Redirect Checker
Trace URL redirect chains and analyze redirect types
Enter a web address to begin.
Result
The redirect chain appears here.
About Redirect Checker
The Redirect Checker is a free online tool that traces the complete redirect chain of any URL, revealing every hop from the original address to the final destination. It shows HTTP status codes (301, 302, 307, 308), response times, and redirect types at each step, giving you full visibility into how browsers and search engines navigate your URLs.
Understanding URL redirects is essential for SEO and website performance. Each redirect in a chain adds latency and an extra request for crawlers to follow, and Google's crawlers follow at most 10 hops. Our redirect checker helps you identify unnecessary redirects, broken chains, and misconfigured status codes before they harm your rankings.
After a domain migration, an HTTP to HTTPS switch, a www and non-www merge, or when auditing short URLs, the redirect chain checker provides the actionable data you need. Simply enter a URL, click Check Redirects, and instantly see every step in the redirect path along with performance metrics and SEO recommendations.
Key Features
- Full redirect chain visualization showing every hop from origin to final destination
- HTTP status code detection for 301, 302, 307, 308, and all other response codes
- Response time measurement for each redirect step in milliseconds
- Redirect type identification (permanent vs. temporary) at every hop
- Total redirect count and cumulative response time summary
- Color-coded status badges for quick identification of success, redirect, and error responses
- SEO recommendations based on detected redirect patterns and issues
- Quick-test buttons for common redirect scenarios (HTTP to HTTPS, www redirects, short URLs)
- Auto-detection of HTTP vs. HTTPS protocol with smart URL normalization
- Clean visual chain display with numbered steps and connector lines
How to Use
- Enter a URL: Type or paste the URL you want to check into the input field. The tool auto-adds https:// if no protocol is specified.
- Click Check Redirects: Press the button or hit Enter to start tracing the redirect chain.
- Review the summary: See the total number of redirects found and the cumulative response time at the top of the results.
- Examine each hop: Walk through the numbered chain to see the status code, URL, response time, and redirect type at every step.
- Read SEO recommendations: Review the automatically generated suggestions for improving your redirect configuration.
- Test additional URLs: Use the quick-test buttons or enter new URLs to audit your entire site.
Use Cases
- Domain migration audits: Verify that all old URLs properly 301-redirect to the new domain without broken chains.
- HTTPS migration checks: Confirm that HTTP pages redirect to HTTPS counterparts with a single permanent redirect.
- Short URL analysis: Trace bit.ly, t.co, and other shortened links to reveal their final destinations.
- SEO redirect audits: Identify redirect chains longer than 2 hops that waste crawl budget and dilute link equity.
- WWW canonicalization: Ensure www and non-www versions consolidate to a single canonical URL.
- Competitor analysis: Check how competitor URLs redirect to understand their site architecture and migration history.
- Affiliate link verification: Trace affiliate and tracking URLs to confirm they reach the correct landing page.
- Page speed optimization: Find and eliminate unnecessary redirects that add latency to page load times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?
A 301 is a permanent redirect that tells search engines to transfer link equity to the new URL. A 302 is a temporary redirect that keeps the original URL indexed. Use 301 for permanent moves and 302 for temporary situations like A/B testing.
How many redirects are too many?
Keep chains as short as possible, ideally one hop. Every extra hop delays the page, and Google's crawlers stop after 10 hops. This checker also follows up to 10 requests and tells you when a chain goes further.
Do redirects affect page speed?
Yes. Each redirect adds a full request and response before the page starts loading. Since page speed is a ranking factor, excessive redirects can indirectly harm your SEO through slower load times.
Can I check internal and external URLs?
Yes. You can check any publicly accessible URL, whether it belongs to your own site or an external domain.
Tips & Best Practices
- Use 301 for permanent moves: Always choose 301 redirects for permanent URL changes to preserve maximum link equity.
- Minimize redirect chains: Keep chains to 1-2 hops by updating internal links to point directly to final destination URLs.
- Consolidate canonical URLs: Ensure www/non-www and HTTP/HTTPS versions all redirect to a single canonical version.
- Audit regularly: Check redirect chains periodically, especially after site migrations, CMS updates, or URL structure changes.
- Update sitemaps: After implementing redirects, update your XML sitemap to reference the final destination URLs only.
- Monitor crawl reports: Use Google Search Console to identify redirect-related crawl errors and address them promptly.