Trace any redirect.
Enter a URL — we'll show every hop, its status code, and the final destination in the chain.
Redirect Checker — Free URL Redirect & HTTP Status Tool
A redirect checker follows the path of a URL and shows you exactly where it goes. Paste any link — a full domain URL, a shortened link, or an affiliate URL — and the tool traces every step it takes before landing on the final page.
Also referred to as a URL redirect checker, 301 redirect checker, redirect tracer, HTTP status code checker, redirect chain checker, link tracker, redirect loop checker, and URL tester.
When the tool traces a URL, the results show every hop in the redirect path — including 301 redirects, 302 redirects, PHP redirects, .htaccess redirects, NGINX redirects, JavaScript redirects, and meta refresh redirects — all the way through to the final destination.
Why Use a Redirect Checker?
Most people assume their redirects work. They often don't. A URL that loads fine in a browser can be running through four hops behind the scenes, bleeding link equity at every step. This tool shows you what's actually happening — before Google figures it out first.
Troubleshoot redirect problems. As you migrate your website or rename URLs, you need to forward old addresses to new ones. Test every URL to confirm it reaches the correct destination and doesn't hit a 404 along the way. A single broken hop in a redirect chain can stop a user — and a search engine — from ever reaching your page.
Fix SEO redirect chains. Google's algorithm is built on how websites link to each other. Link equity passes when someone links to your site, but that equity loses strength across redirect chains. The more hops between the source link and your page, the more ranking power is lost before it arrives. Keep your redirect paths as short as possible — one hop whenever you can. A broken chain doesn't just reduce equity, it eliminates it entirely. If Googlebot hits an error crawling a redirect, the page loses rankings or gets removed from the index.
Track affiliate links. If you use short links or tiny URLs to mask affiliate links on social media, a broken redirect means your affiliate income for that URL stops immediately. Use this tool to confirm every affiliate link reaches the correct destination.
Expand tiny URLs. Before clicking an unfamiliar short link, use this tool to see exactly where it goes and every stop it makes along the way. You'll also see which affiliates are involved in the redirect path — useful if you're trying to cut out middlemen and sign up directly with the source program.
Check AI crawler paths. In 2026, GPTBot, Claude-User, and PerplexityBot follow your URLs the same way Googlebot does. If your page sits behind a redirect chain, an AI crawler may time out before reaching it — and your content won't appear in AI-generated answers. This tool supports 15+ user agents so you can test redirects from the perspective of every major crawler, not just Google.
5 Types of HTTP Redirects Explained
HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers servers return to tell browsers what happened to a URL. Redirect codes fall in the 3xx range. Each one means something different for users, search engines, and your site's performance.
A 301 tells browsers and search engines the page has moved permanently. Google updates its index to the new URL and transfers link equity from the old page to the new one. Use a 301 when you change a URL slug, move to a new domain, consolidate duplicate pages, or switch from HTTP to HTTPS for good. One clean 301 causes no SEO damage. The damage comes from chains, loops, and using the wrong redirect type.
A 302 tells search engines the move is temporary, so they keep the original URL in the index and don't transfer ranking signals to the destination. Use a 302 for A/B tests, maintenance windows, or short-term location-based redirects. The most expensive redirect mistake is using a 302 when you mean a 301. Developers set up a temporary redirect during a project and never update it. Months later, the old URL still ranks and the new one has no equity.
A 307 is a strict version of 302 — the browser must repeat the same HTTP method. If the original request was a POST, the redirected request must also be a POST. This matters for API endpoints and form submissions where switching the method breaks the application.
A 308 is the strict version of 301 — a permanent move with the original HTTP method preserved. Use 308 when you need permanent redirection for non-GET requests, such as in REST API migrations.
Meta refresh redirects run inside the HTML of the page itself rather than on the server. A line of code in the head tag tells the browser to load a different URL after a set delay. JavaScript redirects run after the browser has loaded and executed the page's scripts. Google can follow both, but they are slower and less reliable than server-side redirects. For any page where rankings matter, use a server-side redirect. This tool detects meta refresh and JavaScript redirects that server-only checkers miss.
Why Redirects Matter for SEO in 2026
Link Equity and PageRank
Every link pointing to your site carries equity — a signal telling Google your page is worth ranking. When you redirect a page, that equity needs to travel to the new URL. A 301 passes it. A missing redirect kills it entirely. Redirect chains dilute equity at every hop. Google's own team recommends shortening chains to a single hop whenever possible.
Crawl Budget
Google gives every site a crawl budget — a limit on how many pages Googlebot fetches per day. Redirect chains waste that budget because Googlebot follows each hop separately. On large sites with thousands of URLs, a redirect chain problem slows down how quickly Google discovers and indexes new content. Fix your chains, and Googlebot spends more time on your actual pages.
Core Web Vitals and LCP
Every redirect adds latency. Each hop requires a new DNS lookup, a new TCP connection, and a new HTTP response. On a fast server, one redirect adds roughly 50–150ms. On a slow server or across geographic distance, a single hop can add 300ms or more. Google's Largest Contentful Paint measures how fast the main content of a page loads and is a direct ranking factor. A three-hop redirect chain can push a borderline page over the 2.5-second threshold and drop its rankings.
