What is a redirect checker?
A redirect checker normally takes one URL, requests it from a server, and prints every hop on the way to the final page. This tool cannot do that, and the page says so. Browsers block cross-site requests, so a client-side page cannot read another site's redirect headers. Instead, it is a worksheet for a chain you already know.
You build the chain by hand. Each row has a URL and a status code: 301, 302, 307, 308, 200, 404, 410 or 500. Press Analyze Chain and the tool counts redirect hops, looks for a URL that repeats (a loop), warns about temporary redirects, and tells you if the chain ends on an error instead of a 200. It then draws the chain step by step with HTTPS or HTTP badges.
Two extras sit below: a reference table of redirect status codes and a small link equity estimator. Read the equity figure as a rough illustration. It applies a flat percentage loss per hop (3% for 301s, 8% for 302s), which is a rule of thumb built into this page and not a measurement. Google has said that 301 and 302 redirects do not lose PageRank, so do not use the number for decisions.
How to analyze a redirect chain
- Collect your chain first. Get the URLs and status codes from your server logs, browser developer tools, or a crawler, because this tool will not fetch them for you.
- Enter the starting URL in row 1, then add each following URL. Click + Add Hop for more rows, and use the × button to remove a row.
- Set the status dropdown on each row: 301 Permanent, 302 Temporary, 307, 308, 200 OK, 404, 410 or 500. The last row should normally be 200 OK.
- Click Analyze Chain. You get a summary banner (clean, warnings, or issues found) and the number of URLs and redirect hops.
- Read the chain visualization. Each hop shows its status, a plain-English label, an HTTPS or HTTP badge, and Starting URL or Final URL tags.
- Fix what is flagged in your server or CMS, then rebuild the chain with the new result. Click Load Example to see a four-hop chain that mixes http and https.
What this redirect checker includes
Loop detection
If the same URL appears twice in your chain, the tool reports a redirect loop. That error makes browsers give up with a too-many-redirects message.
Chain length warning
Three redirect hops produce a warning to flatten the chain. Four or more are reported as an issue, with a note to aim for one or two.
Temporary redirect warning
Any 302 or 307 in the chain triggers a note to use a 301 or 308 if the move is permanent.
Dead-end check
If the last row has a 4xx or 5xx status, the chain is marked as broken. If it ends on a 3xx, the tool asks you to add the final destination.
HTTP and HTTPS check
Each URL is labelled secure or not. If the chain mixes both, you are reminded to confirm http always redirects to https.
Status code reference
A built-in table explains 301, 302, 307, 308, 200, 404, 410 and 500 in a sentence each.
Who uses it, and for what
- Developers after a site migration. You moved from http://example.com/old-page through https and a trailing-slash rule to the new URL. Enter the hops and see that three redirects can become one.
- SEO consultants writing an audit. Document a client's chains in a table with status codes and screenshots of the flagged problems, then send the fixes to their developer.
- WordPress and Shopify store owners. After changing permalinks or a collection handle, check that the old address ends at the right page. Pair it with the Canonical Tag Checker to confirm the final page points to itself.
- Students learning HTTP. Try different status code combinations and see how loops, chains and errors are reported, using the reference table beside the worksheet.
Tips for cleaner redirects
- Use a browser's Network tab, or curl with the -I flag, to get real status codes. Then copy them here. The tool is only as accurate as the data you type.
- Put the final 200 OK URL as the last row. A chain that ends on a redirect is flagged because you have not shown where it lands.
- Prefer one hop from the old URL straight to the final URL. Update old redirects when you add a new one so they never stack.
- Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves and 302 or 307 only when the move really is temporary, such as a short maintenance page.
- Do not rely on the equity percentage. It is a flat estimate coded into the page, and Google's guidance says redirects do not reduce PageRank.
- Keep trailing-slash and www rules consistent. Most long chains are a www rule, an https rule and a slash rule stacked together.
Is it safe? Privacy and limits
Nothing you type is sent anywhere. The chain is analyzed by JavaScript on the page, and no URL is requested, stored or logged. That also means the tool cannot check live redirects, response times or headers for you. The page links to outside testing services, and those are separate sites with their own privacy practices. The output is general SEO guidance, not a guarantee of ranking or indexing.
Redirect checker FAQ
No. It cannot fetch live redirects, because browsers do not let a page read headers from other sites. You enter each hop and its status code yourself, and the tool analyzes that list. That makes it a worksheet and diagnostic aid, not a crawler. To get real data, use your browser's developer tools Network tab, curl -I, your server logs, or a dedicated online status checker, then paste the results in here. The value is in the analysis: loop detection, chain length, temporary redirect warnings and dead ends.
A 301 says the page has moved permanently, while a 302 says it has moved temporarily. Search engines use that signal to decide which URL to keep in the index. With a 301 they will normally replace the old URL with the new one. With a 302 they tend to keep the original URL indexed. The 307 and 308 codes are the strict versions of 302 and 301: they also require the browser to repeat the same request method. Use a permanent code when the old URL is never coming back.
Aim for one hop, and treat two as acceptable. This tool warns at three redirects and reports an issue at four or more. Google has said Googlebot follows up to ten hops, but each extra hop adds delay for visitors and gives crawlers more chances to fail. Chains usually build up over time as a site moves to https, adds www, changes its slug and adds a trailing slash. When you find one, change the first redirect so it points directly at the final URL.
Not by the percentages this page shows. The Link Equity Flow Estimator subtracts a flat 3% per 301 hop and 8% per 302 hop. Those numbers are an illustration coded into the page, not measured values. Google has stated that 3xx redirects do not lose PageRank. The practical costs of long chains are slower loads and a higher risk of errors, not a fixed percentage loss. If you use the estimator, treat it as a rough teaching aid.
A loop means a URL leads back to one you already visited, so the chain never reaches a final page. Browsers stop after a set number of redirects and show an error such as ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS. In this tool, a loop is reported whenever the same URL appears twice in your list. Typical causes are a http-to-https rule fighting a plugin that redirects back, or a www rule and non-www rule pointing at each other. Remove one of the conflicting rules or fix the target URL.
Because the visitor and search engines reach an error page. A redirect that ends at a 404 sends people to nothing, and it wastes the old URL's links. The tool marks any final status of 400 or higher as an issue. If the content is gone for good, a 410 tells search engines it was removed on purpose, but a better fix is usually to redirect the old URL to the closest relevant live page. Use a 404 or 410 only when no sensible replacement exists.
Yes, it is free and has no signup, limit or tracking of the URLs you type. You can add as many hops as you like, although real chains are rarely longer than five. Everything runs in your browser, and closing the tab clears your input, so copy any findings you want to keep. The outside testing sites listed on the page are optional and separate. Some of them may have their own usage limits or accounts, which are not controlled by this tool.
Run the old URL again in a real status checker or browser Network tab and confirm it gives a single 301 straight to a 200. Then check that the final page has a self-referencing canonical, with the Canonical Tag Checker, and that internal links point to the new URL instead of relying on the redirect. Update your sitemap, and use the Broken Link Checker on pages that still link to the old address. Finally, watch Search Console for crawl errors over the next weeks.