Redirect Checker

What redirect chains are and why they cost you rankings

A redirect chain happens when URL A points to URL B, which points to URL C, which finally delivers the page. Every hop adds an HTTP round trip (typically 50–200 ms each), dilutes link equity, and gives Google one more chance to stop crawling. Multi-hop chains are common after site migrations, domain changes, and CMS upgrades — and easy to miss, because the page still loads fine for users.

The redirect type matters too. A 301 (Moved Permanently) tells Google the move is permanent and transfers nearly all link equity. A 302 (Found / Temporary) tells Google to keep the old URL indexed and does not reliably consolidate link signals — using it for a permanent move is one of the most common technical-SEO mistakes. A 307 is the temporary equivalent under HTTP/1.1; a 308 is the permanent equivalent.

Trace the full chain before and after any migration, and pair it with the SEO Analyzer for a complete technical audit. To inspect the response headers at each hop (cache-control, HSTS, CSP), use the HTTP Header Analyzer.

How to use this tool

1. Paste any URL — the one you'd share publicly, the one in a backlink, or an old URL from a migration.
2. Click Check. The tool follows every hop and lists each URL, status code, and response time.
3. Watch for chains longer than 2 hops, 302s where you expect a 301, and HTTP→HTTPS hops buried mid-chain (that should be the first hop).
4. If the chain never terminates, you have a loop — those URLs are effectively unreachable by search engines and users.

Common redirect problems and how to fix them

• Chain longer than 2 hops. Update the originating redirect to point directly to the final URL — collapse the chain, don't add to it.
• 302 used for a permanent move. Change it to a 301 in your server config, .htaccess, or CDN rules, then give Google a few weeks to re-crawl.
• HTTP→HTTPS mid-chain. The HTTPS redirect should be the very first hop, not buried after a www/non-www redirect. Consolidate to one.
• Redirect loop. A points to B, B points back to A. Check your server config for conflicting rules.

Frequently asked questions

What is a redirect chain?

A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to a second URL which then redirects to a third (or more) before the final destination. Each extra hop adds latency, dilutes the link equity passed to the final page, and can cause crawlers to abandon the chain. The goal is to reach the final URL in a single hop wherever possible.

Do redirect chains hurt SEO?

Yes, in two ways. Link equity passed through a chain degrades slightly at each hop, so the final page receives less authority than it would from a direct link. And Google's crawl budget is finite — chains mean the crawler spends time resolving redirects instead of crawling more of your site.

What's the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?

A 301 is permanent: Google consolidates the old URL's index entry and link signals into the destination. A 302 is temporary: Google keeps the original URL indexed and doesn't reliably transfer link equity. Always use 301 for permanent moves; use 302 only when you genuinely plan to send traffic back to the original URL.

How many redirects are too many?

Google can follow chains up to around 10 hops, but anything beyond 2 is worth fixing. Performance suffers because each hop is a full HTTP round trip (typically 50–200 ms). From an SEO standpoint, collapsing chains to a single 301 is a low-effort, high-value technical fix.

Why does a URL I updated still show the old redirect?

Browsers and CDNs aggressively cache 301 redirects, so your browser may have the old destination cached and won’t re-check until it expires. Try an incognito window or a cache-busting query string. This checker always fetches fresh, bypassing browser cache.