Redirect Checker — Trace Any URL Redirect Path Instantly
Enter any URL and trace the full redirect chain. See every hop, every status code, detect redirect loops, and verify your final destination URL in one click.
Redirect Checker
Enter any URL to trace every redirect hop, see each HTTP status code, and verify the final destination page.
Tracing redirect chain…
Redirect Chain
Enter a URL above to trace its redirect chain
Status Code Reference
What Is It
What Is a Redirect Checker?
A redirect checker is a free SEO tool that traces the full redirect path of any URL from its starting address to its final destination. When you enter a URL, the tool follows every HTTP redirect in sequence — showing you each hop, the status code returned at each step, and the URL it redirected to.
Without a redirect checker, you cannot see what actually happens when someone visits a URL. A single short link might silently pass through three or four hops before landing on the final page — adding latency, diluting PageRank, and creating technical SEO problems you cannot diagnose without tracing the chain.
This tool is especially useful after URL migrations, CMS changes, or when auditing HTTP-to-HTTPS upgrades. It shows you exactly what Googlebot sees when it follows a link — which is often different from what you expect.
Example: A URL with a redirect chain
3 hops — two 301 redirects before reaching the live page. Each extra hop loses a small percentage of PageRank.
SEO Impact
Why Redirects Matter for SEO
Every redirect is a decision that affects how search engines crawl your site, how link equity flows, and how fast your pages load. Getting redirects wrong quietly costs you rankings.
Link Equity Flows Through 301s
A 301 redirect passes most of the PageRank from the old URL to the new one. A 302 does not. Using the wrong redirect type means inbound links stop contributing to your rankings — even though the redirect appears to work.
Crawl Budget Is Wasted on Chains
Every hop in a redirect chain consumes crawl budget. If Googlebot follows a 3-hop chain to reach a page, it has used three crawl requests where one should have been enough. On large sites this slows down indexing of new content.
Chains Add Page Load Latency
Each redirect adds a round-trip HTTP request before the browser can load the page. A 3-hop chain can add 300–600ms to perceived load time. Google's Core Web Vitals measure real-world load speed — redirect chains hurt your LCP scores.
Redirect Loops Break Pages Entirely
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B which redirects back to URL A. Browsers stop after a few cycles and display an error. Googlebot cannot index the page at all. A redirect loop is one of the most disruptive technical SEO problems on any site.
HTTP to HTTPS Must Be Clean
Google expects a direct 301 from HTTP to HTTPS. If your site redirects HTTP → HTTPS → www → non-www across multiple hops, each unnecessary step loses equity and slows things down. A redirect checker confirms your HTTPS upgrade is a single clean hop.
Migrations Need Verification
After a URL migration, every old URL should have a direct 301 to its new equivalent. A redirect checker lets you verify each redirect one by one, or spot-check a sample of high-priority pages immediately after the migration goes live.
How It Works
How the Redirect Checker Works
Three steps from URL to full chain report.
Enter the URL
Paste any URL — a page, a short link, or a known redirect source. The tool accepts HTTP and HTTPS URLs and does not require www.
We Trace Every Hop
The checker makes a live HTTP request to the URL and follows each redirect in sequence, recording the URL and status code at every step. It detects loops automatically and stops before cycling indefinitely.
Review the Full Chain
Results show every URL in the chain with its HTTP status code, the total number of hops, the chain type (direct, single, multi-hop, loop), and the final destination URL so you can verify it is correct.
Tool Capabilities
What This Tool Checks
Every redirect detail surfaced in a single scan.
Full Redirect Chain
Every URL visited from start to finish, shown in order with each HTTP status code. No hops are hidden — you see the exact path the browser and Googlebot follow.
HTTP Status Codes
Each hop is labelled with its status code — 301, 302, 307, 308, 200, 404, 500 — so you can identify the type of redirect and spot errors immediately without needing to look them up.
Final Destination URL
The checker identifies and highlights the last URL in the chain — the page the user or Googlebot actually lands on. Useful for verifying that short links and old URLs resolve to the correct target pages.
Redirect Loop Detection
If a URL redirects back to itself or forms a circular chain, the checker detects and flags the loop before it cycles indefinitely. The report shows exactly where the loop begins so you can fix it quickly.
Redirect Chain Length
The total hop count is displayed prominently. A clean redirect should be 0 hops (direct) or 1 hop. Two or more hops is a chain that should be collapsed into a single redirect for SEO and performance reasons.
