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Redirect Chain Checker

Trace 301/302 redirect chains — hop count, final destination, canonical and loops

Why check a redirect chain?

Long redirect chains slow down pages and dilute SEO "link juice" at every hop. The tool traces every step from the original URL to the final destination.

A redirect chain happens when a URL passes through multiple 301/302 hops before reaching the real destination page — common after a domain change, URL restructure, or repeated HTTP-to-HTTPS migrations. Each hop slows page load time and can dilute the SEO value passed through links. The worst case is a redirect loop — two or more URLs pointing back to each other, causing the browser to show "too many redirects". The Redirect Chain Checker traces the full journey from your input URL to the final destination, shows the HTTP status code at each step, warns if a loop is detected, and checks whether the destination's canonical URL matches itself.

  • Shows every hop with its HTTP status code
  • Detects redirect loops
  • Compares the canonical URL against the final destination
Get started free
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How to use in 3 steps

  1. 1Enter the URL whose redirect chain you want to trace.
  2. 2Click "Check redirect" — the tool follows each hop.
  3. 3See the hop count, final destination, loop warning (if any) and canonical.

Frequently asked questions

Does a long redirect chain hurt SEO?
Yes. Each hop slows page load, and Google recommends no more than 1–2 redirect steps to avoid wasting crawl budget and link value.
What is the difference between 301 and 302?
301 is permanent — Google transfers full SEO value to the new URL. 302 is temporary — Google keeps the original URL indexed. Using the wrong type can affect rankings.
What is a redirect loop and how do I fix it?
It is when URLs redirect back to each other indefinitely, causing a browser error. Check your .htaccess/Nginx config or redirect plugin to remove the loop.
Does this replace the Migration URL Checker?
This is a quick, free, no-login check for a single URL. To check URLs in bulk during a site migration, use the Migration URL Checker after signing up.