Redirect Checker Online
Free 301 Redirect Checker & Link Redirect Trace Tool
Use our free redirect checker online to trace the complete redirect chain for any URL. This URL redirect checker follows every hop showing 301 permanent, 302 found, 307 temporary, and 308 permanent redirect status codes. Detect redirect loops, measure response time per hop, identify server software, check HTTP to HTTPS migration paths, WWW vs non-WWW changes, and audit link equity loss. Use our bulk redirect checker for site migration audits with up to 20 URLs.
Quick Answer: What Is a Redirect Checker?
A redirect checker online traces a URL through every server-side redirect to reveal the complete chain from start to final destination. It shows the HTTP status code at each hop (301, 302, 307, 308), measures response time, detects the server, resolves IP addresses, and identifies redirect loops. Our link redirect trace tool helps SEO specialists audit link equity loss, developers fix broken redirects, and security analysts trace short URLs to their final destination safely.
Check Redirect Chain for Any URL
Enter a URL to trace redirect chain, check 301/302 status codes, and measure response time per hop.
Robert Harrison
OSINT & Network Utility Expert
Robert specializes in HTTP protocol analysis, redirect chain forensics, DNS management, and server security auditing. He helps developers, SEO specialists, and webmasters trace redirect chains, fix broken redirects, audit link equity for search rankings, and secure site migrations.
View All Articles by Robert HarrisonWhat Is a Redirect Checker Online and Why Do You Need It?
A redirect checker online is a link redirect trace tool that follows a URL through every server-side redirect hop to reveal the complete chain from the initial link to its final destination. When you click a shortened URL or an old bookmark, your browser often passes through multiple intermediate servers before arriving at the actual webpage. Each of these hops returns an HTTP status code — 301 permanent, 302 found, 307 temporary redirect, or 308 permanent redirect — that instructs the browser where to go next.
According to Wikipedia's article on URL redirection, redirects are a fundamental web mechanism used for URL shortening, domain migrations, A/B testing, affiliate tracking, and canonical URL enforcement. Our URL redirect checker exposes this invisible process, showing you the HTTP status code, response time, server software, and IP address at each hop. This data is essential for SEO specialists auditing link equity, developers debugging .htaccess configuration, and security analysts tracing suspicious shortened links.
Our tool also includes a bulk redirect checker that accepts up to 20 URLs for site migration audits — verify all your old URLs redirect correctly in a single batch.
Key Fact: Our redirect checker online traces up to 15 hops per URL, detects redirect loops, flags excessive chains (3+ hops), identifies HTTP to HTTPS upgrades and WWW vs non-WWW changes, measures response time per hop in milliseconds, and resolves the IP address and server at each step.
301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308: HTTP Redirect Status Codes Explained
Our 301 redirect checker identifies the exact status code at each hop. Understanding the difference between redirect types is critical for both SEO and server administration.
301 Moved Permanently
301 is the most important redirect for SEO. It tells search engines that the original URL has moved permanently and all link equity (PageRank) should transfer to the new URL. Use 301 for domain migrations, HTTP to HTTPS upgrades, and URL structure changes. Google processes 301 redirects by indexing the destination URL and dropping the original.
302 Found (Temporary Redirect)
302 means the redirect is temporary. Search engines keep the original URL in their index and do NOT transfer link equity. Using 302 when you should use 301 is one of the most common SEO mistakes — it can prevent your new URL from ranking. Our tool flags 302 redirects with a specific warning about PageRank dilution.
307 Temporary Redirect & 308 Permanent Redirect
307 and 308 are modern HTTP/1.1 equivalents of 302 and 301 respectively. The key difference is that 307/308 strictly preserve the HTTP method (POST stays POST). With 301/302, browsers may change POST to GET. You often see 307 during HSTS enforcement when the browser internally redirects HTTP to HTTPS.
| Code | Type | SEO Link Equity | Method Preserved | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Permanent | Yes (full transfer) | No (may change) | Domain migration, HTTPS |
| 302 | Temporary | No (stays original) | No (may change) | Maintenance, A/B tests |
| 307 | Temporary | No (stays original) | Yes (strict) | HSTS internal redirect |
| 308 | Permanent | Yes (full transfer) | Yes (strict) | API permanent redirects |
Verify your redirect implementation with our tool and check your server response headers with our HTTP Headers Analyzer for complete configuration auditing.
