Redirect Chain Checker: Trace URL Redirects and Fix SEO Issues

Redirect chains silently drain your SEO performance. Every extra hop between the original URL and the final destination adds latency, dilutes link equity, and confuses search engine crawlers. Our Redirect Chain Checker traces the full path a URL takes so you can find and fix problems before they impact rankings.

What Is a Redirect Chain?

A redirect chain occurs when one URL redirects to another, which redirects to yet another, before finally reaching the destination. A single redirect is normal. Two or more chained together create a chain that search engines penalize.

Example of a chain:

http://example.com (301) → https://example.com (301) → https://www.example.com (301) → https://www.example.com/home

That is three redirects before the user sees any content. Each hop costs 50-500ms of load time and passes less link equity to the final page.

HTTP Redirect Status Codes Explained

Understanding which status code each hop returns is critical for diagnosing issues.

301 Moved Permanently

The URL has permanently moved. Search engines transfer most link equity to the new URL and update their index. Use this when a page has been permanently relocated or when consolidating duplicate URLs.

302 Found

A temporary redirect. Search engines keep the original URL in their index and do not transfer full link equity. Use this only when the redirect is genuinely temporary, such as during A/B testing or maintenance.

307 Temporary Redirect

Similar to 302, but guarantees the HTTP method (GET, POST) stays the same. Common in HSTS enforcement and API redirects. Like 302, search engines treat this as temporary.

308 Permanent Redirect

The permanent equivalent of 307. The HTTP method is preserved, and search engines treat it the same as a 301. Used less often but important for APIs that must maintain POST requests through redirects.

Common Redirect Problems

Redirect Chains

Multiple sequential redirects that should be collapsed into a single hop. Every chain link slows page load and loses roughly 10-15% of PageRank according to Google’s guidance.

Fix: Point every URL in the chain directly to the final destination.

Redirect Loops

URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects back to URL A. Browsers will detect this and show an error page. Search engines will drop both URLs from the index.

Fix: Identify the loop in the chain and correct the destination so it resolves to a real page.

Mixed Protocol Redirects

Redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS is necessary, but adding a www redirect on top creates an unnecessary chain: http:// to https:// to https://www..

Fix: Configure your server to redirect directly from http://example.com to https://www.example.com in a single 301.

Temporary Redirects on Permanent Moves

Using 302 when you mean 301 prevents search engines from transferring link equity. This is one of the most common and damaging redirect mistakes.

Fix: Audit all 302 redirects and convert any that represent permanent moves to 301.

How to Use Our Redirect Chain Checker

Enter the URL you want to trace in the input field
Click Check to start the redirect trace
Review each hop in the chain, including the HTTP status code returned at every step
Identify problems such as chains longer than one redirect, loops, or incorrect status codes
Fix the issues in your server configuration, CMS, or CDN settings

Practical SEO Tips

Audit after migrations. Site migrations are the leading cause of redirect chains. After moving domains or restructuring URLs, check every major page.
Monitor old URLs. When you redesign a site, old inbound links from other websites may pass through two or three redirects. Update the chain so they point directly to the new page.
Check canonical URLs. If your canonical tag points to a URL that itself redirects, search engines receive conflicting signals.
Review CDN and hosting layers. Cloudflare, Netlify, and other platforms may add their own redirects on top of your application-level redirects, creating hidden chains.
Limit chains to one hop. Google has stated it will follow up to 10 redirects, but best practice is a single redirect from origin to destination.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many redirects are too many? One redirect is fine. Two is acceptable in some cases (HTTP to HTTPS plus a path change). Three or more is a chain that should be fixed.

Do redirect chains affect page speed? Yes. Each redirect adds a full round-trip to the server, typically 50-500ms depending on server location and response time. Three redirects can add over a second of load time.

Does a 301 redirect pass full link equity? Google has confirmed that 301 redirects pass PageRank, but there is evidence of minor loss with each hop. A direct link to the final URL is always preferred.

Can redirect loops crash my site? Browsers and crawlers have built-in limits (usually 20 redirects) and will stop following the chain, displaying an error. The URLs involved will not be indexed.

Try our free Redirect Chain Checker to trace URL redirects and fix SEO issues instantly.