4 Common Redirect Problems and How to Fix Them
Redirect chains happen when URL A goes to B, B goes to C, and C goes to D. Each hop adds load time and reduces the link equity reaching your final page. Fix it by updating the source URL to point directly to the final destination — cut every intermediate hop.
Redirect loops happen when A redirects to B and B redirects back to A. The browser follows the loop until it gives up and returns an error. Loops usually come from a misconfigured .htaccess rule or a conflicting WordPress plugin. Check your server config for rules that cancel each other out.
HTTP-to-HTTPS chains happen when a URL passes through an insecure HTTP hop before reaching the HTTPS destination — for example, http://example.com → http://www.example.com → https://www.example.com. That insecure middle hop is avoidable. A properly configured server redirect with HSTS jumps straight from HTTP to the final HTTPS URL in a single step.
302 used as a permanent redirect is the most common and costly redirect mistake. A developer marks a redirect temporarily during a build phase, the site goes live, and no one ever updates it to a 301. Search engines keep the old URL indexed and the new URL never inherits the ranking power. Audit your redirects and flip every permanent move to a 301.
301 Redirect vs 302 vs Canonical Tag
These three tools solve different problems. Using the wrong one loses rankings.
A 301 redirect sends users and search engines to a new URL permanently. The old URL stops being accessible. Search engines remove it from their index and replace it with the new one. Use a 301 when the old page should never come back.
A 302 redirect sends users to a new URL temporarily. Search engines keep the old URL indexed because the move is not permanent. Use a 302 only when you genuinely plan to restore the original URL.
A canonical tag redirects no one. Both URLs stay live. The tag tells search engines which version to treat as authoritative when two pages have the same or similar content — product pages reachable from multiple category paths, print-friendly versions, or URLs with tracking parameters.
The rule is simple: if only one URL should ever be reachable by visitors, use a redirect. If both URLs need to stay live but you want Google to prefer one, use a canonical tag.
How to Set Up Redirects
Apache (.htaccess)
# Single page 301 redirect Redirect 301 /old-page https://yourdomain.com/new-page # HTTP to HTTPS redirect RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
NGINX
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
return 301 https://yourdomain.com$request_uri;
}
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location = /old-page {
return 301 /new-page;
}
}
NGINX is faster than .htaccess because the server reads the config once at startup rather than checking a file on every request.
PHP
<?php
header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
header("Location: https://yourdomain.com/new-page");
exit();
?>
Always include exit() after the Location header. Without it, PHP keeps executing the script after the redirect.
WordPress
Use Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or the Redirection plugin. Set a source URL, destination URL, and redirect type — no coding required. For large redirect lists after a migration, use .htaccess or NGINX rules instead. A plugin redirect loads the entire WordPress core and all active plugins before processing. A server-level redirect responds before WordPress ever loads.
AI Crawlers and Redirects in 2026
Search engines are no longer the only bots following your URLs. AI systems send their own crawlers to index the web, and your redirects determine whether AI platforms ever cite your pages in their answers.
GPTBot, Claude-User, PerplexityBot, and Amazonbot all follow HTTP redirects when crawling. If a URL you want cited in an AI answer sits behind a redirect chain, the crawler may time out or stop at an intermediate hop. Your final page never gets indexed, and your content never appears in AI-generated answers.
Most redirect checkers were built before AI crawlers existed. This tool supports 15+ user agents including GPTBot and Claude-User. Test your redirect paths from the perspective of every major crawler — not just Googlebot — and confirm every bot reaches your final destination without hitting a chain or a loop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 301 redirect hurt SEO?+
No. A single 301 redirect passes full PageRank and causes no ranking drop. What hurts SEO is redirect chains, redirect loops, and 302 redirects used in place of 301s.
How many redirect hops does Google follow?+
Google follows up to 10 redirect hops. Most browsers stop after 20 and return an error. Keep every redirect path to one hop — two at most.
What is a redirect chain and why does it matter?+
A redirect chain is when URL A goes to B, B goes to C, and so on. Each extra hop adds load time and reduces the link equity reaching your final page. Fix it by pointing A directly to the final destination.
Should I use a redirect or a canonical tag?+
Use a redirect when the old URL should stop being accessible. Use a canonical tag when both URLs need to stay live and you want search engines to treat one as the primary version.
Do AI crawlers like GPTBot follow redirects?+
Yes. GPTBot, Claude-User, and PerplexityBot all follow HTTP redirects. Redirect chains and loops can prevent these crawlers from reaching your final page — meaning AI platforms may never include your content in their answers.
Check Your Redirects Now
Paste any URL above — a single page, a full domain, or an affiliate link. The tool traces every hop, shows every status code, and flags every problem in your redirect path. No account. No limit. No cost.
Broken redirect chains bleed traffic silently. You won't know until rankings drop. Run your first check in 10 seconds.