How to use
- 1Enter the URL to trace (try the http:// and non-www versions too).
- 2Press “Check” to follow every redirect up to the final page.
- 3Review each hop’s status code and response time.
- 4Fix the warnings: extra hops, 302s used for permanent moves, loops.
301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308
301 (Moved Permanently) and 308 (Permanent Redirect) tell search engines the move is permanent, so ranking signals transfer to the new URL. 302 (Found) and 307 (Temporary Redirect) say the move is temporary, and Google may keep the old URL indexed. 307 and 308 also guarantee the request method doesn’t change (a POST stays a POST). For domain moves, HTTPS migrations and changed URLs, use 301 or 308.
Why redirect chains hurt
Each hop adds a full round trip — often 100–300 ms on mobile — before the page even starts loading. Googlebot follows up to 10 hops, but every extra hop wastes crawl budget and risks losing signals. A classic chain is http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com → /home. Point every variant directly at the final URL in a single hop.
Problems this checker flags
More than one hop; 302 used where a permanent redirect is intended; an http URL that never upgrades to https; mixing www and non-www along the way; and loops or chains that exceed the redirect limit (the browser shows ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS). Loops are often caused by conflicting rules, e.g. the CMS forcing www while the CDN forces non-www, or a CDN’s “Flexible SSL” mode talking http to an origin that redirects to https.
Frequently asked questions
How many redirects are too many?
Aim for one. Two is tolerable, three or more should be fixed. Google stops following after 10 hops and browsers fail at around 20.
Does a 301 redirect lose PageRank?
Google has stated that 3xx redirects no longer lose PageRank. Chains still cost load time and crawl budget, so keep them short.
How long should I keep 301 redirects?
At least a year, and ideally permanently, especially if the old URLs have backlinks.
Does this detect JavaScript or meta refresh redirects?
No. It follows HTTP-level redirects (3xx with a Location header), which are the ones search engines treat as real redirects.
Not happy with the results?
Talk to Webin Agency about fast, SEO-friendly websites, e-commerce and Google Ads management.