Redirect Chain Checker
Follow any URL through its full redirect chain and see every hop: the status code (301, 302, 307, 308), the URL it points to, and the final destination. This free tool flags common problems — chains longer than two hops, temporary redirects used for permanent moves, HTTPS downgrades and redirect loops — so you can fix wasted link equity. Built for SEOs, marketers and developers.
Your redirect chain will appear here
Enter a URL and trace it to see every hop, status code and the final destination.
Total hops
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Final status
—
Final URL
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Redirect chain
| # | URL | Status |
|---|
Each row is one hop. Colours: 2xx green (final), 3xx blue (redirect), 4xx amber, 5xx red.
How to use
- Paste the URL you want to check (the old or campaign link).
- Optionally choose a User-Agent — Desktop, Mobile or Googlebot — since some sites redirect differently.
- Click "Trace redirects" to follow the chain up to 10 hops.
- Read the hop table and summary flags, then copy the summary or export the chain as CSV.
Features
- Follows up to 10 redirects and shows each hop with a colour-coded status badge
- Flags long chains, 302-for-permanent moves, HTTPS downgrades and redirect loops
- Test as Desktop Chrome, Mobile Safari or Googlebot to catch device-specific redirects
- Detects client-side <meta refresh> and reports it as a non-followed hop
- Re-checks safety at every hop and stops chains that point to private addresses
- Copy a plain-text summary or export the full chain to CSV (Excel-ready, with BOM)
Frequently asked questions
Why does a redirect chain hurt my SEO?
Every extra hop slows the page and can dilute the ranking signals passed to the final URL. Long chains and temporary (302) redirects used for permanent moves are the most common ways link equity leaks. Collapsing a chain to a single 301 usually fixes it.
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302?
A 301 is a permanent redirect and passes ranking signals to the destination; a 302 (or 303/307) is temporary and search engines may keep indexing the original URL. If a move is permanent, use a 301 or 308.
What is a "meta refresh" hop?
A meta refresh is a redirect written into the HTML page (<meta http-equiv="refresh">) rather than sent as an HTTP header. We detect it and show it as a separate row labelled "meta refresh", but we do not follow it — search engines treat it inconsistently, so it is worth avoiding.
Can I check redirects as Googlebot sees them?
Yes. Choose the Googlebot User-Agent before tracing. Some sites serve different redirects to search bots than to browsers, which can hide problems from a normal check.
Why did the chain stop before reaching a final page?
A chain stops if it exceeds 10 hops, forms a loop, or a hop points to a private or blocked address (for safety). The tool still shows the partial chain up to that point and explains why it stopped in the last row.