Redirect Checker
Paste URLs to trace full redirect chains, spot loops, and see final destinations. Built for quick QA runs and migration audits.
Redirect checker for SEO migrations, link hygiene, and QA
This free redirect checker traces every hop in a redirect chain, flags loops, and shows the final status code so you can confirm that users and bots land on the right page. Whether you are running a domain migration, cleaning 301 redirect chains, or validating affiliate links, a fast redirect chain analyzer keeps crawl budget healthy and prevents soft 404s. Paste your URLs above, run parallel checks, and download results if you also use our HTTP Status Checker for status spot-checks.
Use this tool as a bulk redirect checker online to catch chained redirects (301 to 302 to 200), temporary redirects left from experiments, and accidental redirect loops that waste PageRank. Pair it with the Broken Links Checker to remove dead links and the Link Extractor to pull URLs from pages before testing. Clean redirect paths improve crawl efficiency and protect your Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals scores by avoiding extra hops.
High-volume SEO teams can run up to 50 parallel checks to audit redirect hygiene after site restructures, CMS migrations, or HTTPS upgrades. For large spreadsheets of URLs, split them by section and verify critical templates first: product pages, blog posts, and top landing pages. Redirect validation is essential for canonicalization, hreflang, and link equity preservation. If you are building XML sitemaps, validate final destinations here and then regenerate with the XML & HTML Sitemap Generator to ensure every entry resolves with a 200.
Redirect best practices: keep chains short (one hop where possible), use 301 for permanent moves, avoid redirecting to mixed-protocol pages, and make sure canonical URLs and sitemap URLs match the final destination. Monitor affiliate and outbound links the same way to avoid losing revenue when partners change landing pages. If you work with CDNs or edge rules, confirm device or country-based redirects still return the right status codes and do not block bots.
How to use the redirect chain checker effectively
- Paste URLs (one per line) or comma-separated into the input box.
- Set max redirects (up to 20) to control crawl depth for long chains.
- Choose parallel checks (keep under 50 to avoid rate limits from target hosts).
- Run the scan and review final status, final URL, and hop-by-hop chain.
- Fix loops or long chains, then retest until you see a clean 200 at the end.
After cleaning redirects, submit key URLs to Search Console and resubmit your sitemap. If you need to verify headers or content on the final page, combine this redirect tracer with the Ping Multiple URLs tool for uptime checks and the Server Status Checker for quick health reads.
When to run a redirect audit
- Before and after a domain migration or HTTPS migration to confirm 301s point to the new canonical URLs.
- When cleaning legacy 302 redirects left after A/B tests or seasonal campaigns.
- During content pruning to ensure removed URLs point to relevant alternatives instead of soft 404s.
- After restructuring URL patterns (e.g., /blog/ to /resources/) to prevent redirect chains that waste crawl budget.
- For affiliate programs to verify every outbound link resolves to a live destination.
Redirect checker for SEO: tips to reduce loss of link equity
Search engines follow 3xx hops, but long chains dilute authority and can slow crawling. Keep a single 301 from old to new, avoid mixed 301-302 sequences, and make sure canonical tags and sitemaps match the final URL. Monitor redirect loops because they block crawlers and increase bounce rates. When retiring pages, redirect to the closest topical match, not just the homepage. Run regular audits with this redirect chain analyzer and the SEO Audit Tool to catch regressions.
FAQ: redirect checker, loops, and status codes
What is a redirect chain checker?
A redirect chain checker is a tool that follows every 3xx hop from a starting URL to the final destination, listing status codes and target URLs. It helps find chains, loops, and incorrect destinations.
How do I detect redirect loops?
This tool automatically stops when it sees the same URL twice, flags a loop, and reports the looped URL. Fix loops by updating rules so each path resolves once to a 200.
Does a 302 pass SEO value?
302 is temporary and may not consolidate signals. For permanent moves, use 301. Use this checker to find lingering 302s after tests and convert them to 301s when ready.
How many redirects are too many?
Best practice is one hop. Two is acceptable during phased migrations. More than three can slow crawling and dilute equity. Keep max hops low and update rules to shorten chains.
Can I check hundreds of URLs?
Yes. Paste them in bulk and keep concurrency reasonable (under 50). For very large lists, batch by folder or template and pair with the Bulk Redirect Checker to export results.
Related tools for technical SEO workflows
- HTTP Status Checker to validate live status codes after fixes.
- Broken Links Checker to remove 404s across your site map.
- XML & HTML Sitemap Generator to refresh sitemaps once redirects are clean.
- Internal Linking Assistant to strengthen internal signals to the new URLs.
- SEO Audit Tool for holistic checks after migration.