What does a redirect checker do?
A redirect checker requests a URL and follows each redirect until it reaches a page that answers on its own. It lists every hop with its HTTP status code and the URL it points to. A bulk redirect checker runs the same trace for a whole list of URLs at once.
Browsers hide the hops. A shopper sees the final page and never learns it took a 301, a 302 and another 301 to get there.
This checker also reads the page that answers. It catches HTML meta refresh tags that header-only checkers miss. A JavaScript redirect is not run and shows as a 200 on the first URL.
301 vs 302 redirect: which one should you use?
Use a 301 when a page has moved for good and a 302 when the move is short term. Google treats 301 and 308 as a strong signal that the new URL should rank. It treats 302, 303 and 307 as a weak signal and may keep the old URL.
| Code | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved permanently | Pages that moved for good. The default for migrations. |
| 308 | Permanent and keeps the request method | Google treats it like a 301. Useful for forms and APIs. |
| 302 | Found (temporary) | Short moves such as a seasonal page or maintenance. |
| 303 | See other | Sends the browser to a result page after a form post. Google treats it like a 302. |
| 307 | Temporary and keeps the request method | Google treats it like a 302. |
Google reads an instant meta refresh as permanent and a delayed one as temporary. It sees a JavaScript redirect only when the page renders. A server redirect is the safest choice.
How many redirects in a chain is too many?
One hop is the target for every redirect. Google's crawlers follow up to 10 hops, and Google's site move guide recommends no more than 3. Each extra hop adds a full round trip for the shopper and one more request for Googlebot.
The checker flags any URL with two or more redirects as a chain. Past 10 hops it stops and marks the row as an error.
How to fix redirect chains in WordPress
A redirect chain on a WordPress site often comes from rules that different plugins and hosts added at different times. A common one sends HTTP to HTTPS and then www to non-www in two separate hops. One combined rule in the server config removes that extra hop for every URL.
- Server rules first: HTTPS and www redirects belong in .htaccess on Apache and LiteSpeed, or in the server block on Nginx. They run before WordPress loads.
- Page redirects in a plugin: The Redirection plugin or the Rank Math Redirections module handle single pages with no code. Our guide shows how to redirect a page or URL in WordPress.
- Point rules at the final URL: When a page moves twice, edit the first redirect to go straight to the newest address.
- Check the CDN too: A redirect rule in Cloudflare or at your host runs before your server. It can stack with the same rule in .htaccess.
- Update internal links: Menus and links in your own content should point at the final URL. Shoppers then never touch a redirect.
Does WordPress redirect a changed URL on its own?
WordPress redirects a changed URL on its own for posts and WooCommerce products only. When you change the slug of either, it saves the old slug and sends a 301 to the new address. Pages, product categories and tags get no such redirect, and their old URLs usually return a 404.
WordPress keeps every old slug of a post. A product renamed twice still sends both old URLs to the newest one in a single hop.
Pages and categories need a redirect from you. Paste their old addresses here after any rename to see which ones still land.
How do you check redirects after a site migration?
Export every old URL before the move, map each one to its new address and test the full list after launch. Paste the old URL, a comma and the expected new URL on each line here. The checker flags every row that lands anywhere else.
Include pages, posts, products, categories and any image or PDF that earns links. The match ignores letter case and a trailing slash.
Google advises keeping migration redirects for at least a year. Watch the Pages report in Search Console for Not found rows over the following weeks.
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