Redirect Checker
Trace every hop in a redirect chain.
Checked from our server. One location, so results show reachability from there only.
What the redirect checker does
A redirect sends a browser from one address to another. One hop is normal – from http:// to https://, say – but chains build up over years of site moves, and each extra hop costs another round trip. The redirect checker follows a URL from our server, one hop at a time, and lists every stop until it reaches an address that answers directly.
Use it after a site migration to make sure old links land on the right page, to confirm a domain sends visitors to HTTPS, or to find out why a link ends on an error. It also catches loops, where addresses send you round in a circle and the page never loads.
How to use the redirect checker
- Paste a URL, such as http://example.com.
- Press Trace. Each hop shows its status code, where it points next and how long it took.
- Read the notes: they flag HTTP-to-HTTPS upgrades, insecure downgrades, temporary redirects and long chains.
Reading the results
The summary line counts the redirects and gives the status code of the final answer. Each hop then shows its code, its address, where it points next, the protocol, the IP address we reached and the time it took. A final code in the 200s means the chain ends on a working page; a 4xx or 5xx at the end means visitors are sent somewhere broken. A hop marked ERR got no answer at all, and the reason appears in its place.
The notes underneath point out what is worth fixing. An upgrade from HTTP to HTTPS is expected and healthy. A downgrade from HTTPS back to plain HTTP exposes visitors to an unencrypted connection. A temporary code on a move you meant to keep is worth changing, and more than two redirects in a row means you can save time by linking straight to the final address.
Questions
How many redirects do you follow?
Up to 5. Browsers will follow a longer chain, but every hop adds a round trip, so five is already more than any link should need. Loops are detected and stopped.
Is every hop safe to follow?
Before following each redirect we check its address against the same safety rules as your original URL, and we never follow one into a private network.
301 or 302?
Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves so search engines transfer ranking to the new address. 302 and 307 say the move is temporary.
Does it follow meta refresh or JavaScript redirects?
No. It follows redirects the server sends as a 3xx status with a Location header. A page that moves visitors on with a meta refresh tag or a script answers 200, so the chain ends there.
Can I see the headers of the final page?
The trace doesn’t list response headers. To see them, run the final address through the HTTP status checker.