Redirect Chain Analyzer

Igor Verentsov

Follow and analyze HTTP redirect chains step by step

TL;DR:

Redirect chain checker shows every 301/302 hop from URL to the final response. How many hops, each with status code + latency. Finds long chains (3+ hops) — the main SEO crawl-budget and load-speed drain. Optimal: single hop from http → https.

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Redirect ChainsEach extra redirect adds 100-300ms latency and reduces PageRank along the chain.

HTTP to HTTPSVerify the redirect is performed correctly without intermediate unencrypted hops.

Redirect LoopsCircular redirects cause ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error and complete page unavailability.

301 vs 302 Codes301 permanently passes PageRank, 302 is a temporary redirect without passing SEO weight.

Why teams trust us

10+

redirect hops

HTTPS

redirect check

<2s

result

301/302

redirect codes

How it works

1

Enter URL

2

Redirect chain followed

3

Codes & final URL shown

Redirect checker: optimize redirect chains

Incorrect or long redirect chains slow down the site, lose PageRank and confuse search crawlers. The tool visualizes the full redirect chain with response codes and timing for each hop.

Full hop chain

Shows each redirect step: URL → code → URL → code, through to the final destination.

Time per hop

Measures latency at each redirect step for precise identification of performance bottlenecks.

Redirect type

Distinguishes 301, 302, 303, 307, 308 — each has different behavior for SEO and browsers.

Loop detection

Automatically detects circular redirects and warns before the browser throws an error.

Who uses this

SEO

redirect chain audit

Developers

301/302 debugging

DevOps

HTTPS redirect check

Marketers

UTM link tracking

Common Mistakes

Chains of 3+ redirectsHTTP → HTTPS → non-www → www — that's three redirects instead of one. Merge them into a single direct redirect.

Using 302 instead of 301302 for permanently moved pages means losing PageRank. Use 301 for final migrations.

Redirecting HTTP to HTTP before HTTPSAn intermediate unencrypted hop creates an MITM vulnerability and adds an extra request.

Not updating internal linksRedirects are not a substitute for updated links. Links to original URLs should be updated directly.

Best Practices

Use one redirect: HTTP+www → HTTPS+non-wwwConfigure a single nginx/Apache rule combining both conditions into one 301 redirect.

Check redirects after migrationsDomain change, HTTPS migration, URL structure redesign — all create new redirect chains.

Remove stale redirectsRedirects accumulated over years create hidden chains. Audit .htaccess and configs quarterly.

Control redirects in sitemapSitemap should only contain final URLs without redirects — otherwise crawlers waste crawl budget.

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Redirect check history and API for automated chain auditing.

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Redirect Chain Checker

The tool analyzes the HTTP redirect chain from the initial URL to the final destination. Long redirect chains slow down page loading and can cause indexing issues. An optimal chain contains no more than one redirect. The tool shows each redirect type (301, 302, 307, 308), URL, and headers.

Excessive redirect chains (3+ hops) slow down page loading and dilute SEO link equity. Our tool traces every redirect from the initial URL to the final destination, showing status codes (301, 302, 307, 308), response times, and detecting dangerous redirect loops.

Use 301 (permanent) redirects for SEO — they pass ~95% of link equity, unlike 302 (temporary) which signal a temporary move. After setting up redirects, verify with broken links checker that no pages return 404. Check page speed to ensure redirects don't add latency.

Learn more

How-to

How to Redirect www to non-www

Glossary

Redirect chain: Definition and Use Cases

Research

Errors

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: Fixing the Loop

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?

301 is a permanent redirect, passing 90-99% of SEO weight. Use when permanently moving a page. 302 is temporary, does not fully pass SEO weight. Use for temporary redirections (A/B tests, maintenance).

How many redirects are acceptable?

Google recommends no more than 1-2 redirects in a chain. Each redirect adds latency (~50-100ms). Chains of 3+ redirects slow loading, lose SEO weight, and may be truncated by search engines.

What is a redirect chain?

A redirect chain is when a URL redirects to another URL, which redirects to a third, and so on. Example: HTTP → HTTPS → WWW → final page (3 redirects). Aim for direct redirections.

What is the difference between 307 and 302?

307 is a strict temporary redirect, guaranteeing the HTTP method is preserved (POST stays POST). 302 may change the method to GET. Use 307 for APIs and forms. For simple redirections, 302 also works.

How to find all redirects on a site?

Use our tool to check individual URLs. For bulk checking, use Batch Check with CSV export. You can also analyze the server access log, filtering 301/302/307/308 responses.

What is a redirect loop?

A redirect loop is an infinite redirection where page A redirects to B, and B redirects back to A. The browser will stop the cycle after several attempts and show ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error.

Related guides

Longer-form reading on this topic from the knowledge base.

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