Redirect Check

Redirects are server instructions that automatically send users and search engines from one URL to another. They are used when pages move, URLs change, or content is consolidated. The server responds with a 3xx status code and a Location header pointing to the new URL.

A 301 redirect means "Moved Permanently" — it tells search engines to transfer all ranking signals to the new URL. A 302 redirect means "Found" (temporary) — it tells search engines the original URL may return in the future, so ranking signals stay with the original. Use 301 for permanent changes and 302 for temporary ones.

Redirect chains occur when one redirect leads to another redirect. Each hop adds latency and can dilute link equity. Google recommends keeping redirect chains as short as possible — ideally a single redirect from source to final destination. Long chains (3+ hops) may cause search engines to stop following the chain.

The "too many redirects" error (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) occurs when a URL enters an infinite redirect loop — for example, page A redirects to page B, which redirects back to page A. Browsers detect this loop and stop following redirects after a certain limit (usually 20). Fix it by checking your redirect rules for circular references.

You can test redirects using this tool, browser developer tools (Network tab), or command-line tools like curl with the -L flag. When testing, check that the final destination is correct, the status codes are appropriate (301 vs 302), and the chain is as short as possible.