URL redirect checker
Follow Redirect Chains
Shows every hop a URL takes before reaching its final destination — 301s, 302s, meta refreshes. Shortened links, migrated sites, and affiliate URLs all hide their true endpoint behind redirects; this reveals them.
Why Chains Matter
Each redirect adds latency and, for SEO, dilutes link equity slightly. Chains longer than 3 hops are a smell — usually from stacked migrations. For security, always know the final destination before clicking unknown short links.
How to Use the URL Redirect Checker
Trace every hop a URL takes — each 301, 302, or meta redirect with its status code — to audit redirect chains, catch loops, and confirm link equity flows where your SEO plan expects.
- Paste the URL you want to trace, including the protocol.
- Click Check to follow each redirect server-side and list every hop in order.
- Review the chain for long sequences, loops, or 302s standing where permanent 301s belong.
Example
Tracing https://oldsite.com/blog passes through http://oldsite.com/blog (301), then https://newsite.com/blog (301), then https://newsite.com/articles (302). The final 302 should be a 301, and the chain is one hop longer than ideal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many redirects are too many?
Aim for one hop: old URL straight to final URL. Chains of three or more slow users and dilute ranking signals, and search engines may stop following after about five hops, leaving deep pages uncrawled.
When do I use 301 versus 302?
Use 301 (permanent) for moved pages — it passes ranking signals to the new URL. Reserve 302 (temporary) for genuinely temporary moves like maintenance; a 302 on a permanent move leaks SEO value indefinitely.
Can redirect chains loop?
Yes — page A points to B and B points back to A, and browsers show an error. The hop-by-hop trace makes loops obvious so you can break them at the offending rule.