How to Find and Fix Redirect Chains in 2026
A redirect chain occurs when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, which finally lands on URL D. Each hop adds latency, wastes crawl budget, and may cause slight link equity loss. Our redirect checker online flags chains longer than 3 hops with a warning.
Why Redirect Chains Are Bad for SEO
Google's crawler (Googlebot) follows up to 10 redirects but each hop consumes crawl budget. Long chains mean Googlebot spends resources following redirects instead of crawling and indexing your actual content. Additionally, while Google says 301 redirects pass full PageRank, multiple chained redirects introduce unnecessary risk and latency.
How to Fix Redirect Chains
Replace chain redirects with a single direct redirect from the original URL to the final destination. If URL A → B → C → D, update URL A to redirect directly to D. In .htaccess, this means updating the RewriteRule target. In Nginx, update the return 301 destination.
# BAD: Chain redirect in .htaccess
RewriteRule ^old-page$ /middle-page [R=301,L]
RewriteRule ^middle-page$ /final-page [R=301,L]
# GOOD: Direct redirect
RewriteRule ^old-page$ /final-page [R=301,L]
# Nginx direct redirect:
rewrite ^/old-page$ /final-page permanent;
After fixing, use our URL redirect checker to verify the chain is reduced to a single hop. Check that your DNS is configured correctly with our DNS Lookup Tool.
Why Is My Website Showing "Too Many Redirects" Error?
The "Too Many Redirects" error (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) means a redirect loop exists — URL A redirects to URL B, and URL B redirects back to URL A, creating an infinite cycle. Browsers detect this after 20+ hops and display the error. Our tool detects loops automatically.
Common Causes of Redirect Loops
- Conflicting .htaccess rules: Multiple RewriteRules that contradict each other, creating circular redirects. Common when HTTP→HTTPS and WWW→non-WWW rules interact poorly.
- WordPress site URL mismatch: If WordPress Address and Site Address settings point to different URLs (one with www, one without), WordPress creates a loop.
- CDN and origin conflict: Cloudflare's "Flexible SSL" setting combined with a server-side HTTPS force creates a loop: Cloudflare sends HTTP to server, server redirects to HTTPS, Cloudflare converts back to HTTP.
- SSL plugin conflicts: WordPress plugins like "Really Simple SSL" forcing HTTPS while the server also forces HTTPS via .htaccess creates duplicate redirect logic.
# Fix common .htaccess redirect loop (HTTP→HTTPS + WWW→non-WWW):
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 [R=301,L]
# This single rule handles BOTH redirects in one hop
# Avoids chain: http://www → https://www → https://non-www
After fixing, clear your browser cache and use our redirect checker online to verify the loop is resolved. For HTTPS certificate issues, verify with our SSL Certificate Checker.
How Much Link Juice Is Lost in a 301 Redirect Chain?
The question of link equity (link juice) loss through 301 redirects has been debated in the SEO community for years. Here is what we know based on Google's official statements and industry testing.
Google's Official Position
In 2016, Google's Gary Illyes confirmed that 301 redirects pass full PageRank — the same as a direct link. However, this applies to a single redirect. For chains with multiple hops, Google's documentation says Googlebot follows redirects but may stop if the chain is excessively long.
Real-World Impact
Industry tests by Moz and Ahrefs have shown that a single 301 redirect passes approximately 95-99% of link equity. A 2-hop chain passes roughly 90-95%. At 3+ hops, the diminishing returns become noticeable. More importantly, long chains slow down crawl budget consumption and may cause Googlebot to skip pages entirely. For SEO-critical pages, always aim for zero or one redirect hops.
The key takeaway: while individual PageRank dilution from 301s is minimal, the cumulative effect of chains plus crawl budget waste makes direct redirects the clear best practice. Use our check redirect chain feature to audit your most important URLs. Also verify your domain registration with our WHOIS Lookup to ensure your domain authority is intact.
