canonical Tag
A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that the content has permanently moved to a new URL. A rel=canonical tag tells search engines that a URL should be treated as a duplicate of another URL. They serve different purposes:
- 301 Redirect — Content has moved. Users end up at the new URL. Browsers follow it automatically.
- Canonical Tag — Content is the same. Users stay on the current URL. Search engines consolidate ranking signals.
Use redirects when content has permanently moved to a new location. Use canonical tags when the same content is accessible at multiple URLs and you want to specify the preferred version.
More Free SEO Tools
Complement your redirect analysis with these SEO utilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a URL redirect checker?
A URL redirect checker is a tool that traces the HTTP redirect chain from a starting URL to its final destination. It shows each redirect hop, the HTTP status code at each step, response times, and whether the chain has any SEO issues. This helps website owners identify and fix redirect problems.
How do I check if a URL redirects?
Enter the URL into this redirect checker and click 'Check Redirect'. The tool will follow the redirect chain and display each hop with its status code, response time, and target URL. You can check a single URL or multiple URLs at once using the bulk mode.
How does the redirect checker trace the full chain?
The tool sends each URL to a Cloudflare Worker that makes server-to-server HTTP requests. Because requests are not subject to browser CORS restrictions, the Worker can read the 'Location' header at each hop and reconstruct the complete redirect chain — regardless of whether the target server sets CORS headers.
What is a good redirect chain length?
Zero redirects is ideal. One redirect is generally acceptable. Chains of 2-3 redirects should be investigated and fixed. Chains longer than 3 hops negatively impact SEO performance and user experience. Google recommends keeping redirect chains as short as possible.
What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?
A 301 redirect is permanent and passes SEO ranking signals to the new URL. A 302 redirect is temporary and keeps ranking signals at the original URL. Use 301 for permanent URL changes and 302 for temporary situations like A/B testing or seasonal promotions.
How does a redirect checker help with SEO?
A redirect checker helps identify redirect chains that dilute SEO value, temporary redirects that should be permanent, broken chains that end in 404 errors, redirect loops that block access, and slow redirects that hurt page speed. Fixing these issues improves search rankings.
Can redirects slow down my website?
Yes. Each redirect hop adds at least one HTTP round trip, increasing page load time. A single redirect can add 200-500ms of latency. Chains of 3+ redirects can add over a second of delay, affecting Core Web Vitals and user experience.
What is a redirect loop?
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to B, and B redirects back to A, creating an infinite cycle. Browsers stop after too many redirects and show an error like 'ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS'. Redirect loops make pages completely inaccessible and must be fixed immediately.
Does a 301 redirect lose SEO value?
301 redirects pass the majority of SEO value but a very small percentage may be lost. This loss is minimal for a single hop but compounds with each additional hop in a chain. This is why keeping redirect chains short and updating internal links to point to the final URL is important.
How do I fix redirect chains?
To fix a redirect chain, update your internal links to point directly to the final destination URL instead of the intermediate redirect URL. If you control the server configuration, combine multiple redirect rules into a single rule that maps the original URL directly to the final target.
What is the difference between client-side and server-side redirects?
Server-side redirects (301, 302 from Apache/Nginx) happen at the HTTP level before any content is sent. Client-side redirects use meta refresh tags or JavaScript. Server-side redirects are faster, more reliable, and properly recognized by search engines for SEO.
Can I check multiple URLs at once?
Yes. This redirect checker supports bulk URL checking. Switch to the 'Bulk Check' tab, enter one URL per line, and click 'Check All URLs'. You can export the results as a CSV file. Bulk checking is useful for site migrations and SEO audits.
How many redirects can this tool follow?
The default hop limit is 20 redirects per URL (or 10 in bulk mode), with a configurable range of 1-50. The default timeout is 15 seconds per URL (10 seconds in bulk mode), adjustable from 1-60 seconds. If a chain exceeds these limits, the tool stops and reports the issue. This prevents infinite loops from hanging the tool.
Do search engines follow redirect chains?
Yes, but with limits. Google generally follows up to 5-10 redirect hops before stopping. Each hop may reduce the amount of PageRank transferred. Google recommends keeping chains to 3 hops or fewer for optimal SEO.
What is an SEO-friendly redirect?
An SEO-friendly redirect is a 301 redirect that maps an old URL directly to its new equivalent in a single hop. It resolves quickly (under 500ms), does not create loops, ends at a working page (200 OK), and preserves the thematic relevance between the old and new content.
Privacy
Server-Side Tracing
Redirect tracing runs on a Cloudflare Worker, enabling checks of any publicly accessible URL without CORS restrictions. We do not store or log the URLs you check.
No Tracking
We do not collect analytics on the URLs you check. Your browsing data stays private.
Local History Only
Check history is saved locally in your browser and never sent to any server. Clear it anytime.
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