Trace every redirect hop.
Enter a URL and follow it hop by hop. See each status code, spot redirect chains and loops, and confirm the final destination. Also tests the http, https, www and non-www variants of your homepage.
How it works
We request the URL without following redirects, read the status and Location header, then request the next URL ourselves, up to ten hops. Each hop is timed and shown with its status code. On the final page we also look for a meta refresh tag and JavaScript that sets window.location, the two "redirects" that crawlers most often miss. For a homepage we repeat the trace for the http, https, www and non-www versions so you can confirm they all land on one canonical URL in a single hop. Nothing you enter is stored.
Redirect hygiene is step one of our technical SEO audit checklist. For definitions of 301, 308 and canonical, see the SEO glossary.
Redirect Checker: common questions
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
301 is permanent and tells search engines to pass ranking signals to the new URL. 302 is temporary and keeps the old URL indexed. For moved pages, HTTPS migrations and domain changes, always use 301 (or 308).
Why are redirect chains a problem?
Each hop adds latency and Google stops following after about ten. Chains of three or more waste crawl budget and leak ranking signals. Point the first URL straight at the final one.
Should http://www, https://www and non-www all redirect to one version?
Yes. Pick one canonical version (usually https:// without www or with, but only one) and 301 the other three to it in a single hop. The checker tests all four automatically when you enter a homepage.
Why does the tool show a different result from my browser?
Browsers cache 301s and may add HSTS upgrades. The checker sends a fresh request without cache, following each hop manually. If you just changed a redirect, this shows the live server behaviour.
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