Free HTTP diagnostics

Redirect Chain Checker

Trace every URL redirect, inspect HTTP status codes, and find the final destination.

How it works

How to Check a Redirect Chain

1. Enter a URL

Paste a URL with or without https://. The checker accepts HTTP and HTTPS pages only.

2. Run the check

Each response is requested one hop at a time, with the source URL, destination URL, status code, and response time recorded.

3. Review the result

Find the final destination, redirect hop count, broken targets, loops, cross-domain changes, and HTTPS downgrades.

Redirect basics

What Is a Redirect Chain?

A redirect chain is a sequence of HTTP responses that sends a visitor or crawler from one URL to another before reaching the final destination. A single redirect is often normal; several unnecessary hops can slow down a page and make technical SEO harder to audit.

Technical SEO

Why Redirect Chains Matter

Speed

Every extra request can add response time before the destination loads.

Crawling

Search engines have to spend more requests following a long path instead of reaching content directly.

Accuracy

Unexpected domains, loops, and HTTP downgrades can hide migration or configuration problems.

HTTP reference

HTTP Redirect Status Codes

301Permanent redirect

302Temporary redirect

303See another resource

307Temporary redirect, method preserved

308Permanent redirect, method preserved

200Final successful response

Troubleshooting

Common Redirect Problems

Long chains

Several redirects in a row can usually be simplified to one direct redirect.

Redirect loops

A loop sends requests back to a URL that has already appeared in the chain.

Broken targets

A missing destination, DNS failure, timeout, or SSL error prevents the chain from completing.

HTTPS downgrades

A secure URL should not unexpectedly send visitors back to HTTP.

Use cases

Who Should Use This Redirect Chain Checker?

SEO auditsWebsite migrationsAffiliate link checksShort URL expansionTracking link inspectionBroken redirect diagnosisHTTPS migration checks

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a redirect chain?

A redirect chain is a sequence of HTTP redirects between the URL requested and its final destination.

How do I check a URL redirect chain?

Enter a URL above and select Check Redirects. The tool follows each public HTTP or HTTPS response one hop at a time.

What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?

A 301 indicates a permanent redirect, while a 302 normally indicates a temporary redirect.

How many redirects are too many?

There is no universal hard limit, but a shorter direct path is usually better. This checker warns after ten hops.

Can redirect chains affect SEO?

Long or broken chains can waste crawl requests, add latency, and make canonical or migration behavior harder to verify.

How can I find the final URL of a shortened link?

Paste the shortened HTTP or HTTPS URL into the checker to see the final destination when the public chain can be reached.

Is it safe to check a shortened URL?

The checker blocks local, private, reserved, and non-HTTP destinations. Do not submit URLs containing private tokens.

Does this tool store submitted URLs?

Reports are stored so you can open a share link or, when signed in, review them in your history.