Redirect Checker
Check where a page redirects to.
Looks up live data What you enter is sent to our server to fetch live results from public sources. Results are cached briefly. A Cloudflare Turnstile bot check runs when you press the button (it loads a script from challenges.cloudflare.com and may show a short challenge).
A Cloudflare Turnstile bot check runs when you press the button (it loads a script from challenges.cloudflare.com and may show a short challenge).
Report a problem with this tool
About this tool
Trace where a URL goes. Enter an address and the tool requests it from our server without following redirects automatically, then follows each Location header itself, up to 5 hops, and lists every URL with its HTTP status code and Location. You see whether the chain uses 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirects and where it ends. If you leave out the scheme, http:// is assumed. Only ordinary web ports are allowed and private or internal addresses are refused.
How to use it
- Enter a URL such as example.com.
- Press Trace redirects.
- Read each hop with its status code and destination.
- Look for long chains or temporary redirects that should be permanent.
Redirect status codes
- 301 Moved Permanently
- The usual choice when a page or domain has moved for good. Search engines move the old URL's ranking to the new one.
- 302 Found
- A temporary redirect. Search engines keep the old URL indexed, so use it only for short-term moves.
- 303 See Other
- Sends the browser to another page with GET, typically after a form is submitted.
- 307 Temporary Redirect
- Like 302, but the browser must repeat the same method, so a POST stays a POST.
- 308 Permanent Redirect
- Like 301, but the method is kept.
Checking a domain redirect
- Check all four versions of the address: http://example.com, http://www.example.com, https://example.com and https://www.example.com.
- Each should end at the same final URL with a 200 status.
- Look for chains, such as http to https and then to www. Point every version straight at the final address in one hop.
- Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves. A 302 left in place for months is a common mistake.
- To write the rules, use the HTACCESS Redirect Generator for Apache, or the Htaccess to Nginx Converter to turn them into Nginx rules.
Common problems
- Chain stops after 5 hops
- That usually means a redirect loop or an overly long chain. Fix the rules so the URL reaches its final page in one or two steps.
- Browser redirects but the tool shows none
- Only HTTP redirects are followed. Redirects done by JavaScript or a meta refresh tag are not detected.
- Request refused or failed
- Internal addresses and unusual ports are blocked, and the site may block automated requests or time out.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the tool start at http:// when I enter a bare domain?
So you can see whether the plain http address redirects to https. Enter https:// yourself to start from the secure version.
What does "Redirect not followed" mean?
The next hop points to an address the tool will not fetch: a private or internal address, a port other than 80 or 443, a scheme other than http or https, or a host that could not be checked. The chain up to that point is still shown.
Do redirect chains hurt SEO?
Each hop adds a round trip that slows the page down, and search engines may stop following long chains. Point old URLs straight at the final page.