URL Redirect Checker

About Redirect Checker

A URL often reaches its page through several redirects: http to https, the bare domain to www, a missing trailing slash, an old path to a new one. Each is a full round trip for every visitor, and each is a place for a mistake. This follows the chain one hop at a time from this application's server and shows every status, destination and timing.

The checks are the mistakes that matter. A loop that ends in "too many redirects". A hop from HTTPS down to plain HTTP. A 302 or 307 used for a move that is permanent, which stops search engines passing the page's ranking along. A chain long enough to cost real time. An HTTPS upgrade with no Strict-Transport-Security header, so every first visit still starts on plain HTTP.

Each hop is requested for its headers only, and every Location is checked before it is followed. A redirect that points into a private network is refused rather than fetched.

Where it helps

• Shows every hop with its status, destination and timing, not just where the chain ends.
• Flags loops, HTTPS-to-HTTP downgrades, temporary redirects for permanent moves, and missing HSTS.
• Re-checks every Location before following it, so a redirect cannot be used to reach a private network.
• Starts from http:// when no scheme is given, so the upgrade hop is included.

Limits

• Requests come from this application's server, so redirects that depend on the visitor's country, language or cookies may differ from what a person sees.
• Only HTTP redirects are followed. A redirect made by a meta refresh tag or by JavaScript on the page is not seen.
• The chain is followed for up to 12 hops.

Frequently asked questions

Should a redirect be a 301 or a 302?

A 301 (or 308) when the move is permanent: http to https, a domain change, a page that has moved for good. A 302 (or 307) only when the original URL will be used again, such as a temporary maintenance page. Search engines transfer ranking through permanent redirects, and browsers cache them.

How many redirects is too many?

One is normal and two is common. More than that adds a visible delay on mobile networks, and crawlers may give up. The fix is usually to point the first URL straight at the final one instead of chaining several rules together.

Why does my site say too many redirects?

The chain loops: two rules send the request back and forth, often an http-to-https rule on a server behind a proxy that already terminated TLS, or a www rule fighting a non-www rule. Run the URL here to see which hop repeats.

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