Redirect Checker - Free SEO tool

Redirects are how a site keeps its history intact. Every renamed page, every migrated domain and every reorganised section depends on them. They are also where link equity quietly leaks, because a chain that works in a browser can still be wrong for a crawler.

The Sorank Redirect Checker follows a URL hop by hop and reports the status code and destination at each step, so you see the same path a crawler sees.

Reading the status codes

301, moved permanently: the right answer for a page that has a new address for good. Signals consolidate on the destination.
302 and 307, found and temporary redirect: they say the move is temporary, so engines keep the original URL indexed. Used by mistake on a permanent move, they hold a migration in limbo.
308, permanent redirect: like a 301 but it preserves the request method. Correct, and less common.
Meta refresh and JavaScript redirects: they work for people and are unreliable for crawlers. Replace them with a server redirect whenever you can.

What to look for in a chain

Loops: A points to B and B points back to A. The page becomes unreachable for everyone.
Long chains: each extra hop costs time for visitors and crawl budget on large sites. Rewrite the rules so the first URL points straight at the final one.
Chains that end on an error: a redirect to a 404 is worse than no redirect at all, because it hides the problem behind a hop.
Protocol and host hops: http to https, then non www to www, is two hops doing the work of one rule.
Redirects to the homepage: sending every retired page to the root looks tidy and is treated as a soft 404. Send each page to its closest equivalent, or return 410 when there is none.

When this check earns its keep

Before and after a migration, on a sample of the most linked pages, to confirm the map actually resolves.
On pages that lost rankings after a rename, where a 302 is a frequent culprit.
On your inbound links, since a link pointing at a URL that now chains through three hops passes less than a direct one.
On campaign and affiliate URLs, which often pick up tracking hops that nobody audits.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a 301 and a 302?

A 301 says the move is permanent, so engines transfer signals to the destination and eventually replace the old URL in their index. A 302 says the move is temporary, so the original URL stays indexed. Using a 302 for a permanent move is one of the most common migration mistakes.

How many redirects in a chain are too many?

Aim for one. Crawlers follow a limited number of hops before giving up, and every hop adds latency for visitors. Two is tolerable during a transition, but the rules should be rewritten so the first URL points straight at the final destination.

Should retired pages redirect to the homepage?

No. A redirect to an unrelated page is usually treated as a soft 404 and helps nobody. Send each retired page to its closest equivalent, and when there is none, return 404 or 410 so the page is removed cleanly.