301 Moved Permanently
Use a permanent server-side redirect when a URL has moved for the long term and the destination should become the preferred location.
How to Check a Redirect Chain (301, 302, 307 & 308)
A redirect chain is the sequence of 3xx responses between the URL requested first and the final destination. Trace every hop instead of checking only where the browser eventually lands.
Short answer
Start with the original URL, record its HTTP status and Location header, then repeat the request for each redirect target until a non-redirect response or a loop is reached. The Redirect Checker follows supported 301, 302, 303, 307 and 308 responses and shows each hop, destination and final URL.
Permanent vs temporary redirects
308 Permanent Redirect
308 is also permanent and preserves the request method. It can be useful where method preservation matters.
302 Found
Use a temporary redirect when the original URL should remain the intended long-term location and the alternate destination is temporary.
307 Temporary Redirect
307 is temporary and preserves the request method. This distinction is important for non-GET requests and APIs.
Why long redirect chains are worth fixing
Every avoidable hop adds another request before the final resource can load. Chains also make migrations, canonicalization and troubleshooting harder. When you control the rules, point old URLs directly at the final intended destination instead of preserving historical intermediate hops.
How to diagnose a redirect loop
- Trace the chain and identify the first URL that repeats.
- Check HTTP-to-HTTPS and www/non-www rules for contradictory canonical-host logic.
- Inspect CDN, reverse-proxy and application rules separately; two layers can each try to “correct” the other.
- Check forwarded-protocol headers when an application sits behind a TLS-terminating proxy.
- Clear only the cache layer that can actually retain the redirect after the server rule is fixed.
Redirects and Google Search
Google documents permanent redirects such as 301 and 308 as signals that the target should be canonical, while 302, 303 and 307 are temporary. Google also recommends server-side permanent redirects for URL moves and advises avoiding unnecessary chains by redirecting directly to the final destination where possible.
What this checker does not trace
The server-side tool follows HTTP redirects communicated by status code and Location. A JavaScript navigation or delayed meta refresh happens after HTML processing and may require browser-level inspection instead.
Primary references
Last technically reviewed: September 28, 2026.