Why check redirects?
A redirect sends visitors and search engines from one address to another. Done right, it keeps your traffic and rankings when pages move. Done wrong — too many steps, a loop, or a temporary redirect for a permanent move — it slows pages down and can lose the ranking the old address had earned.
Status codes explained
- 301 and 308 — permanent: the page has moved for good. Search engines pass its ranking to the new address.
- 302 and 307 — temporary: the page will come back. Search engines keep the old address in their results.
- 200 — OK: the final page loaded.
- 4xx and 5xx: the chain ends on an error, such as 404 Not Found.
Good practice
- Redirect in one step: http://example.com should go straight to https://www.example.com (or your preferred form), not through two or three hops.
- Update links on your own site to the final address instead of relying on redirects.
- Keep redirects for moved pages in place for at least a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a redirect chain?
When one redirect leads to another, and another, before the final page. Each step adds a delay, and search engines may stop following after a few.
Should I use 301 or 302?
Use 301 when a page has moved permanently, which is almost always. Use 302 only when you will bring the old address back.
What does “too many redirects” mean?
The redirects form a loop, so the browser never reaches a page. This checker shows the step where the loop starts.