Quick answer
A redirect chain checker follows a URL through every redirect until it reaches a page that doesn't redirect, and lists each hop. One redirect is normal. Two or more is a chain: it slows the page, wastes crawling and weakens link signals. Enter up to 10 URLs above to see each chain and the final status code.
Paste one URL per line above, up to 10 at a time. The checker requests each URL without following redirects automatically, records every hop (301, 302, 303, 307 or 308), and stops at the first page that doesn't redirect or after 10 hops. You get the chain, the final status code and a verdict for each URL. It's free, needs no account, and allows 60 checks an hour.
What a redirect chain checker tells you
A redirect is fine. Moving a page and sending visitors from the old URL to the new one with a 301 is exactly what redirects are for. A chain is different: the old URL redirects to a second URL, which redirects to a third, and so on. Each hop is another round trip for the browser and another request for search engine crawlers.
Chains build up quietly. A site moves from HTTP to HTTPS, later from www to the bare domain, later renames a section. Each change adds a redirect on top of the last, and links written years ago now pass through three or four hops. A common example looks like this:
http://example.com/blog/post(301)https://example.com/blog/post(301)https://www.example.com/blog/post(301)https://www.example.com/articles/post(200)
That is three hops where one would do.
Why chains matter for SEO
Crawling. Googlebot follows up to 10 hops in a chain, but each hop costs a request, and on a large or new site crawl attention is limited. Links that point straight at final URLs get their pages crawled sooner.
Speed. Every hop adds a network round trip before the page starts loading, often 100 to 300 milliseconds each on mobile connections.
Signals. Google has said 3xx redirects don't lose PageRank, but chains add room for error: a hop that becomes a 404, a temporary 302 left in place, a loop. Long chains are also more likely to be ignored or misread when canonicals and sitemaps point at a different hop.
Loops. A chain that leads back to an earlier URL never resolves. The checker stops after 10 hops so you can see where the loop starts.
How to fix a redirect chain
- Find the final URL for each chain using the checker above.
- Change the first redirect so it points straight at the final URL, skipping the middle hops.
- Update internal links, canonical tags, the XML sitemap and hreflang tags to use the final URL, so they don't rely on redirects at all.
- Replace temporary redirects (302, 307) with permanent ones (301, 308) where the move is permanent.
- Re-run the checker to confirm each old URL now reaches the final page in one hop.
Reading the results
| Result | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| No redirect, 200 | The URL is final | None |
| One redirect, final 200 | Normal for a moved page | Update your own links to the final URL |
| Two or more redirects | A chain | Point the first redirect at the final URL |
| Final 404 or 410 | The chain ends at a missing page | Redirect to the closest live page or fix the target |
| Final 5xx | The final server failed | Check the server or try again later |
| Blocked | A private or internal address | The checker only tests public URLs |
The checker reports the status of the final URL; intermediate hops are listed in order. Chains through JavaScript or meta refresh redirects aren't followed, because they happen in the browser rather than in the HTTP response.
This is one of the checks in the technical SEO audit checklist, part of the wider SEO audit checklist. Seotific's full audit and site crawl also find internal links that point at redirects, which is how most chains are created in the first place. Canonicals that point at a redirecting URL are covered in canonical tag points to another page.
Frequently asked questions
How many redirects in a chain are too many?
More than one is worth fixing. Google follows up to 10 hops, but every extra hop slows the page and costs crawl requests. Aim for every old URL to reach its final page in a single redirect, and for internal links to point at the final URL directly.
Is a 301 or 302 better for SEO?
Use a 301 (or 308) for permanent moves and a 302 (or 307) only when the move really is temporary. Google treats long-standing 302s much like 301s eventually, but a permanent redirect states your intent clearly from the start.
Do redirect chains hurt rankings?
Indirectly. Google has said redirects don't lose PageRank, but chains slow pages, waste crawling and make errors such as loops and broken targets more likely. Fixing them is low effort and removes the risk.
Why does the checker say a URL is blocked?
The checker only fetches public addresses. URLs that resolve to private, local or internal networks are blocked for security, and so is any redirect hop that points to one. Test those from inside your own network instead.
Check your own page
Seotific audits a URL against the keyword it should rank for and lists the fixes in order of impact. Free plan, no card.
Run a free audit