Free Redirect Checker
See every hop a URL takes before it lands: status codes, targets and timing — plus warnings for redirect loops, long chains and temporary redirects that should be permanent.
- Every hop
- Fast results
- 100% free
- No signup
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How it works
How to use the redirect checker
- 1
Enter a URL
Type it without https:// to also test your HTTP → HTTPS redirect.
- 2
We follow each hop
Every redirect is requested one at a time, exactly like a crawler.
- 3
Shorten the chain
Update links and redirects so they point straight to the final URL.
301 vs 302: which redirect should you use?
A 301 (Moved Permanently) or 308 (Permanent Redirect) tells search engines the old URL is gone for good, so ranking signals are consolidated on the new one. A 302 (Found) or 307 (Temporary Redirect) says the move is temporary, so Google may keep the old URL indexed. Use permanent redirects for site migrations, HTTPS moves and changed slugs.
Why redirect chains hurt
Every extra hop adds latency for visitors and costs crawl budget. Googlebot follows up to about ten hops and may stop earlier on slow sites. The fix is simple: point internal links, canonicals and sitemaps directly at the final URL, and collapse chains like http → https → www → /new-page into a single redirect.
Common problems this tool catches
- Redirect loops – A redirects to B, which redirects back to A.
- Long chains – three or more hops before the final page.
- Temporary redirects used for permanent moves.
- Missing HTTPS redirect – the HTTP version still serves content.
- Broken destinations – the chain ends in a 404 or 5xx error.
FAQ
Redirect Checker FAQ
Does a 301 redirect lose link equity?
Google has said 301, 302 and 308 redirects no longer lose PageRank. Long chains are still worth fixing for speed and crawl efficiency.
How many redirects are too many?
One is ideal, two is acceptable. Three or more should be collapsed. Googlebot gives up after roughly ten hops.
Why does the checker start with http://?
If you leave out the scheme we start at http:// so you can confirm that the plain-HTTP version redirects to HTTPS.
Does this tool follow JavaScript or meta-refresh redirects?
No — it follows server-side HTTP redirects (3xx status codes with a Location header), which are the kind search engines handle best.
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