Redirect Checker

Trace server (301/302/307/308) and client redirects (meta refresh, JavaScript). Flags chains, loops, and common SEO pitfalls.

Sites may respond differently to bots vs browsers. Choose a preset or use your own UA.
Official references:

Results

Enter a URL to see each hop, status, and redirect type. We also check for meta refresh and common JavaScript redirects.

Why 301 vs 302 matters for SEO

  • Permanent (301/308): strong signal that the target should be canonical and shown in results.
  • Temporary (302/303/307): weaker signal; search engines may keep showing the source in results longer.
  • Client redirects: If server-side isn’t possible, instant meta refresh is often interpreted as permanent; delayed refreshes as temporary. JavaScript redirects rely on rendering and can be missed - prefer server 3xx whenever you can.

Common mistakes that hamper SEO

  • Long redirect chains (A→B→C→D) - wastes crawl budget and adds latency; point A→D directly.
  • Redirect loops or inconsistent rules by device/locale.
  • Relying on JS/meta redirects when you control the server (use 301/308).
  • Not updating internal links to the final destination after a migration.
  • Redirecting everything to the homepage (soft 404 pattern) instead of equivalent content.
Further reading:

FAQs

Use 301/308 for permanent moves (signal that the target should be canonical). Use 302/303/307 for temporary changes (engines may retain the original URL in results longer).

They’re supported but less reliable than server 3xx. Instant meta refresh is typically treated like permanent; delayed refreshes like temporary. JS redirects require rendering and can be missed or delayed - prefer server-side 3xx where possible.

Aim for a single hop. Chains add latency and waste crawl budget. During migrations, update sources to point directly to the final URL.

Keep them long enough for recrawling and for external/internal links to be updated. During the move, update internal links to point at the final URLs, not the old ones.

JS redirects depend on rendering. If a crawler doesn’t render or rendering is deferred/blocked, it might not follow the redirect promptly. Prefer server 3xx where possible.
Usage note: This tool fetches on demand with the User-Agent you select and does not store URLs or content. Client-side redirects are detected via pattern matching (no headless rendering); use a real browser or server logs to confirm edge cases.

Redirect issues often point to wider site-architecture problems.

Chains, loops, temporary redirects, and outdated migration rules can affect crawling, internal linking, and consolidation. If this checker surfaces repeated issues, review the redirect map together with canonicals, sitemaps, and internal links.

  • Flatten unnecessary redirect chains.
  • Align redirects with canonical URLs and internal links.
  • Review migration rules and legacy URL patterns.
Technical SEO support Review redirect issues Send your redirect export

Why this output matters

Redirect status, hops and loops matter during migrations, campaign changes and routine URL maintenance. The output helps SEO and web teams preserve destination accuracy, reduce crawl and latency waste, and avoid losing users or tracking through broken redirect chains.

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