Redirect Checker – HTTP Status & Redirect Chain Analyzer

The Redirect Checker helps you see exactly what happens when a crawler or user requests a URL. Instead of manually following each hop, this tool traces the full redirect path, shows every HTTP status code in the chain, and highlights patterns that can harm performance and SEO.

Whether you are migrating a site, fixing HTTP/HTTPS issues or cleaning legacy redirects, this tool gives you a clear, technical view of how your URLs behave.

What the Redirect Checker does

This tool sends a request to the URL you provide and records every step until the final destination is reached (or the chain fails). It reveals:

• All redirect hops between the starting URL and the final URL

• HTTP status codes for each step (200, 301, 302, 307, 308, 404, 410, 5xx, etc.)

• Protocol changes (HTTP → HTTPS), domain or subdomain changes

• Trailing slash and URL normalization differences

• Loops or excessively long chains that can cause crawl issues

Instead of guessing why a URL is not resolving as expected, you get a complete, transparent redirect map.

Why redirects matter for SEO

Redirects are essential for migrations and URL changes, but misconfigured chains can:

• Dilute link equity across multiple hops

• Slow down page loads, impacting Core Web Vitals and UX

• Confuse crawlers with conflicting signals

• Cause indexing problems when chains loop or end in 4xx/5xx

Search engines prefer clean, direct 301 redirects from old URLs to their final, canonical destinations. The Redirect Checker exposes where your current setup deviates from this ideal model.

Key insights you can get with this tool

By analyzing the redirect path, you can quickly identify:

• When a supposed single redirect is actually a chain with multiple hops

• Temporary (302/307) redirects where permanent (301/308) redirects are more appropriate

• Redirects that end on non-canonical URLs (wrong protocol, subdomain or path)

• Loops, hops between HTTP and HTTPS, or unnecessary intermediate URLs

• Redirects that resolve to 404/410 or server errors instead of a live destination

These insights help you design a cleaner, faster and more stable redirect strategy.

How to use the Redirect Checker

1. Paste the URL you want to test into the input field.

2. Start the analysis to let the tool follow all redirects from start to finish.

3. Review the list of hops, including status codes and source/target URLs.

4. Check if the final URL is correct, secure (HTTPS) and canonical.

5. Note any unnecessary hops or problematic status codes and plan fixes accordingly.

You can repeat this process for old URLs, internal links, external backlinks and any critical landing pages.

Interpreting the results

When you look at the redirect chain, focus on these questions:

• Does the URL redirect directly (one hop) to the intended final destination?

• Are permanent redirects (301/308) used for long-term URL changes?

• Is the final URL using the correct protocol (HTTPS) and preferred host (www vs non-www)?

• Are there any unnecessary hops that could be removed to improve speed and clarity?

• Does the chain ever hit a 4xx or 5xx status before reaching the final URL?

Ideally, you want a short, clean chain: one 301 redirect from the old URL to the final, canonical URL.

Best practices for redirect management

Use the Redirect Checker regularly to align your redirects with technical SEO best practices:

• Keep redirect chains as short as possible; aim for a single hop when you can.

• Use 301 or 308 for permanent changes so link equity is consolidated properly.

• Avoid mixed protocol flows like HTTP → HTTP → HTTPS; redirect directly to HTTPS.

• Standardize on a single canonical host (for example, always www or always non-www).

• Remove legacy or redundant redirects after major migrations to simplify the map.

• Monitor key templates (category, product, blog, landing pages) after site changes.

A disciplined redirect strategy reduces crawl waste, improves performance and strengthens your site’s internal link graph.

When to use this tool in your workflow

The Redirect Checker is especially useful when:

• Planning or validating a domain migration or HTTPS migration

• Cleaning up legacy redirects from older versions of the site

• Investigating traffic drops after URL structure changes

• Testing how external backlinks are resolved to your current URLs

• Verifying that marketing campaign URLs, shortlinks and tracking links end on the right page

By integrating this tool into your regular technical SEO audits, you can catch redirect issues early, before they impact visibility and conversions.

FAQ

What is a redirect chain?
A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL, which then redirects again, and so on. Each additional hop adds latency and increases the risk of errors or lost signals.

How many redirect hops are too many?
As a rule of thumb, keep it to one hop whenever possible. More than two or three hops is usually a sign that your redirect setup needs to be simplified.

Is a 302 redirect bad for SEO?
Not automatically, but 302 and 307 are meant for temporary changes. For long-term URL moves and migrations, 301 or 308 is generally preferable so search engines treat the target as the permanent destination.

Want to understand how redirect chains and HTTP status codes affect SEO in more detail? Read our in-depth guide: “Redirect Chains, HTTP Status Codes and SEO – A Complete Technical Guide”: https://seories.com/blog/redirect-chains-http-status-codes-and-seo-complete-guide