Redirect Checker

A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL that itself redirects to a third URL. Each hop adds latency (100–300ms), dilutes the PageRank passed through the redirect, and increases the risk that a crawler gives up before reaching the final destination. Best practice is to reduce chains to a single direct redirect.

A 301 is a permanent redirect — search engines transfer virtually all PageRank to the destination and update their index. A 302 is a temporary redirect — search engines may keep the original URL in the index and pass less PageRank. Use 301 for permanent moves, 302 for genuinely temporary redirects like A/B tests.

A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects back to URL A (or through a chain that returns to a previously visited URL). Browsers display an error after a set number of hops. Loops usually result from misconfigured server rules, CMS plugin conflicts, or incorrect www/non-www settings.

A single 301 redirect passes close to 100% of PageRank and has minimal SEO impact. Problems arise with redirect chains of 3+ hops (cumulative PageRank dilution), redirect loops (prevent indexing entirely), 302 redirects used where 301s are appropriate, and slow redirects that add latency to Core Web Vitals metrics.