Redirect checker for hop chains, loops and HTTPS downgrades

A redirect chain is the series of hops a browser or crawler follows before it reaches the final page. Each hop is a response with a 3xx status and a Location header. One short chain is normal, but long chains slow visitors down and make it harder for crawlers to settle on one address.

Not always. A 302 is meant for temporary moves. When the change is permanent, such as http to https, www to the apex domain, or a trailing slash rule, use a 301 or 308 so search engines move their signals to the new address. The checker flags 302 responses that look permanent.

Aim for one. The checker warns above three, because every hop adds delay and some crawlers stop following long chains. The better fix is to update internal links and sitemaps so they point straight at the final address.

Browsers give up on long chains too. Stopping at 10 keeps each check fast. A chain that reaches the limit almost always has a loop or a conflict between rules, and that needs fixing at the source.

No. Every hop is checked against the same rules as the first address. Localhost, private network ranges, link-local and cloud metadata addresses are refused, so the checker cannot be used to probe internal systems.