Why this matters
Redirect chains are one of the most common and fixable technical SEO problems. When a URL redirects to another URL that redirects again, each hop adds latency and can cause search engines to stop following the chain before reaching the final page. Google has stated that very long redirect chains may cause the crawler to abandon the request, meaning content that should be indexed never gets discovered. For large sites undergoing migrations, even a handful of misconfigured redirects can silently drop thousands of pages from search results.
Beyond SEO, broken redirects create a poor user experience. A visitor clicking an old bookmark or an external link that leads to a 404 instead of the intended page erodes trust and increases bounce rate. This tool lets you quickly test any URL, see its HTTP status code at a glance, and identify whether it redirects to the correct final destination. For developers and SEO auditors working through hundreds of URLs, a fast one-hop checker dramatically speeds up the triage process.
Status codes you will encounter
| Code | Meaning | SEO impact |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK, no redirect | None, page is accessible |
| 301 | Permanent redirect | Link equity passes to destination |
| 302 | Temporary redirect | Link equity may not pass fully |
| 404 | Not found | Page is missing, needs fix or redirect |
| 403 | Forbidden | Server blocks access, check auth rules |
| 500 | Server error | Critical issue, page is broken |
| 0 | CORS blocked | Cannot read headers, but reachability shown |
How to use it
Enter the full URL you want to test, with or without the `https://` prefix.
Click the Check button to send a HEAD request to the target server.
Review the HTTP status code displayed in the result area.
If the URL returns a 3xx redirect, the final destination URL is shown below the status.
To trace multi-hop chains, copy the destination URL and run another check to follow the next hop.
Testing your result
The simplest verification is to paste the same URL into your browser's address bar and observe where it lands. If the tool reports a 301 to `/new-page` and your browser also lands on `/new-page`, the redirect is working correctly. You can also use browser developer tools to inspect the network tab, which shows each redirect hop with its status code and timing. Comparing the tool output against the network tab gives you confidence that the checker is reading the correct HTTP response headers.
Common mistakes
Confusing 301 (permanent) with 302 (temporary) redirects, which have different implications for link equity passing.
Creating redirect chains longer than two hops, which wastes crawl budget and adds unnecessary latency.
Redirecting to a URL that itself returns a 404, creating a broken chain that helps no one.
Forgetting to update internal links after setting up redirects, forcing users through unnecessary hops.
Testing only the homepage during a migration while leaving deep content URLs unredirected.
Edge cases and options
Some servers enforce strict CORS policies that prevent the tool from reading response headers, resulting in a status code of 0. In those cases the tool still indicates whether the URL is reachable at all, which is useful for a quick up-or-down check. The tool checks one hop at a time by design, which means tracing a full chain requires multiple passes. This is intentional; showing every intermediate hop would require following redirects automatically, which some servers block or rate-limit.
Real-world use cases
Auditing a site migration by checking dozens of old URLs to confirm they all 301 to the correct new locations.
Debugging a webhook integration where the callback URL returns a 302 instead of the expected 200.
Verifying that shortened URLs point to the intended destination before including them in marketing emails.
Checking competitor redirect strategies to understand how they handle discontinued product pages.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What status codes can I see?
A: You can see 200 (OK), 301 and 302 (redirects), 404 (not found), 403 (forbidden), 500 (server error), and others. Some may show as 0 due to CORS restrictions.
Q: How do I check a full redirect chain?
A: Copy the final destination URL from the first check and run it through the tool again. The checker processes one hop at a time.
Q: Why does the status show 0?
A: CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) policies on some servers block reading response headers. The tool still indicates whether the URL is reachable versus unreachable.
Q: What is the difference between 301 and 302?
A: A 301 signals a permanent move, and search engines transfer most link equity to the destination. A 302 signals a temporary redirect, and search engines may keep the original URL indexed instead.
Q: Can I check URLs behind authentication?
A: No. The tool sends an unauthenticated HEAD request, so password-protected pages will return 403 or a login redirect.
Start using it now
Try the Redirect Checker tool. See also Sitemap URL Validator and SEO Content Analyzer and SERP Preview.
