Free Redirect Checker

What is a redirect?

A redirect sends anyone who opens one web address to another one. You type yourbusiness.com and end up on https://www.yourbusiness.com/: that was one or two redirects. Websites use them when a page moves, when a site switches to secure https, when it settles on www or non-www as its main address, and when it moves to a new domain.

Visitors rarely notice a redirect that works. They notice when it does not: a page that loads forever, a “too many redirects” error, or a link that lands on “page not found”. Search engines notice too, because the kind of redirect tells them whether the old address is gone for good.

Redirect status codes explained

Every answer from a server starts with a three-digit status code. Codes from 300 to 399 are redirects; the answer also carries a Location line saying where to go next.

• 301 Moved Permanently: the page has moved for good. Browsers may remember it, and search engines replace the old address with the new one in their results.
• 302 Found: a temporary move. Search engines usually keep the old address listed.
• 303 See Other: “go and look over there”, used after a form is sent, to show a thank-you page.
• 307 Temporary Redirect: like 302, but the browser must repeat the request exactly as it was (a sent form stays a sent form).
• 308 Permanent Redirect: like 301, with the same “repeat it exactly” rule as 307.

And the final answers you will see at the end of a chain: 200 OK (the page loaded), 404 Not Found (no page there), 410 Gone (removed on purpose), 403 Forbidden (the server refused, sometimes only to automated checkers like ours), and 5xx server errors. This tool also works as an HTTP status checker: enter any address to see its final status code.

301 or 302: which one should you use?

• Use 301 (or 308) when the move is permanent: a page renamed, a site moved to a new domain, http moved to https, www and non-www joined into one. This is the right choice almost every time.
• Use 302 (or 307) only when the old address will come back: a page down for a few days, a seasonal offer, a test.
• Using 302 for a permanent move is a common mistake. It still sends visitors to the right place, but it tells search engines the old address is coming back, so they may keep showing it.

Common redirect problems

• Redirect loop. Address A sends to B, and B sends back to A, so the page never opens and browsers show “too many redirects”. Usually two settings fighting each other (see below).
• Redirect chain. A sends to B, B to C, C to D. It works, but every step adds waiting time, and search engines may stop following long chains. Point A straight to D.
• No http to https redirect. The old http:// address still opens without moving visitors to the secure version, so some visitors see “Not secure”.
• www and non-www both open separately. Two copies of your site at two addresses. Choose one as the main address and redirect the other to it with a 301.
• A redirect to a missing page. The chain ends on 404. Common after a redesign: fix the redirect to point at the new page.
• Secure to insecure. A step sends visitors from https back to http. Change the redirect to the https address.

How to set up or fix redirects on WordPress

1. Moved pages: a redirect plugin does it without code. In the plugin's settings, enter the old address, the new address, and choose 301.
2. http to https: in Settings → General, both WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) should start with https://. Many hosts also have a “force HTTPS” switch in the hosting panel.
3. www or non-www: those same two addresses decide it. Make them identical, with or without www, to match the address you want.
4. A loop on WordPress is usually two things forcing redirects at once: a plugin and the host, two plugins, or WordPress and Cloudflare. Turn one off, then check again.

How to set up or fix redirects on Wix

1. Moved or deleted pages: in your Wix dashboard, open the SEO settings and choose the URL Redirect Manager. Add the old address and the page it should go to.
2. https and www: Wix handles the secure connection and the main address of a connected domain itself. If the www or non-www version does not work, check the domain in Wix's domain settings.
3. Publish after changes, then check again here.

How to set up or fix redirects on Squarespace

1. Moved pages: in Settings, open URL Mappings (under Advanced or Developer Tools, depending on your menus) and add one line per page, like /old-page -> /new-page 301.
2. https: Squarespace includes a free SSL certificate. Check its SSL settings are set to secure, so http visitors are moved to https.
3. Save, then check the old address again here.

How to set up or fix redirects on Cloudflare

1. Moved pages or a new domain: use Rules → Redirect Rules and choose 301.
2. http to https: turn on Always Use HTTPS under SSL/TLS → Edge Certificates.
3. A loop with Cloudflare is very often the SSL/TLS mode set to Flexible while your server also forces https: Cloudflare asks your server over http, your server redirects to https, and round it goes. Set the mode to Full (strict) if your server has a certificate.

How to fix a redirect loop

A loop always means two rules disagree, for example one says “go to www” and the other says “go to non-www”, or one says “go to https” while something in front of the server keeps asking over http. Use the chain above to see which addresses repeat, then look for the two places that set them: your website builder or WordPress settings, a redirect plugin, your host's panel, and Cloudflare. Remove one of the two rules, clear your browser's saved data for the site, and check again.

What this checker does, and its limits

• Follows the address you enter, one redirect at a time, up to 5 redirects. A longer chain is stopped and reported as “stopped after 5 redirects”. A loop is reported as soon as an address repeats.
• Shows each step's address and time, the final address and its status code, and also checks where the http:// and the www (or non-www) versions send visitors.
• Follows only redirects the server sends (3xx codes). Redirects made by a page's JavaScript or a “refresh” tag are not followed.
• Checks once, from our server, right now. It introduces itself as FlatRateChatBot; some sites answer automated checks differently from browsers.
• Nothing is saved: the result is shown to you and not stored. Up to 60 checks a day from one connection, and 30 a day of the same website.
• Also free: the Broken Link Checker tests every link on your pages.
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• Also free: the Google Maps Embed Generator makes the code to show your business on a Google map on your website.
• Also free: the WhatsApp Link Generator makes WhatsApp, click-to-call and text links, website buttons and a QR code.
• Also free: the Google Review Link Generator turns your Google review link into a QR code, a printable sign and ready-to-send messages.
• Also free: the Website Down Checker checks from our server whether a website answers right now, and why not.
• Also free: the SSL Checker checks that your site opens securely on https and shows its certificate details.
• Also free: the Robots.txt Checker reads your robots.txt and shows whether it blocks Google, AI crawlers or your sitemap.
• Also free: the Robots.txt Generator makes a robots.txt file for your website and checks it as you type.
• Also free: the Website Accessibility Checker scans one page for common accessibility problems, like images without alt text and form fields without labels.
• Also free: the Meta Tag Checker shows the title, description and other tags Google reads on a page, with a search preview.
• Also free: the Open Graph Checker shows how a page will look when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn and X, and checks its og:image.

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