Trace Short URL to Final Destination for Privacy and Security
Shortened URLs from services like bit.ly, tinyurl.com, t.co (Twitter/X), and goo.gl are widely used but completely opaque — you cannot see the destination before clicking. Cybercriminals exploit this by hiding phishing and malware URLs behind trusted shortening services. Our link redirect trace tool reveals the final destination without your browser visiting the dangerous page.
How Link Shorteners Work
When you click a shortened link, the shortening service returns a 301 redirect to the actual destination URL. Some services chain through multiple tracking servers (especially affiliate networks) before reaching the final page. Our redirect checker online follows every hop and shows you exactly where the link goes, including the IP address and server behind each hop.
Best Free Tool to Trace Affiliate Link Redirects
Affiliate links typically pass through 2-4 redirect hops: the publisher's tracking link → the affiliate network (Impact, CJ, Amazon Associates) → the merchant's website. Our tool traces the entire chain, showing which networks are involved and how much latency each hop adds. This is invaluable for publishers verifying attribution and merchants auditing their affiliate program. If a link destination looks suspicious, check it against our IP Blacklist Checker and verify the domain with our WHOIS Lookup.
Security Warning: Never click shortened links from unknown sources directly. Always paste them into our redirect checker online first to reveal the true destination. Phishing attacks increasingly use link shorteners to bypass email filters.
HTTP to HTTPS Migration and WWW vs Non-WWW Redirects
Two of the most common redirect scenarios are HTTP to HTTPS migration and WWW vs non-WWW canonicalization. Both require 301 redirects to avoid duplicate content and preserve SEO value.
HTTP to HTTPS Redirect
When migrating to HTTPS, every HTTP URL must 301 redirect to its HTTPS equivalent. Our website redirection test detects HTTP→HTTPS hops and verifies the redirect is 301 (permanent), not 302 (temporary). A 302 during HTTPS migration means Google does not transfer link equity to the HTTPS version — a critical SEO mistake.
WWW vs Non-WWW Canonicalization
Choose one version (www.example.com OR example.com) and 301 redirect the other. Our tool shows when a redirect chain involves a WWW change. The most common mistake is creating a chain: http://example.com → https://www.example.com → https://example.com (3 hops). Combine both redirects into a single hop. Verify your DNS A and CNAME records with our DNS Lookup Tool.
Meta Refresh and JavaScript Redirects
While HTTP redirects happen at the server level, meta refresh redirects (via HTML <meta http-equiv="refresh">) and JavaScript redirects (window.location) happen at the browser level. These are generally bad for SEO because Googlebot may not execute JavaScript and meta refresh passes less link equity. Our tool detects server-level redirects; for client-side redirects, check the page source manually.
Bulk URL Redirect Checker for Site Migration 2026
Site migrations — whether changing domains, restructuring URLs, or moving to a new CMS — require verifying hundreds or thousands of redirects. Our bulk redirect checker accepts up to 20 URLs per batch, tracing each one to show the final destination, status code, hop count, and total response time.
How to Use the Bulk Checker for Migration Audits
- Step 1: Export your old URL list from Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or your sitemap.
- Step 2: Paste the URLs into our bulk tool (one per line, up to 20).
- Step 3: Verify every URL returns a 301 status code (not 302 or 404).
- Step 4: Confirm each URL redirects to the correct new destination.
- Step 5: Check for chains with more than 2 hops and simplify them.
Run the audit immediately after migration and again 2-4 weeks later to catch any delayed issues. Pair the redirect audit with our DNS Lookup to verify DNS propagation and our SSL Checker to ensure certificates are valid on the new domain.
Migration Tip: Keep old redirects active for at least 1 year. Google recommends maintaining 301 redirects indefinitely for maximum SEO safety. Check your site speed after migration with our Speed Test Tool to ensure redirects are not adding excessive latency.
Canonical Tags vs Redirects: When to Use Each
Both canonical tags and 301 redirects solve duplicate content problems, but they work differently. Understanding when to use each is essential for SEO.
Use 301 Redirects When:
- The old URL should no longer be accessible (domain change, URL restructure).
