Redirect checker: chains, loops and 301 vs 302
See exactly where a URL redirects, hop by hop. We flag temporary redirects that should be permanent, chains that waste crawl budget, loops, and whether the HTTP and www versions of your site point to one place.
Free, no signup. Results in about 2 minutes, along with the rest of a full SEO audit of the page.
What the redirect checker looks at
Every hop of the URL
Each redirect is followed by hand, recording the status code (301, 302, 307, 308) and the next URL.
HTTP and www versions
We check that http:// and the www or non-www variant permanently redirect to the version you use.
Redirecting links and sitemap URLs
Internal links and sitemap entries that go through a redirect, including chains and loops.
Meta refresh
Client-side meta refresh redirects, which are slower and less reliable than server redirects.
Issues it can find
Each one links to what it means and how to fix it.
Questions
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 (or 308) tells search engines a page has moved permanently, so they index the new URL and pass its ranking signals there. A 302 (or 307) says the move is temporary, so the old URL may stay indexed. Use 301 for anything permanent, like a new URL structure or switching to HTTPS.
What is a redirect chain?
A chain is when URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C. Each hop adds a round-trip for visitors and Google may stop following after several hops. Point A straight at the final URL with a single 301.
What is a redirect loop?
A loop is when redirects lead back to a URL already visited, so the page never loads. Browsers show “too many redirects”. It usually comes from conflicting rules, for example one forcing a trailing slash and another removing it.
Do redirects hurt SEO?
A single permanent redirect passes ranking signals and is fine. Problems come from temporary redirects used for permanent moves, long chains, loops, and internal links that point at redirecting URLs instead of the final page.