Redirect checker
Enter a URL to follow every redirect hop with its status code and response time. We flag chains, loops, temporary redirects and meta refresh, and test the http, https, www and non-www versions of the same address.
Free, no signup. Checks one page.
What this tool checks
- Every hop with its status code (301, 302, 307, 308…), target and response time
- Redirect chains: more than one hop before the final page
- Redirect loops and chains longer than the 10 hops Googlebot follows
- Temporary redirects (302, 303, 307) used where a permanent 301 may be meant
- Meta refresh redirects hidden in the HTML
- Redirects that end on a 404 or server error, and HTTPS to HTTP downgrades
- Whether the http/https and www/non-www versions all end on one URL
Why redirect chains matter
A redirect tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved. One hop is fine. Each extra hop adds a round trip before the page starts loading, wastes crawl budget, and is one more place for something to break. Chains usually build up over years: http to https, then www to non-www, then an old URL to a new one.
The status code matters too. 301 and 308 say the move is permanent, so search engines pass the old URL's signals to the new one and show the new URL in results. 302, 303 and 307 say it's temporary, so the old URL may stay indexed. Use a 301 unless the move really is temporary.
A site should also pick one version of its address. If http://, https://, www and non-www all load separately, search engines see four copies of every page. Redirect all of them, in one hop, to the version you want indexed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check where a URL redirects?
Paste it above. The checker requests the URL without following redirects automatically, so it can show every hop: the status code, where it points and how long it took, until it reaches a page that doesn't redirect. From a terminal, curl -sIL https://example.com shows the same hops.
What is a redirect chain?
Two or more redirects in a row before the final page, for example http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com/. Google follows up to 10 hops, but each one slows visitors and crawlers. Fix chains by pointing the first URL straight at the final one and updating internal links.
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 means the page moved permanently; search engines replace the old URL with the new one and transfer its ranking signals. A 302 means the move is temporary, so the old URL can stay in results. 308 and 307 are the permanent and temporary versions that keep the request method (for example POST).
What causes a redirect loop?
Two rules that send a request back and forth, such as one forcing https and a proxy or CDN forcing http, or one adding a trailing slash and another removing it. Browsers show "too many redirects". The checker shows which URLs repeat so you can find the rule.
Is a meta refresh redirect bad for SEO?
It works, but it's slower and less reliable than a server redirect: the browser has to download and parse the page first, and search engines treat it as a weaker signal. Replace it with a 301 when you can.
Does this checker follow JavaScript redirects?
No. It follows HTTP redirects and meta refresh tags. Redirects done with JavaScript (window.location) only happen in a browser, and search engines only see them after rendering, so they're best avoided for permanent moves.
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