What this tool does
It traces HTTP 301, 302, 307, and 308 responses, shows each hop, and helps detect loops or long chains.
Redirect Chain Checker
Follow every HTTP redirect hop for any URL. See status codes, timing, and detect redirect loops.
Full redirect chain trace
Per-hop response time
Loop detection
HTTP → HTTPS detection
SEO impact analysis
Trace every redirect hop
Enter any URL to follow each HTTP redirect step-by-step — see status codes, response times, and detect loops or chain issues that hurt SEO.
Full Chain Trace
Follow up to 12 redirect hops, manually resolving each Location header to show the exact path a browser takes.
Timing Per Hop
See response time in milliseconds for each individual hop — identify slow redirects that add to page load time.
Loop & Issue Detection
Automatically detect redirect loops, HTTP → HTTPS downgrades, and chains longer than 3 hops that dilute link equity.
HTTP Redirect Types
301 — Moved Permanently
The canonical redirect. Browsers and search engines cache it and transfer ~full link equity. Use for permanent URL changes (HTTP → HTTPS, www → non-www).
302 — Found (Temporary)
Tells crawlers "come back to the original next time." Search engines do not transfer link equity and don't update their index. Only use for genuinely temporary moves.
307 — Temporary Redirect
Same semantics as 302 but explicitly preserves the HTTP method (POST stays POST). Preferred over 302 for temporary API redirects.
308 — Permanent Redirect
Like 301 but preserves the request method. The modern permanent redirect for APIs where POST/PUT must not be silently changed to GET.
Common Redirect Problems
Redirect Loops
A → B → A cycles cause "Too many redirects" browser errors. Usually caused by conflicting .htaccess rules or a CMS forcing www while the server forces non-www.
Long Chains
Google crawls a maximum of 5 hops in a chain. Chains of 3+ add latency and dilute PageRank. Always redirect from the original source directly to the final destination.
HTTP → HTTPS
Every HTTP request should 301 to HTTPS in a single hop. Many sites accidentally create a chain: http → http/www → https/www. Consolidate to one direct 301.
www vs Non-www
Pick one canonical form (www or non-www) and 301 the other. Mixing both forces browsers through an extra hop and splits your domain's authority between two addresses.
Trailing Slash
example.com/page and example.com/page/ are different URLs. Most servers 301 between them. Ensure your internal links use the canonical form to avoid the extra hop.
Crawl Budget
Search engine bots have a limited crawl budget per site. Redirect chains consume budget without indexing anything. For large sites, eliminating chain waste noticeably improves crawl coverage.
Redirect issues causing SEO problems?
UnderHost managed WordPress hosting includes expert support to fix .htaccess rules, plugin conflicts, and SSL redirect chains.
Tool guide
How to interpret redirect chains
Redirects affect SEO, page speed, canonical URLs, and migration quality. This tool follows every hop so you can see where a URL actually lands.
Who it helps
- SEO teams auditing old URLs
- Developers testing site launches
- Hosting users moving from HTTP to HTTPS or one domain to another
Usage instructions
Enter the full URL you want to test. Review each hop from the starting address to the final destination.
Understanding the output
One clean permanent redirect is usually fine. Long chains, loops, mixed HTTP/HTTPS hops, or unexpected final URLs should be corrected.
Why it matters for hosting
Clean redirects preserve search signals and visitor trust during migrations, domain changes, SSL upgrades, and platform rebuilds.
