Redirect Chain Checker
Find chains and inefficient hops in your 301/302 graph.
URLs to trace
One URL per line. Cap is 25. Each redirect hop is recorded.
Start here · What is a redirect chain?
A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another URL, which redirects again before reaching the final page.
One redirect can be normal. Long chains waste crawl time, slow users down, and make migrations harder to debug.
A clean redirect path sends old URLs straight to the best final destination with as few hops as possible.
When to use this tool
- Post-migration QA
Check old URLs after a redesign, HTTPS move, platform switch, or domain migration.
- Performance cleanup
Find unnecessary HTTP to HTTPS, slash, tracking, or legacy redirects that add delay.
- Link reclamation
Update internal links and outreach targets so they point to final URLs instead of old redirecting URLs.
Examples
Walk through these with the form above — they are practice scenarios, not live data.
Old blog URL
Try this
Test an old URL from a migration spreadsheet.
What to look for
A healthy result should reach the final article in one hop, not bounce through several historic paths.
HTTP homepage
Try this
Test http://example.com and compare the path to https://www.example.com/.
What to look for
Look for avoidable hops caused by protocol, host, or trailing-slash normalization.
Short tutorial
Follow in order the first time you use the tool; later you can skip to the step you need.
- Step 1 - Paste source URLs
Start with URLs users or crawlers may still hit: old links, exported internal links, or sitemap leftovers.
- Step 2 - Review hop count
Prioritize chains with multiple hops, loops, or a final destination that does not match intent.
- Step 3 - Update redirects and links
Point old URLs directly to the best final URL, then update internal links to avoid redirects altogether.
More detail
New here? Skim Start here first, then run one Examples scenario in the form above.
Redirect Chain Checker does one job: find chains and inefficient hops in your 301/302 graph. It lives under Technical SEO on SEOToolkits, where the beginner idea is simple: Technical SEO keeps pages crawlable, indexable, fast enough, and understandable to search engines.
FAQ
- Are redirect chains bad for SEO?
- Short redirects are common, but long chains can waste crawl budget, slow pages, and hide migration mistakes.
- What is the difference between 301 and 302?
- A 301 is permanent. A 302 is temporary. For moved SEO URLs, permanent redirects are usually the right choice.
- Should internal links point through redirects?
- No. Update internal links to the final destination whenever possible.
Related tools
Same workflow cluster on SEOToolkits — open another module without leaving context.