Redirect Checker
Enter a URL to trace every redirect hop, its HTTP status code, and the final destination.
Trace a URL
Why redirect chains matter for SEO
Each redirect hop adds latency and slightly dilutes link equity. A single clean 301 redirect is fine; chains of three or more hops, or redirect loops, waste crawl budget and slow page load for real visitors. Aim to point old URLs directly at their final destination.
When redirects are supposed to be there
Not every redirect is a problem. Moving a page to a new URL, merging two similar pages into one, or switching your whole site from HTTP to HTTPS all rely on redirects working correctly. The issue isn't redirects existing — it's redirects stacking on top of each other because old links were never updated to point at the current, final URL.
How to read the results above
Each hop shows the HTTP status code and the URL it pointed to next. A single 301 straight to your final URL is the ideal outcome. If you see two or more hops, update whatever link or setting created the first redirect so it points directly at the last URL in the chain instead — this is usually a setting in your CMS, an old .htaccess rule, or a stale internal link.
What's the difference between a 301 and a 302?
A 301 signals a permanent move and passes ranking signals to the new URL; a 302 signals a temporary move and search engines are more cautious about consolidating signals.
Is it ever OK to have a redirect chain?
Occasionally a chain is unavoidable — for example during a phased site migration — but it should be treated as temporary and cleaned up once the migration settles, not left as a permanent structure.
See how redirect chains fit into the bigger picture in How to Fix the Most Common Technical SEO Issues.