HTTP to HTTPS Verification
Confirms whether the HTTP version of your URL correctly redirects to HTTPS in a single 301, or whether it routes through multiple hops, incorrect protocols, or lands on the wrong canonical version of the page.
Redirect Types
301 vs 302 Redirects — What's the Difference?
Choosing the wrong redirect type is one of the most common technical SEO mistakes. The difference between a 301 and a 302 affects how link equity flows and whether search engines update their index.
| Property | 301 Permanent | 302 Temporary |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | This URL has moved permanently to the new address | This URL is temporarily pointing elsewhere — it will return |
| Link Equity | Passes most PageRank to the new URL | Does not pass PageRank — old URL retains it |
| Google Index | Google updates its index to the new URL over time | Google keeps the old URL in its index |
| When to Use | Permanent URL changes, migrations, HTTPS upgrades, domain moves | Temporary campaigns, A/B tests, maintenance pages |
| Common Mistake | Using a 301 when the original URL will return (kills old rankings) | Using a 302 when the move is permanent (rankings stay on old URL) |
| SEO Risk | Low if used correctly — the right choice for permanent changes | High if used instead of a 301 for permanent changes — PageRank is never transferred |
Chain vs Loop
Redirect Chains and Redirect Loops Explained
A redirect chain happens when a URL redirects to another URL that then redirects again before reaching the final destination. Each extra hop is an unnecessary delay. Google follows chains but PageRank dilutes with each hop, and load time increases.
A redirect loop is a chain that never ends — URL A redirects to URL B which redirects back to A, creating an infinite cycle. Browsers give up after a few cycles and display a "Too Many Redirects" error. Googlebot cannot index pages caught in a loop.
Both problems are invisible to users browsing your site normally — they only become apparent when you trace the chain. This tool surfaces both immediately so you can fix them before they silently damage your crawlability and rankings.
Redirect chain (fixable — collapse to one hop)
Redirect loop (breaks the page completely)
Common Problems
Common Redirect Problems and What They Mean
Most redirect issues fall into the same handful of patterns. Knowing what to look for makes them straightforward to fix.
Using 302 Instead of 301 for Permanent Changes
If you moved a page permanently but used a 302 (temporary redirect), Google will not transfer PageRank to the new URL and will keep the old URL in its index. Audit all your redirects with this tool and confirm permanent moves use 301, not 302.
Redirect Chains from HTTP to HTTPS to www
A common pattern after HTTPS migrations: the old HTTP URL redirects to HTTPS, which then redirects again to the www (or non-www) version of the site. That is two hops where one should do. Update the original redirect to point directly to the canonical final URL.
Redirect Loops from Misconfigured Rules
Loops are usually caused by overlapping rewrite rules in .htaccess or Nginx config, or CMS permalink settings that conflict with server-level redirects. The redirect checker shows exactly where the loop begins — match that URL to your redirect rules to find the conflict.
Redirect to a 404 Page
A redirect that lands on a 404 is worse than no redirect at all — it wastes a crawl request and delivers users to a dead end. This happens when the destination URL of a redirect is later deleted without updating the redirect. Check the final status code in your chain result — if it is 404, fix the destination.
Redirect to the Wrong Page
After a migration or URL restructure, redirects sometimes point to the homepage or a category page instead of the specific equivalent page. This loses the ranking relevance of the original page. Always verify the final destination URL in your chain result matches the intended page.
Stale Redirects Left After CMS Changes
Old redirects from previous URL structures accumulate over time and can conflict with newer rules, creating unexpected chains or loops. A regular redirect audit — especially after CMS updates or URL changes — catches stale rules before they cause problems in production.
Who It's For
Who Should Use a Redirect Checker?
Anyone who manages URLs, sets up migrations, or cares about how link equity flows through their site.
Practical scenarios where this tool is essential:
- Verifying every redirect is correct after a full site migration
- Confirming HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects are single-hop 301s
- Investigating a drop in rankings on a specific page after a URL change
- Checking that short links, affiliate links, and marketing links resolve to the right pages
- Auditing redirect rules before and after a CMS upgrade
- Troubleshooting "Too Many Redirects" errors reported by users or found by a link checker
Related Tools
Related SEO and Technical Tools
Use these alongside the redirect checker for a complete technical SEO audit.
Check Your Redirect Paths, Free
Trace any URL, verify every hop, and confirm your redirects are clean, correct, and SEO-safe. No login, no install, instant results.
Check Redirect Path Free Trace Redirect Chain NowFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about redirect checking and redirect SEO.