- You want to consolidate link equity from multiple URLs to one.
- HTTP→HTTPS or WWW→non-WWW canonicalization.
- Affiliate or shortener link tracking through intermediaries.
Use Canonical Tags When:
- Multiple URLs serve the same or very similar content (pagination, filters, sorting).
- You want both URLs to remain accessible but signal the preferred version.
- Cross-domain content syndication where the original publisher keeps the page live.
Verify your canonical implementation by checking response headers with our HTTP Headers Analyzer — look for the Link: rel="canonical" header in the response.
Complete Redirect Audit Checklist
Use this checklist with our redirect checker online to ensure your redirects are healthy.
- Step 1: Trace your homepage with both HTTP and HTTPS, WWW and non-WWW — all four variations should resolve to one canonical URL in 1 hop or less.
- Step 2: Check all 301 redirects are actually 301 (not 302). Our 301 redirect checker identifies the exact code.
- Step 3: Verify no redirect chains exceed 2 hops. Simplify chains to single-hop redirects.
- Step 4: Test for redirect loops — our tool automatically detects circular redirects.
- Step 5: Verify response time per hop is under 500ms. Hops over 1 second indicate server issues.
- Step 6: Check .htaccess or Nginx config for conflicting redirect rules.
- Step 7: For site migrations, use the bulk redirect checker to audit all old URLs.
- Step 8: Verify SSL certificate on the destination URL with our SSL Checker.
- Step 9: Check server security headers on the destination with our Headers Analyzer.
- Step 10: Verify IP reputation of your server with our IP Blacklist Checker.
Frequently Asked Questions About Redirect Checking
What is a redirect checker and how does it work?
A redirect checker online follows a URL through every server-side redirect hop. It shows the HTTP status code (301, 302, 307, 308), response time, server, and IP at each hop. Our tool detects redirect loops, flags chains over 3 hops, and identifies HTTP to HTTPS and WWW changes.
How to find and fix redirect chains?
Enter your URL in our URL redirect checker. It traces every hop and warns about long chains. Fix by replacing intermediate redirects with a single direct 301 from original to final URL. Update .htaccess or Nginx config. Use our bulk redirect checker for site migration audits.
How much link juice is lost in a 301 redirect chain?
A single 301 passes nearly full PageRank. Each additional hop may cause slight link equity loss (5-10%). More critically, long chains waste crawl budget. Always aim for direct single-hop redirects for SEO-critical pages.
Why is my website showing "Too Many Redirects"?
A redirect loop exists — URL A → URL B → URL A. Common causes: conflicting .htaccess rules, WordPress URL mismatch, CDN + server HTTPS conflicts, SSL plugin conflicts. Use our redirect checker online to find the exact loop point and fix.
What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects for SEO?
301 = permanent, transfers full link equity. 302 = temporary, SEO stays with original URL. Using 302 for permanent moves hurts rankings. Our 301 redirect checker identifies which type each hop uses and flags 302 misuse with a warning about PageRank dilution.
How to trace short URL to final destination for privacy?
Paste any shortened URL (bit.ly, tinyurl, t.co) into our link redirect trace tool. It follows every hop without your browser visiting the destination, safely revealing the final URL, IP address, and server. Protects against phishing using link shorteners.
Can I use a bulk redirect checker for site migration?
Yes. Our bulk redirect checker accepts up to 20 URLs. Paste old URLs one per line — the tool shows final destination, status code, hop count, and response time for each. Essential for verifying site migration 301 redirects work correctly with no 404 errors or loops.
Check if a 302 redirect is hurting my SEO rankings?
Enter the URL in our redirect checker online. If a 302 appears for a permanent redirect, it IS hurting SEO — Google does not transfer link equity for temporary redirects. Change to 301 in your server config. Our tool flags 302s with an explicit SEO warning.
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Trace Any URL's Redirect Chain Instantly
Free Redirect Checker — No Signup Required
Our redirect checker online traces complete redirect chains, checks 301/302/307/308 status codes, detects redirect loops, measures response time per hop, and includes a bulk redirect checker for site migrations. Protect your link equity and crawl budget.