Redirect Checker

Use this tool to trace every step in a URL’s redirect chain and see the final destination of any link or website.

What is a URL or domain redirect and why use it?

A redirect automatically sends you from one webpage to another without any action on your part. Redirects are common online — for example, on social media, where short links such as https://t.ly/w1lT take you to longer URLs like https://www.example.com/a-very-long-page-name. They make links easier to share, cleaner to display, and often allow tracking clicks for analytics or marketing.

Redirects are also useful in other contexts. For example, example.com/tv could lead to https://www.example.com/promos/exclusive-tv-only-deal. This makes URLs short, memorable, and easy to use in offline advertising. It also helps marketers track visits and measure campaign performance.

Why check redirects?

There are many reasons to inspect a redirect chain before opening a link:

• Tracking and privacy: Redirects often pass through several intermediate pages, each capable of collecting data, setting cookies, or recording your click. This is common in affiliate or advertising links where tracking codes are used to attribute sales or visits.
• Security: Not all redirects are safe. A harmless-looking URL like https://www.safe-site.com could silently redirect to multiple malicious domains before landing on a harmful page. Checking redirects can help uncover suspicious or dangerous destinations.
• Web development and testing: Developers often use redirects intentionally — for example, when moving a page or forcing HTTPS. Testing redirect behavior ensures that visitors and search engines end up in the right place.
• Detecting redirect loops: Sometimes, pages can redirect to each other endlessly (e.g., page A → page B → page A). Detecting such loops helps identify misconfigurations.
• Improving performance: Each redirect adds extra loading time. Long redirect chains mean more server requests and DNS lookups. Simplifying them helps pages load faster and improves user experience.

How do you check for redirects?

Using this tool is simple. Enter a URL or domain name in the search box and click “Check Redirects.” The tool will automatically request the page, detect whether it redirects, record the redirect type, and continue following each step until it reaches the final destination.

How do you find the status code of a redirect?

Each redirect step comes with an HTTP status code that describes what type of redirect it is. For example, a 301 status code means a permanent redirect, while a 302 indicates a temporary one. The underlying HTTP request and response might look like this:

In this example, the browser first requests example.com, receives a 301 redirect to https://www.example.com/, and finally lands on the destination page, which returns a 200 OK response.

There are several types of redirects, each serving a different purpose. The most common ones are explained below:

• 301 Moved Permanently - indicates that a page has been permanently moved to a new location. Browsers and search engines remember this redirect, so future requests to the original URL are automatically sent to the new one without checking the old page again. This is the preferred type of redirect for SEO, as it transfers the ranking value and authority of the original page to the new destination.
• 302 Found - means the requested page was found but is temporarily located elsewhere. It’s often used when a page is under maintenance or being updated. Search engines typically keep the original URL indexed, expecting it to return later.
• 307 Temporary Redirect - is a more specific version of a temporary redirect. It tells browsers and search engines that the redirect is only temporary and that the original page will return. Unlike a 301, the browser does not cache or remember a 307 redirect. It also preserves the HTTP method (e.g., POST stays POST), making it more technically accurate for short-term use.