Redirect Checker
Trace the full redirect chain for any URL and see every hop with its status code.
Enter any URL to trace its full redirect chain. Each hop shows the HTTP status code and destination URL. Supports 301, 302, 303, 307, 308, and other 3xx redirects. Up to 15 hops are followed.
How to trace a redirect chain
Paste a URL and see every hop, with its status code, until the chain reaches a final page.
- 01
Paste the starting URL
Use the exact link people click: the old address, the short link or the ad URL. If you leave out the scheme, https:// is added.
- 02
Read the chain hop by hop
Each row shows a URL and the status it returned. A 3xx means the server pointed somewhere else, and the next row is where it pointed. The last row is where the chain ends.
- 03
Check the last status as well as the last URL
A chain that ends on 200 reached a real page. One that ends on 404 or 410 means a redirect points at something that no longer exists.
How the chain is traced
Our server sends a HEAD request to the URL and doesn't let the redirect happen automatically. If the response is a 3xx with a Location header, it records the hop, works out the next URL (handling relative paths such as /new-page) and requests that. It stops at the first non-redirect response, after 15 hops, or if a hop gives no answer within 8 seconds.
There's no separate loop detector. A loop, where A sends you to B and B sends you back to A, shows up as the same URLs repeating until the 15-hop limit. If you see a repeating pattern, that's the loop to fix.
Which redirect code to use
The status code tells browsers and search engines whether a move is permanent. Google has said it treats 301 and 308 as strong signals that the new URL should replace the old one, while 302 and 307 tell it the old URL is still the real one.
| Code | Name | Type | Search engines | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved Permanently | Permanent | Yes, the target replaces the old URL | Site moves, changed slugs |
| 308 | Permanent Redirect | Permanent | Yes | Like 301, but the request method must stay the same |
| 302 | Found | Temporary | Usually keeps the original URL | Short-term campaigns, A/B tests |
| 307 | Temporary Redirect | Temporary | Usually keeps the original URL | Like 302, method preserved |
| 303 | See Other | Temporary | Not meant for page moves | After a form submission |
Chains matter for speed more than for SEO. Each hop is a full round trip before the page can start loading. http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com/ → the final page is three hops; pointing the first URL straight at the last one cuts two round trips for every visitor who uses the old link.
When to check redirects
Checking redirects after a migration
Run a sample of old URLs and confirm each ends on 200 at its new address, not on the home page or a 404.
Testing HTTP to HTTPS
Paste the http:// version of your site. It should take one hop, ideally a 301, to the https:// URL you consider canonical.
Seeing where a short link goes
Check a shortened or tracking link before you click it, and confirm campaign parameters survive to the final URL.
Redirects this tool can't see
- JavaScript redirects and meta refresh tags run in a browser after the page loads, so the chain stops at that page with a 200.
- Redirects based on location, language or device can differ from what you see, because the request comes from our server and has no browser user agent or cookies.
- Some servers answer HEAD requests differently from GET, occasionally with a 405. If a result looks wrong, test the URL in your browser's Network tab.
- Pages that need a login, or are only on your local network, can't be reached.