How to Check a Site's Redirects: The Redirect Chain in a Minute

In short. You check redirects to see where a link actually leads and through how many "hops": each extra redirect slows loading, loses some SEO weight, and sometimes hides phishing. The fastest way is to run the address through a tool that shows the whole chain with codes (301, 302, 307, 308) and the final URL, without following it. Ideally there should be one redirect, and it should be permanent (301). Red flags: a chain of three or more hops, mixing http and https, and a loop (the site redirects to itself endlessly). Below is how to check and what the result means.

What a redirect chain is and why to check it

A redirect is the server's answer "go to a different address." One link can lead through several such hops in a row: http://site.com → https://site.com → https://www.site.com → the final page. The user sees only the end result, but the browser dutifully walks the whole chain, and every step costs time.

A redirect is invisible to the eye, but not to the browser or the search engine. Every extra hop is milliseconds lost on load and part of the link's weight dissolved along the way.

It's worth checking the chain for several reasons:

• Speed. Each redirect is a separate round-trip to the server. Three or four hops noticeably slow the open, especially on mobile.
• SEO. Long chains dilute link weight and hamper indexing. More in the article on redirect chains and SEO.
• Security. A shortened link may hide a redirect to phishing. Checking the chain reveals the real final address without visiting it.
• Errors. A misconfiguration produces a loop (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) — the site stops opening at all.

How to check in a minute

Method 1 — a tool. Enter the address in the redirect chain analyzer: it shows every step, the HTTP code at each, the final URL, and the total number of hops — in one pass, without following the link.

Method 2 — a command. If you have a terminal:

curl -sIL http://example.com | grep -iE 'HTTP/|location'
# each HTTP-code + Location pair = one step of the chain
# the last line HTTP/... 200 = the final destination

Method 3 — in the browser. Open DevTools (F12) → Network tab, tick "Preserve log," and load the address: you'll see each request with its 301/302 status and the final page.

What the codes mean

Code	Meaning	When appropriate
301	Permanent redirect	A move for good: http→https, www, URL change. Passes link weight
302 / 307	Temporary redirect	A temporary page swap; weight isn't passed (307 keeps the request method)
308	Permanent, keeping the method	Like 301, but doesn't turn POST into GET

The difference between 301 and 302 and when to use which is detailed in a separate article. The key rule: for a permanent move use only 301 (or 308), or the search engine won't pass weight to the new address.

Red flags in the chain

• Three or more hops. One is usually enough (e.g. straight to https://www). A long chain is a reason to rebuild the server rules into a single step.
• Mixing http and https. An https → http → https hop is insecure and pointless: send straight to the final https.
• A loop. The site redirects to itself in a circle — the browser throws ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS and the page won't open. How to fix it is in the error breakdown.
• A foreign final domain. The link pointed to a familiar site, but the chain ends on an unrelated address — a sign of compromise or phishing.

The ideal chain is a single permanent redirect to the final https address. Anything longer is either technical debt or a reason to look closer at security.

Frequently asked questions

How many redirects are acceptable?

Ideally one. Two is still tolerable (e.g. http→https→https://www, if collapsing into one step isn't possible). Three or more already hurt speed and SEO; such chains should be rewritten into a direct redirect to the final address.

Does a redirect slow the site down?

Yes — each adds a round-trip to the server before the page itself even starts loading. On fast desktop it's fractions of a second; on a mobile network, a noticeable delay. That's why extra hops are removed, not accumulated.

How do I check where a short link leads without following it?

Run it through the redirect analyzer — it unfolds the chain and shows the final address without opening anything. Handy for suspicious links from emails and messengers.

Checklist to remember

• Checking the chain reveals the real final address and the number of hops, without following the link.
• The ideal is one permanent redirect (301/308) to the final https.
• Three or more hops hurt speed and SEO — rewrite into a direct one.
• Mixed http/https and loops (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) are the first to fix.
• A foreign final domain in the chain is a phishing or compromise signal.