Every time a user or search engine bot follows a URL that redirects, it loses a small amount of time — and potentially a small amount of SEO equity. A single redirect is fine. A chain of 3, 4, or 5 redirects is a problem. A redirect loop is catastrophic.
An HTTP redirect checker follows every hop in a URL's redirect chain, showing you every status code, every destination URL, and every response header along the way.
Trace Any URL's Redirects
Redirect Checker
Trace URL redirects and check status codes.
HTTP Redirect Status Codes
| Code | Name | Meaning | Permanent? | SEO Equity Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved Permanently | Page has permanently moved to new URL | ✅ Yes | ✅ ~99% |
| 302 | Found (Temporary) | Temporary redirect; original URL may return | ❌ No | ⚠️ Partial |
| 303 | See Other | After POST, redirect to GET resource | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 307 | Temporary Redirect | Temporary; preserves HTTP method | ❌ No | ⚠️ Partial |
| 308 | Permanent Redirect | Permanent; preserves HTTP method | ✅ Yes | ✅ ~99% |
| 200 | OK | Final destination reached; no redirect | — | — |
| 404 | Not Found | Destination doesn't exist | — | ❌ Lost |
The SEO Impact of Redirects
301 Redirects and Link Equity
When Google follows a 301 redirect, it passes the vast majority of the page's PageRank (link equity) to the destination URL. This is why 301 is the correct redirect for permanent URL changes — old inbound links continue to benefit the new page.
Early Google documentation suggested a 15% loss per redirect hop. More recently, Google representatives have said the loss is minimal for a single redirect. However, chains of redirects (A → B → C → D) do meaningfully dilute equity and slow crawling.
302 Redirects and Temporary vs Permanent
A 302 tells search engines "this is temporary — keep indexing the original URL." This is correct for A/B tests, maintenance pages, or geo-redirects. Using a 302 when you mean a permanent redirect is a common mistake — the original URL continues to be indexed rather than the destination.
HTTP to HTTPS Redirects
Every domain that has moved to HTTPS should have a permanent 301 redirect from all HTTP versions to HTTPS:
http://example.com → https://example.com (301)
http://www.example.com → https://www.example.com (301)
This is a routine redirect that search engines handle efficiently. The redirect check should show exactly this — two hops maximum, both 301.
Common Redirect Chains and How to Fix Them
Chain: HTTP → HTTPS → www → non-www
http://example.com (301 → https://example.com)
https://example.com (301 → https://www.example.com)
https://www.example.com (200 OK)
This 2-hop chain is common and acceptable. Better: configure your server to redirect directly to the canonical form in one hop.
Chain: Old URL → Intermediate → New URL
/old-page (301 → /interim-page)
/interim-page (301 → /new-page)
/new-page (200 OK)
Unnecessary intermediate hop. Fix by updating the first redirect to point directly to /new-page.
Redirect Loop
/page-a (302 → /page-b)
/page-b (302 → /page-a)
The browser and bots will detect this loop and stop after a few iterations. The URL becomes inaccessible. Fix by identifying the circular redirect logic in your server configuration or CMS.
Mixed Redirect Types
/old-page (302 → /new-page)
If this is a permanent move, change to 301. Google will likely keep indexing /old-page until it sees a 301.
Non-HTTP Redirect Types
Meta Refresh
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page">
A redirect implemented in HTML rather than HTTP headers. Google supports meta refresh redirects but they're slower (the page HTML must download first), pass equity less reliably, and are associated with spam when abused. Use HTTP-level redirects instead.
JavaScript Redirects
window.location.href = 'https://example.com/new-page';
Google can follow JavaScript redirects when crawling but it requires rendering the page first. This delays discovery and indexing significantly compared to server-level redirects. Only use JavaScript redirects when server-level redirects genuinely aren't possible.
Canonical Tags
Not technically a redirect, but a signal to search engines about which URL is the preferred version of a page. Doesn't redirect users — only affects how search engines attribute link equity and which URL they index.
Redirect Checker Use Cases
After site migration: Verify every page on the old URL structure has a direct 301 to the new URL. Check for chains and loops.
After HTTPS implementation: Confirm HTTP → HTTPS redirects are in place for all variants (www, non-www, naked domain).
Tracking URL validation: UTM parameters and short URLs should resolve to the correct final destination without stripping tracking parameters.
Third-party link audit: Check where backlinks and cited URLs actually point, especially if the destination site has changed.
Privacy Note
Redirect checking follows publicly accessible HTTP redirects — the same process any browser performs. FluxToolkit does not log the URLs you check or store redirect chain results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many redirects is too many?
As a rule, keep redirect chains to a maximum of 2 hops. Google has said it crawls up to 5 redirects, but beyond 2 hops you risk losing equity and slowing crawl. A single direct redirect is always ideal.
Does a 301 redirect fully pass PageRank?
Google currently passes the vast majority of PageRank through 301 redirects, and the loss (if any) on a single redirect is minimal. Chains of multiple redirects do compound small losses and add crawl delay.
When should I use a 302 instead of a 301?
Use 302 only for genuinely temporary redirects: A/B tests, maintenance pages, time-limited geo-redirects. For any permanent URL change, use 301.
Will Google re-index the new URL after a 301 redirect?
Yes, but it takes time. Google needs to re-crawl the old URL, follow the 301, then index the new URL. For high-traffic pages, this typically happens within days to weeks. Submit the new sitemap in Search Console to speed it up.
Can I redirect a page to a different domain?
Yes. Cross-domain 301 redirects work the same as same-domain redirects, including passing link equity. This is used when migrating to a new domain entirely.
Related Articles
- SSL Certificate Checker Guide — Verify HTTPS is set up correctly before implementing HTTP→HTTPS redirects.
- HTTP Headers Checker Guide — Read the full response headers alongside redirect status codes.
- XML Sitemap Generator Guide — Keep your sitemap pointing to final destination URLs, not redirect sources.
- Robots.txt Generator Guide — Ensure redirected pages aren't blocked from crawling.
- Meta Tags Guide — Check meta tags at the final redirect destination.