Redirect Chain Checker

Enter a URL to follow its real redirects hop by hop, or map out a planned chain by hand.

Trace a live URL

or map hops by hand

Redirect Hops

Warnings

0 hops

AI Search Insights for Redirects

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AI engines follow redirects but lose patience

AI crawlers follow redirect chains like search bots, but long chains (3+ hops) slow crawling. GPTBot and Google-Extended may drop a chain after too many hops, meaning the final page never gets indexed for AI answers.

✓

301s pass full link equity to AI

A clean 301 redirect passes authority signals to the destination URL. AI engines consider link equity when deciding which sources to cite — pages with strong backlink profiles redirected via 301 transfer that authority to the new URL.

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302s can split AI citations

A 302 (temporary) redirect tells crawlers the original URL may return. This can cause AI engines to cite either the old or new URL inconsistently. If the redirect is permanent, always use 301 to keep citations consolidated.

Redirect chains affect how AI engines reach your content. PatchMySEO tracks if they cite it. Try free audit →

What this redirect chain checker does

Enter a URL and this free tool follows every hop and shows the full redirect chain — each status code (301, 302, 307, 308) and destination — so you can catch redirect loops and long chains that waste crawl budget and link equity.

Why redirect chains hurt SEO

Lost link equity: each extra hop can dilute the ranking signals passed to the final page.
Slower pages: every redirect adds a round trip before the user sees content.
301 vs 302: use a 301 (permanent) when a page has moved for good; 302 is temporary and passes signals differently.
Loops and chains: redirects pointing back to each other, or 3+ hops, should be collapsed to a single redirect.

Frequently asked questions

What is a redirect chain?

A redirect chain is when one URL redirects to another, which redirects again, and so on. Each hop slows the page and can lose link equity; aim for a single redirect to the final URL.

What's the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?

A 301 is permanent and tells search engines to move indexing and ranking to the new URL. A 302 is temporary and keeps the original indexed. Use 301 for permanent moves.

How do I check a URL's redirects?

Enter the URL above; this tool follows each redirect hop and shows the status code and destination at every step until the final page.

Is this redirect checker free?

Yes, it's free, needs no sign-up, and runs in your browser.

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