Built and fact-checked by the DocNectar team — see our editorial standards
Key Features
Instant Calculation
Get accurate results in real time with our optimized algorithm.
Mobile Friendly
Fully responsive design. Works on all devices & screen sizes.
Privacy Focused
Your data stays on your device. We don't store any inputs.
100% Free
No hidden costs. This tool is completely free forever.
A single link can silently pass through several redirects before reaching its final destination — each hop adds latency, and redirect chains (as opposed to a single, direct redirect) are a common, easily-missed SEO issue.
This tool follows a URL's redirect chain one hop at a time, showing every intermediate status code and URL along the way, until it reaches a non-redirect response.
How it works
Enter a URL. The tool requests it without letting redirects auto-follow, checks the response — if it's a redirect, it follows the Location header to the next hop and repeats, safely verifying each hop's hostname before contacting it, up to 10 hops.
- Enter uRL to check.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
A direct response with no redirects
If a URL returns HTTP 200 immediately, the chain shows just that single hop — no redirect was involved.
Who should use it
- Auditing internal or external links for unnecessary redirect chains.
- Verifying a URL migration or redirect rule is working as expected.
Industry applications
- SEO and technical web auditing
- Web development and QA
Advantages
- Shows every hop in the chain, not just the final destination.
- Each hop is independently safety-checked before being contacted.
Limitations
- Capped at 10 hops — a chain longer than that (unusual in practice) would be reported as incomplete.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Not noticing an unnecessary multi-hop redirect chain that could be simplified to a single, direct redirect.
- Using a temporary (302) redirect for a change that's actually meant to be permanent.
Best practices
- Aim for at most one redirect hop for any important URL, and update internal links to point directly at the final destination rather than relying on a redirect.
Tips
- If you need to check whether the final destination's meta tags are set up correctly (not just the redirect chain itself), follow up with the Meta Tag Analyzer.