My Tool Studio
SEOURL-first

Redirect Checker

This redirect checker traces the full path of any URL: every hop, its status code, its Location, and the final destination. Enter one of your own old URLs, an http:// or www address, or a short link, and the tool follows each redirect for up to 10 hops. It also reads the final page for meta refresh and JavaScript redirects and follows those too. SEO verdicts flag long chains, loops, temporary 302 or 307 hops, separate HTTPS, www or trailing slash hops, HTTPS to HTTP downgrades, a final canonical that points elsewhere and a final error. Switch to Bulk to check up to 50 URLs, add the expected target to verify a migration, and download a CSV.

Always freeNo sign upRuns in your browser

Any address: your own old URLs, http:// or www versions, or a short link

How to use

01

Enter one URL or a list

Paste any address into the URL field. Without a scheme the check starts from http://, so you see how HTTP upgrades to HTTPS. For a migration, open Bulk and paste old URLs, each followed by its expected new URL.

02

Trace the redirects

Click Trace redirects. Our server follows each Location header, then reads the final page for meta refresh and JavaScript redirects if that option is ticked, recording every hop until the chain ends or hits 10 hops.

03

Read the verdicts and export

Check the verdicts for loops, long chains, temporary redirects and client-side hops, then walk the numbered chain. In Bulk, look for Wrong target badges and download the CSV for your fix list.

Why Redirect Checker

301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308 redirects

All four send the visitor to a new URL. The differences are whether the move is permanent and whether the browser must repeat the same request method, which matters for forms and APIs. For search, Google treats 301 and 308 as strong signals that the target should be indexed, and 302 and 307 as weaker ones. If you are unsure which to use for a page that has moved for good, use 301.

CodePermanent?Keeps the request method?Typical use
301YesNot guaranteed; browsers may turn POST into GETMoved pages, domain moves, HTTPS
302NoNot guaranteedShort-term moves, tests, login redirects
307NoYesTemporary moves where a form POST must stay a POST
308YesYesPermanent moves for APIs and forms

Common questions

What counts as a hop in the redirect chain checker?
Every response between your starting URL and the final page is one row. If a URL 301s to a URL that 302s to a page returning 200, the chain shows three rows and two redirects.
How many redirect hops will Google actually follow?
Google says Googlebot follows up to 10 redirect hops before reporting a redirect error. Do not lean on that limit. Each hop adds delay, so aim for a single hop from any old URL to its final home.
Can this redirect checker tell a 301 from a 302?
Yes. Every hop shows its exact status code, and the verdicts flag 302 and 307 hops. A 301 or 308 tells search engines the move is permanent, while a 302 or 307 says it is temporary and the old URL may stay indexed.
Does the redirect checker detect meta refresh or JavaScript redirects?
Yes, when the option is ticked. After the HTTP chain ends on a 200, the tool reads that page's HTML for a meta refresh tag or a script that sets window.location, and if it finds one it follows the target as another hop, marked meta refresh or JavaScript. Scripts that build the address at run time cannot be read without running them, so a few stay hidden.
Why does the redirect checker warn about a separate HTTPS hop?
If http://example.com/old first redirects to https://example.com/old and then to the new page, that is two hops where one would do. Point the old URL's rule straight at the final HTTPS address, or combine your HTTPS and www rules. Each extra hop adds delay for visitors and crawlers.
What does it mean when the final redirect hop isn't a 200?
The chain ends on an error. A final 404 means the redirect points at a page that no longer exists, and a final 5xx means the destination server is failing. Every link feeding that chain currently leads nowhere useful.
Why would a redirect chain loop back on itself?
Usually two rules fight: one layer forces HTTPS while another, often a CDN or CMS setting, sends the request back to a URL the first rule changes again. The checker flags a loop when the same URL appears twice. Visitors see a browser error, so it is an urgent fix.
Is it safe to trace a suspicious short link with the redirect checker?
Safer than clicking it. The trace runs from our server, so the target site never sees your IP address, cookies or browser. For expanding short links in particular, the URL Expander tool on this site does the same trace with a simpler layout.
Does the redirect checker use Googlebot's user agent?
No. It sends HEAD requests with a fixed MyToolStudio user agent, and there is no option to switch it. Sites that redirect bots, phones or countries differently may show another chain to Googlebot or to you in a browser. Search Console's URL Inspection shows what Googlebot itself gets.
How do I check a whole redirect map after a site migration?
Open the Bulk tab and paste each old URL followed by the new URL it should reach, separated by a tab, comma or space. Copying two columns from your redirect sheet works. Every row is traced and marked Matches expected or Wrong target, with warnings for extra hops. Download CSV to hand the failures to whoever manages the rules.

More SEO tools

View all

Meta Tag Generator

Build meta, OG and X tags

SEO
URL-first

Meta Tag Analyzer

Audit meta tags for one or 20 URLs

SEO
URL-first

Robots.txt Generator

Build a robots.txt with presets

SEO

Robots.txt Tester and Validator

Test URLs against any robots.txt

SEO
URL-first