Free Redirect Checker
Redirect chains leak link equity and slow every crawl. Tracing them requires following cross-origin requests — blocked in browsers — so NToolHub's Redirect Checker hands you the genuine method: curl commands that print every hop with its status code, plus browser-based tracer links and a guide to reading chains.
How to Use the Redirect Checker
- Paste the URL whose redirect path you want to trace.
- Click Get Redirect Trace Commands.
- Run the curl command to see every hop with its status code.
- Aim for a single 301 straight to the final URL — no chains, no loops.
Features
Enter any URL for curl commands showing the full redirect chain (status codes + Location headers) and chain-with-timing variants, plus redirect-checker.org and wheregoes.com links and chain-reading guidance.
Benefits & Use Cases
You see every hop exactly as crawlers do — catching chains, loops and 302s-masquerading-as-permanent that in-browser tools can't reveal — with reusable commands for ongoing audits.
Tips
Keep chains to a single 301 hop, never chain redirects (A→B→C), use 301/308 for permanent moves, and audit redirects quarterly — they accumulate silently during redesigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't this trace redirects in the browser?
Following a redirect chain means requesting each hop cross-origin, which CORS blocks. Curl follows the real chain with no restrictions.
How many redirect hops are too many?
One is ideal; two is tolerable. Three-plus hops waste crawl budget and risk Google abandoning the chain — flatten them to direct 301s.
301 vs 302 — which should I use?
301 (or 308) for permanent moves — it passes link equity. 302 is temporary and doesn't. Most 'temporary' redirects people set are actually permanent.
What causes redirect loops?
A→B→A configurations, often from conflicting www/non-www or http/https rules. The curl chain output here makes loops obvious.
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