What is a Redirect Checker?

A Redirect Checker traces the chain of HTTP redirects from a starting URL to its final destination. When you visit a URL, the server may respond with a redirect (status codes 301, 302, 307, 308) pointing to a different URL — the browser follows automatically. Redirect chains (A → B → C → D) silently degrade SEO (each hop loses ~5-10% link equity), slow page loads (each redirect = extra network round-trip), and can introduce loops (A → B → A → …) breaking the site. Useful for: SEO audits during site migration, debugging why old URLs aren't passing authority, detecting redirect loops, verifying 301 vs 302 use, identifying tracking redirects (affiliate links, shortened URLs).

How to use this tool

1. Enter URL to trace — Starting URL (the one that might redirect).
2. Click Trace Redirects — Tool fetches and tracks redirect chain.
3. Compare original vs final URL — If different, redirect happened.
4. Check status code — 200 = direct, 301 = permanent, 302 = temporary.
5. For full chain inspection — Use browser DevTools Network tab or httpstatus.io.

Redirect status codes

• 301 Moved Permanently: Resource has a new permanent URL. Browsers/crawlers update their bookmarks/index. Passes ~90% of SEO value to new URL.
• 302 Found / Moved Temporarily: Temporary redirect. Old URL keeps its SEO value. Use for: A/B tests, maintenance pages, regional redirects.
• 307 Temporary Redirect: Like 302 but preserves HTTP method (POST stays POST). Use for form submissions that need temporary redirect.
• 308 Permanent Redirect: Like 301 but preserves HTTP method. Newer standard, fully supported in modern browsers.
• 303 See Other: Forces GET on the new URL. Used after POST requests.

Common redirect patterns:

HTTP → HTTPS:    https://example.com (301)
Non-www → www:   www.example.com (301)
Old → New URL:   /new-page (301)
Trailing slash:  /page/ or /page (301)
Mobile redirect: m.example.com (302)

Examples

• http://example.com → https://example.com: 301 redirect to HTTPS (good)
• bit.ly/abc → final destination: 301 chain through shortener
• Old blog URL → new blog URL: 301 preserves SEO during migration
• Login → dashboard (after auth): 302 temporary redirect to dashboard
• Redirect loop: A → B → A → B → … browser errors out (FIX URGENTLY)
• Long chain: A → B → C → D — consolidate to A → D for SEO

Tips & best practices

• Use 301 for permanent moves — passes maximum SEO value
• Avoid redirect chains — redirect old URL DIRECTLY to final, not through intermediates
• Watch for redirect loops — check after every URL change
• Update internal links to point to final URLs — don't rely on redirects for canonicalization
• Force HTTPS via 301 redirect — standard since browsers flag HTTP as Not Secure
• Don't redirect homepage to subdirectory — weak signal for SEO
• Affiliate/shortened URLs: chains are normal but slow loads — consider direct linking when possible

Limitations & notes

This tool shows starting and final URL but not every hop in the chain. For full hop-by-hop tracing, use browser DevTools (F12 Network tab, check Preserve Log) or specialized tools (httpstatus.io, curl -L -v). CORS proxy may not return exact same redirect path as browser would — for production validation, test in actual browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 301 and 302?

301 = permanent (search engines update their index, SEO value transferred). 302 = temporary (old URL keeps SEO value, search engines don't update). Use 301 for permanent moves; 302 for temporary.

Do redirects affect SEO?

Yes — each 301 redirect loses ~5-10% link equity. Multiple chained redirects compound the loss. Best practice: redirect DIRECTLY to final URL, not through intermediates.

What is a redirect loop?

URL A redirects to B which redirects back to A. Browser tries to follow infinitely, eventually errors out (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS). Often caused by misconfigured .htaccess or nginx rules — fix urgently.

Why does my old URL show 302 instead of 301?

Web server default may be 302 (temporary). For permanent moves, explicitly configure 301 in .htaccess (Redirect 301 /old /new) or nginx (return 301 /new;).

Should I redirect www to non-www or reverse?

Either works — just pick one and stick with it. Use 301. Google considers them separate domains otherwise — one canonical version is essential.

Are redirects slow?

Each redirect adds 50-200ms (network round-trip + server processing). Single redirect is negligible. Chain of 5+ redirects is noticeable, especially on mobile.

Can I see exactly what each hop did?

Browser DevTools (F12 → Network → enable ‘Preserve log’) shows every request including redirects with their status codes. Or curl with -L -v flags.

Related tools

HTTP Headers Checker · Canonical Tag Generator · Page Size Checker