Trace where any URL ultimately resolves after following all redirects, plus the final HTTP status code. Useful for confirming 301 migrations, debugging affiliate links, and detecting redirect chains that hurt SEO.
A redirect is when a URL automatically forwards to a different URL. There are several types: 301 (permanent — preferred for SEO), 302 (temporary), 307/308 (HTTP/2 equivalents), and meta refresh / JavaScript redirects (slower, sometimes hide-able from crawlers). Long redirect chains (more than 1–2 hops) leak link equity and slow page load — fix them by updating the source URL to point directly at the final destination.
Enter a URL. The tool fetches it through a CORS-friendly proxy that follows server-side redirects and reports the final URL plus the final HTTP status code. For full hop-by-hop tracing, use a server-side tool like curl -ILv or a desktop crawler — browser-side fetches can't expose intermediate hops.
Use it after migrating a site to verify old URLs land on the right new ones, when auditing affiliate links (long chains often signal cookie problems), when investigating SEO link equity loss, and when tracking down 'where did this short URL actually go?' questions.
Always use 301 (permanent) redirects for moved pages — search engines pass full link equity through 301s. Avoid chains: if A→B→C, update A to point directly to C. Limit redirects to one hop. Don't redirect to homepage as a default — redirect to the most relevant equivalent page.
Browser-side fetches don't expose intermediate hops. Use curl -ILv on the command line or a tool like httpstatus.io for full chain visibility.
302s are interpreted as temporary, so search engines may not pass full link equity. Use 301 for permanent moves.
Modern Googlebot follows JS redirects, but server-side 301s are faster and more reliable.
Explore more website tracking tools on the tool hub — or jump straight to the Link Tracker, Check Server Status, Page Comparison Tool.