Redirect Checker
Follow every hop from the URL you enter to its final destination
What the Redirect Checker Does
When you visit a web address, the server does not always return a page. Sometimes it answers with an instruction to go somewhere else. The Redirect Checker on WebTOOLkt follows that trail for you. Enter a URL and the tool shows each step the request takes, with the status code at each stop, until it reaches the final destination.
It is essential after site migrations, HTTPS switches, domain changes and URL clean-ups, and it is the quickest way to find out why a link behaves oddly or a page lost its rankings.
How to Use the Redirect Checker
- Paste the full URL you want to test, including http:// or https://.
- Run the check.
- Read the chain from top to bottom: each line shows a URL and the status code it returned.
- Confirm the final URL is the one you intended and that it returns a success status.
- Test variations too: with and without www, with and without a trailing slash, and the http version of the address.
Redirect Status Codes Explained
Redirects belong to the 3xx family of HTTP status codes, defined in the HTTP semantics specification. The four you will meet most often are:
- 301 Moved Permanently: the page has a new home for good. Use it for migrations and permanent URL changes.
- 302 Found: a temporary redirect. The original URL is expected to come back.
- 307 Temporary Redirect: like 302, but it guarantees the request method is not changed.
- 308 Permanent Redirect: like 301, but it also preserves the request method.
Google explains how it treats permanent and temporary moves in its guide to redirects and Google Search. As a rule, use a permanent redirect when a move is permanent, so signals can pass to the new address.
Problems the Tool Helps You Find
- Redirect chains: A goes to B, which goes to C. Each hop adds delay and gives crawlers more work. Point the first URL directly at the final one.
- Redirect loops: A leads to B and B leads back to A. Browsers show an error and the page is unreachable.
- Wrong redirect type: a temporary redirect used for a permanent move can slow the transfer of ranking signals.
- Redirects to irrelevant pages: sending an old article to the homepage confuses users and may be treated as a soft error.
- Mixed protocols: an https page that redirects through http leaves users exposed and wastes time.
- Dead ends: a chain that finishes on a 404 or a server error.
Best Practices for Clean Redirects
- Map every old URL to the most relevant new URL, not just the homepage.
- Keep chains to a single hop wherever possible.
- Choose one preferred version of your site (for example https without www) and redirect all variants to it.
- Update internal links to point to final URLs so visitors and crawlers skip the redirect altogether.
- Keep redirects in place long enough for search engines and other sites to catch up, and keep them for as long as the old URLs still receive links or traffic.
- Re-test after any change to server rules, plugins or CDN settings.
Where Redirects Are Set Up
Depending on your platform, redirects may be created in a server configuration file, in a CMS plugin, at your hosting control panel or at a CDN. Apache users often write rules in an .htaccess file; the Apache rewrite documentation explains the options. The Htaccess Redirect Generator on WebTOOLkt can help you build rules, and the Redirect Checker is the natural way to verify them afterwards.
Why Use This Tool Instead of Other Options
Browsers hide redirects, so you cannot see them just by clicking a link. The Redirect Checker reveals each hop and its status code in one place, with no software to install and no sign-up. It belongs to a set of technical SEO tools on WebTOOLkt, so you can move from tracing a redirect to checking headers, status codes or indexing status without leaving the site.
Related WebTOOLkt Tools
- HTTP Status Code Checker to see the response a single URL returns.
- Htaccess Redirect Generator to build Apache redirect rules.
- Get HTTP Headers to read the full response headers.
- Google Index Checker to confirm the final URL is indexed.
- Server Status Checker to confirm a server is responding.
- Website Audit Tool for a wider technical health check.
Useful External Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Do redirects hurt SEO?
A properly configured permanent redirect usually passes signals to the new URL. Long chains and loops are the real problem.
What is the difference between 301 and 302?
301 means a permanent move and 302 means a temporary one.
How many redirects are too many?
Aim for one hop. More than that adds delay and risk.
Why does my page redirect when I did not set anything up?
Servers, CDNs and CMS plugins may add redirects, for example to force https or a preferred domain version.
