Redirect Chain Checker
Check URL redirect chains and loops. Analyze 301, 302, and other redirects to optimize your site structure and preserve link equity.
Note: This tool provides guidance on redirect chains. For live redirect checking, use browser developer tools or online services like httpstatus.io
Understanding Redirect Types
301 - Permanent Redirect
Use when a page has permanently moved. Passes ~90% of link equity to the new URL. Best for SEO when pages are permanently relocated.
302 - Temporary Redirect
Use for temporary moves only. Passes less link equity. Use during maintenance or A/B testing.
307 - Temporary (HTTP/1.1)
Similar to 302 but guarantees that the request method won't change. Used in modern applications.
308 - Permanent (HTTP/1.1)
Similar to 301 but guarantees that the request method won't change.
Redirect Chain Best Practices
- ✓ Avoid redirect chains - each hop loses ~10% link equity
- ✓ Update internal links to point directly to final URLs
- ✓ Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 only for truly temporary changes
- ✓ Maximum recommended chain length: 1 (direct redirect)
- ✓ Check redirects after site migrations
- ✓ Monitor for redirect loops (A→B→A)
How to Check Redirects
- Open browser Developer Tools (F12)
- Go to Network tab
- Enter the URL you want to check
- Look at the Status column for redirect codes (301, 302, etc.)
- Follow the chain until you reach 200 OK
How to Use
- Enter the URL to check
- Click Check Redirects
- Review the redirect chain
- Fix unnecessary redirects
About Redirects
Redirect chains occur when one redirect leads to another, and another. Each hop in the chain wastes crawl budget, slows page load, and can lose link equity.
301 redirects are permanent and pass most link equity to the destination URL. Use them when pages have permanently moved.
302 redirects are temporary and pass less link equity. Use them only for genuinely temporary moves, like during site maintenance.
Aim to have zero hops (direct access) or at most one redirect. Chains of 3+ redirects should be consolidated into single direct redirects.