Redirect Chain Visualizer
Paste a redirect chain — or raw curl -IL output — and instantly see every hop, flag 302s that should be 301s, detect loops, and get a ready-to-paste Apache or Nginx rule to collapse the chain to a single redirect.
Paste your chain
Pick your input format
Chain mode takes a list of URLs. curl mode parses curl -IL https://your-url output directly.
Chain analysis
Chain visualisation
Collapse to single 301 — Apache
# Apache — collapse chain to single 301
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^workspacein\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^old-page$ https://workspacein.com/new-page [R=301,L]Collapse to single 301 — Nginx
# Nginx — collapse chain to single 301
server {
server_name workspacein.com;
location = /old-page {
return 301 https://workspacein.com/new-page;
}
}- warning4 redirects — each hop loses link equity and adds latency. Collapse to one 301 if possible.
- warningMultiple normalisation changes in one chain (Protocol (http/https), Host (www / subdomain), Trailing slash). Handle all at once in a single 301 rule.
How to Fix a Redirect Chain
Four rules Google applies every time it crawls a redirect. Break any and the page loses rankings.
One hop is the goal
Google follows up to ~5 redirects then stops. Each extra hop adds latency and bleeds a small amount of link equity. Collapse chains to a single 301 whenever possible.
Use 301 for permanent moves
301 (and 308) pass full link equity. 302 and 307 are temporary and Google may keep indexing the old URL. If the page moved for good, it's 301.
Redirect to the canonical URL
The destination of every 301 must be indexable and self-canonical. Redirecting to a noindex page or another redirect target wastes the signal entirely.
Normalise in one rule
Handle http→https, non-www→www, and trailing-slash in a single rewrite block at the top of the config. Don't stack them as separate rules — that's what creates chains.
Redirect Status Code Reference
When to use each, and what Google does with it.
301 Moved Permanently
Passes full link equity. Use for permanent moves. Google replaces the old URL with the new one in its index.
308 Permanent Redirect
Same as 301 but preserves the HTTP method. Safer for POST forms and APIs. Equally SEO-friendly.
302 Found
Temporary. Use for A/B tests, short-lived redirects. Google keeps the old URL indexed. Do NOT use for permanent moves.
307 Temporary Redirect
Same as 302 but preserves HTTP method. Fine for temporary redirects of non-GET requests.
303 See Other
Always forces a GET on the target, regardless of original method. Used after form submits (POST/Redirect/GET pattern).
304 Not Modified
Not a redirect — a cache response. Tells the browser its cached copy is still valid. No SEO impact.
Meta refresh
Slow (waits for HTML to parse). Google treats 0-second meta refresh as 301-like. Avoid for anything important.
JavaScript redirect
Executed only by browsers that run JS. Google renders JS but with a delay. Use server-side 301 whenever you can.
Redirect Problems We Find in Every Audit
The patterns that silently cost rankings during migrations, replatforms, and CMS upgrades.
Chain breakers
Status code mistakes
Migration damage
HTTPS mistakes
Redirect FAQ
Does a 301 pass 100% of link equity?
Google has said yes for permanent redirects — for "most cases". In practice, a small amount is lost with every hop, so minimising hops is still best.
How do I test my redirects?
Run curl -IL https://your-url in a terminal — it follows redirects and prints every status code and location header. Paste the output into this tool.
Why can't this tool fetch the URL itself?
Browsers block cross-origin requests for security. A server-side fetch is the only way, and we don't send data off your device. Paste the curl output instead.
How long do I keep old 301 redirects?
Google has said "at least a year" but best practice is forever. Once a redirect is in place it costs nothing and protects inbound links from external sites you can't control.
Running a Migration or Replatform?
Our Australian SEO team maps every old URL to the new one, builds the redirect rules, and QA's the chain before you cut over — no traffic loss on launch day.
- URL mapping sheet
- Redirect rule generation
- Post-launch QA
No long-term commitment. Cancel anytime. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.