The WWW Redirect Checker is a free online tool that traces the complete redirect chain for any URL, showing every hop from the original URL to the final destination. Redirect chains — where one URL redirects to another, which redirects to another — accumulate slowly over time and can cause significant SEO and performance issues.

Each redirect adds latency and can dilute the link equity passed through the chain. Google recommends minimizing redirect hops to no more than 2. This tool gives you complete visibility into your redirect architecture.

How to Check URL Redirects

• Enter any URL (start with http:// or https://)
• Click Check Redirects
• View the complete redirect chain: each URL hop, HTTP status code and response time

What to Look For

• 301 chain — permanent redirects (good, but minimize hops)
• 302 in chain — temporary redirect (check if it should be 301)
• Redirect loop — URL redirects back to itself, causing infinite loop
• HTTP to HTTPS — verify this redirect is in place
• non-www to www (or vice versa) — verify canonicalization is correct

Best Practice

Consolidate multi-hop chains into a single direct redirect. For example, A→B→C should become A→C. Update internal links to point directly to the final URL. Free, no login required.

Want to learn more? Read our complete guide: What is SSL and Does HTTPS Affect Google Rankings? →