About redirect / http status checker
A redirect checker follows a URL step by step and shows each HTTP status code until it reaches the final page. It is useful for diagnosing broken links and checking migrations.
Status codes to know
- 200: OK, the page loaded.
- 301 and 308: permanent redirects. Use them when a page has moved for good.
- 302 and 307: temporary redirects.
- 404: not found. 410: gone for good. 500 and above: server errors.
What to look for
- Long chains of redirects slow pages down. Aim for one step.
- Redirect loops that never end.
- http addresses that do not redirect to https.
A worked example
An old address http://example.com/old returns 301 to https://example.com/old, which returns 301 to https://example.com/new. That is two hops. Pointing the first address straight to the final one is faster and keeps more SEO value.
When to use which
- Use 301 (or 308) for pages that have moved for good.
- Use 302 (or 307) for short-term changes, such as a sale page.
- Avoid meta refresh or JavaScript redirects when a server redirect is possible.
