</>
ProtocolCodes

Redirect Tracer

Trace the full redirect chain for any URL. See every hop — 301, 302, 303, 307, 308 — with status codes, locations, and timing.

How to Use

  1. 1
    Enter the starting URL

    Paste any URL — shortened link, old domain, or marketing campaign URL — into the input. The tracer follows every HTTP redirect hop by hop without a browser, revealing the full chain.

  2. 2
    Inspect each redirect hop

    Review the status code (301, 302, 307, 308), destination URL, and response headers at each step. Look for redirect loops, mixed-HTTP/HTTPS transitions, and unnecessary hops that slow page load.

  3. 3
    Identify SEO and performance issues

    Count total hops and check whether link equity is preserved. A 301 chain longer than 3 hops may bleed PageRank and adds latency. Verify the final destination returns 200 OK and uses HTTPS.

About

HTTP redirects are the mechanism by which servers instruct clients to fetch a resource at a different URL. Defined in RFC 9110 §15.4 (Redirection 3xx), each redirect status code carries distinct semantics around permanence, method preservation, and caching behavior. What appears to be a simple link click can involve a chain of 5 or more hops across HTTP/HTTPS boundaries, domain migrations, CDN layers, and CMS canonical URL systems — each adding latency and potentially degrading link equity.

The Redirect Tracer makes each hop in the chain visible by issuing raw HTTP requests without following redirects automatically, capturing the status code and Location header at each step. This reveals issues invisible in a browser: redirect loops that browsers abort silently, mixed HTTP/HTTPS chains that break HSTS, server-side redirects that conflict with JavaScript-based redirects, and Cloudflare or Fastly CDN rules that intercept before the origin server responds.

For SEO professionals, the tracer confirms whether 301 permanent redirects are correctly set on migrated pages and whether redirect chains are short enough to preserve link equity. For backend engineers, it exposes configuration drift between development, staging, and production environments where a forgotten rewrite rule creates unexpected behavior. For security audits, it identifies open redirectors — endpoints that redirect to arbitrary external URLs based on query parameters — which are a common phishing vector (CWE-601).

FAQ

What is the SEO difference between 301 and 302 redirects?
RFC 9110 §15.4.2 defines 301 Moved Permanently and §15.4.3 defines 302 Found (temporary). Google treats 301 as a signal to transfer PageRank (link equity) to the destination and eventually de-index the source URL. A 302 tells crawlers the source URL is still canonical and should remain indexed. Using 302 when you intend a permanent redirect is a common SEO mistake that delays or prevents link equity transfer. Google has stated it may treat 302 as 301 after observing a redirect is stable over time, but this is not guaranteed.
Why does my redirect chain show both HTTP and HTTPS hops?
An HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect (e.g., http://example.com → https://example.com) is expected and adds one hop. Problems arise when HTTPS pages redirect back to HTTP mid-chain, which breaks HSTS (RFC 6797) protection and creates a security downgrade. The tracer highlights mixed-scheme hops in red. To eliminate the HTTP hop entirely, use HSTS Preloading to make browsers go directly to HTTPS without an initial HTTP request.
What is a redirect loop and how do I debug it?
A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B which eventually redirects back to A, causing an infinite cycle. Browsers abort after about 20 hops with ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS. Common causes include misconfigured Nginx/Apache rewrite rules, CMS canonical URL settings conflicting with server redirects, and CDN rules fighting origin server configuration. The tracer detects loops after 20 hops and highlights the first repeated URL in the chain.
When should I use 307 versus 302 for temporary redirects?
RFC 9110 §15.4.8 defines 307 Temporary Redirect to preserve the HTTP method — a POST to /old must POST to /new, not GET. RFC 9110 §15.4.3 acknowledges that 302 historically caused user agents to switch to GET, which 307 was introduced to prevent (RFC 2616, 1999). Use 302 only when a GET-to-GET redirect is acceptable. Use 307 for APIs and form submissions where method preservation is critical. For permanent redirects with method preservation, use 308 (RFC 7238).
How many redirect hops is too many for SEO and performance?
Google's John Mueller has confirmed that Google follows redirect chains but recommends limiting them to avoid crawl budget waste. Each hop adds a full HTTP round-trip (typically 50–300ms). More than 3–5 hops is considered problematic: it delays page load, may cause Googlebot to stop crawling the chain, and some clients (proxies, API gateways) cap redirect follows at 5–10 hops. Consolidate chains by updating the source URL to point directly to the final destination.