Redirect Checker: trace every hop before Google does.
Enter any URL to follow its full redirect path, hop by hop. See each status code, where it points and how long it takes, plus an instant SEO verdict on chains, loops, temporary redirects and HTTPS.
- 100% free, unlimited use
- Checks as desktop, mobile or Googlebot
- Built by 300+ marketing specialists
Check a redirect
Paste a full URL or just a domain. We'll add https:// if you leave it out.
- Every hop and its status code
- Redirect chains and loops
- 302/307 used where 301/308 fits
- HTTP to HTTPS and www consistency
- Final page returns 200, not 404/500
Tip: test the four versions of your homepage: http://, https://, with and without www. All should reach one URL in a single hop.
Redirect chain
What a redirect checker shows you
A redirect sends visitors and search engines from one URL to another. A redirect checker follows that path the way a crawler does, one request at a time, and shows each stop along the way.
Your browser hides all of this. It jumps to the final page, so you never see that http://yoursite.com quietly bounces through three URLs before it loads. Those hidden hops slow pages down, leak link value when they end on a 404, and confuse search engines when they mix temporary and permanent codes.
This tool sends a real request to each hop, reads the status code and Location header, and stops at the final page. It stops at 10 hops, the same limit Googlebot follows, or earlier if it detects a loop.
Audit a redirect in 4 steps
Paste the old URL
Use the URL people or links actually hit: an old page, a campaign link or the http:// version of your domain.
Choose who is asking
Default works for most checks. Switch to Mobile or Googlebot if you suspect the site redirects some visitors differently.
Read the chain
Each hop shows its status code, the URL, the server and the response time. Green is a working page, blue a redirect, red or amber an error.
Fix what's flagged
The SEO check lists chains, loops, temporary codes and HTTPS problems, each with the fix.
301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308: which redirect to use
All four send people to a new URL. They differ in two ways: whether the move is permanent, and whether the browser must repeat the same request method (for example, a form POST).
| Code | Meaning | Permanent? | Keeps request method? | Use it when | How search engines treat it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 Moved Permanently | The page has moved for good | Yes | Not guaranteed (POST may become GET) | Changing URLs, merging pages, moving to HTTPS or a new domain | Strong signal that the new URL should be indexed |
| 302 Found | The page is somewhere else for now | No | Not guaranteed | Short promotions, A/B tests, temporarily unavailable products | Weak signal. The old URL usually stays indexed. |
| 307 Temporary Redirect | Temporary, and repeat the exact request | No | Yes | Temporary moves where forms or APIs must keep their method | Treated like a 302 |
| 308 Permanent Redirect | Permanent, and repeat the exact request | Yes | Yes | Permanent moves of endpoints that receive POST requests | Treated like a 301 |
Browsers also show a 307 for HSTS "internal redirects" from http to https. That hop happens inside the browser, not on your server. Server-side tools like this one show the real code your server sends.
How to read your redirect result
Redirects are normal and healthy. Problems start when they stack up, loop, or point at pages that don't work.
Why chains matter: each hop is a separate request, so a three-hop chain means three round trips before any content loads, and mobile visitors on slow connections feel every one of them. Google's crawler follows up to 10 hops and then gives up, reporting a redirect error in Search Console. Long chains also tend to grow by accident: one site migration adds a hop, the next redesign adds another, and nobody tidies up.
Where chains usually come from: separate rules for HTTPS, www and trailing slashes that fire one after another; old redirects that point at URLs that have since been redirected again; and CMS plugins adding their own redirects on top of the server's.
Turn a chain into one clean hop
- List every hop. Run the old URL here and note each step and the final destination.
- Point the first URL straight at the last. Edit the original redirect rule so it targets the final URL. Don't add another rule on top.
- Combine protocol and host rules. Handle http→https and non-www→www in a single rule, like the example here.
- Update your own links. Menus, internal links, canonical tags, hreflang and XML sitemaps should use final URLs, so they never trigger a redirect.
- Re-test. Check all four versions of the domain and a sample of old URLs until each one shows a single 301.
6 redirect tips for safe site migrations
Most traffic lost in a migration comes from redirects. Our technical SEO team works through these on every migration.
Map URLs one to one
Match every old URL to its closest new equivalent before launch. Sending everything to the homepage often gets treated as a soft 404.
Use 301s for permanent moves
Save 302 and 307 for things that genuinely come back. A "temporary" redirect left in place for months sends mixed signals.
Update old redirects too
When URLs move again, repoint earlier redirects straight to the new destination, so years of migrations don't stack into a chain.
Crawl before and after
Save a full list of URLs and their status codes before launch, then re-check them afterwards. Anything that now returns a 404 needs a redirect.
Keep redirects for the long term
Leave migration redirects in place for at least a year, and ideally for as long as old links still send visitors. Removing them early throws link value away.
Watch Search Console
After launch, monitor the Pages report for "Redirect error" and "Not found (404)", and fix new issues within days, not months.
How our technical SEO engineers use it every day
We built the Redirect Checker for our own team first. Here is where it earns its place in real client work.
- 01Site migrations
Every redirect is mapped and tested before launch, then re-crawled after go-live.
- 02Monthly health checks
We crawl client sites for broken pages, chains and status errors every month.
- 03Domain due diligence
Before buying or merging domains we review age, history and backlinks.
Migrating or redesigning? Don't lose your rankings.
Our technical SEO specialists audit your redirects, fix chains and loops, and plan migrations so the traffic and links you have built keep working for you.
- Full-site redirect and status code crawl
- Migration redirect mapping and testing
- Search Console error clean-up
Keep optimising with related tools
HTTP Status Code CheckerCheck the HTTP status code of any URL or list of URLs.Open tool 
Domain Age CheckerLook up when a domain was registered, its age and expiry.Open tool 
Google SERP Preview ToolPreview your title and meta description as they appear on Google.Open tool 
Keyword Density CheckerAnalyse keyword and phrase frequency in any text or copy.Open tool Redirect Checker: common questions
Still unsure what your results mean? Our team will walk you through them for free.
Ask a specialistWhat does a redirect checker do?
It follows a URL the way a browser or search engine does, one request at a time, and records every hop: the status code (301, 302, 307, 308), where each hop points, and the final page it lands on. You can spot redirect chains, loops and broken destinations that your browser normally hides.
Is a 301 or 302 redirect better for SEO?
For permanent moves, use a 301 (or 308). It tells search engines to index the new URL and move signals to it. A 302 says the move is temporary, so search engines often keep the old URL indexed. Use 302 or 307 only for genuinely temporary changes.
What is a redirect chain?
A redirect chain is when a URL redirects to another URL that redirects again before reaching the final page, such as http → https → www → new page. Chains slow down pages and waste crawl effort. The fix is to redirect the first URL straight to the final one.
How many redirects are too many?
Ideally, a URL reaches its final page in one hop. Two or more is a chain worth fixing. Google's crawler follows up to 10 hops and then reports a redirect error. Browsers also give up after a set number and show a "too many redirects" error.
Why does the checker show a different result from my browser?
Browsers cache 301 redirects and HSTS rules, so they may skip hops or show an internal 307. Sites can also redirect by device, location or user-agent. Try the Mobile or Googlebot options, and test in a private window to compare.
Can Elite Information Tech fix my redirects?
Yes. Our technical SEO team crawls your whole site, finds every chain, loop and broken redirect, and fixes them at server or CMS level. If you're planning a migration, we build and test the redirect map for you. Request a free audit.
Get a free technical SEO audit
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