Free Redirect Checker

Trace any URL’s full redirect chain hop by hop — every status code, the final destination, canonical & robots tags — and catch loops, long chains, temporary redirects and HTTPS downgrades that quietly cost you rankings.

When to run a redirect check

Redirects break quietly — nothing errors, pages just stop passing full ranking value. Trace a URL whenever you:

  • Migrate a site or change domains — confirm every old URL lands on its intended new page, not a generic homepage or 404.
  • Move from HTTP to HTTPS — check the secure version doesn’t bounce back down to HTTP anywhere in the chain.
  • Consolidate or retire pages — make sure merged URLs point straight to the survivor with a single permanent hop.
  • Audit before and after a launch — a redirect that worked in staging can pick up an extra hop or a loop in production.

How to read the redirect chain

A clean result is one hop to a final 200. Each row shows its HTTP status, and the checks panel spells out exactly what to fix — a long chain, a loop, a temporary redirect standing in for a permanent move, or an HTTPS→HTTP downgrade. Don’t stop at the status code, though: watch the final page’s meta robots. A URL that redirects flawlessly but lands on a noindex page still won’t rank, and that’s the trap a status-only check misses.

Frequently asked questions

What does this redirect checker show?

It follows your URL one hop at a time and shows every step in the chain with its HTTP status code, the final landing URL and status, the page’s canonical tag and robots meta, and a set of SEO checks — chain length, redirect loops, HTTPS, HTTPS→HTTP downgrades, and whether permanent (301/308) or temporary (302/307) redirects are used.

Why do redirect chains matter for SEO?

Every extra redirect hop adds latency and can dilute link signals. Search engines pass the most ranking value through a single, permanent (301) redirect straight to the final URL. Long chains, loops, temporary redirects used for permanent moves, and HTTPS→HTTP downgrades all leak performance or ranking signals — this tool flags each one.

What’s the difference between a 301 and a 302?

A 301 (and 308) is a permanent redirect — it tells search engines the page has moved for good and to pass ranking signals to the new URL. A 302 (and 303/307) is temporary — signals stay with the original URL. If a move is permanent, using a 302 can hold back your rankings, so this tool warns when temporary redirects are in the chain.

Should the canonical match the final URL?

Usually yes. After all redirects resolve, the landing page’s canonical tag should point to itself (the final URL). If it points somewhere else, you risk splitting ranking signals between versions of the page or sending search engines in circles. The tool flags a canonical that doesn’t match the final URL.

Embed this free tool on your site

Add this redirect checker to your own blog or website — it stays free for your visitors, and the short credit line links back here. Just copy the snippet and paste it into your page’s HTML.

Embed code (HTML)
<iframe src="https://seoaiaudits.com/embed/redirect-checker" width="100%" height="700" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:760px;width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Redirect Checker"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:13px;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;margin-top:8px;color:#6b7280">
  Free <a href="https://seoaiaudits.com/tools/redirect-checker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Redirect Checker</a> by <a href="https://seoaiaudits.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEO AI Audits</a>
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