AI Web MakerRedirect checker: follow every redirect to the final page
Type an address. The checker follows each redirect one step at a time and shows its status code, and for a whole website it checks all four versions (http, https, with and without www).
This tool checks one thing. The AI Website SEO Checker checks your whole website: 23 checks, every public page, three pages read in depth and the keywords you can win.
Check your website SEO with AI →Why redirects matter
A redirect sends visitors and search engines from one address to another. Done well, it carries an old page's ranking to its new home. Done badly, it wastes time, splits your ranking between copies of the same page, or leads nowhere at all.
What the status codes mean
- 301 and 308: moved for good. Search engines move the ranking to the new address. Use these for changed addresses, merged pages and the move to https.
- 302, 303 and 307: moved for now. Search engines may keep the old address in their index. Use these only when the page really is coming back.
- 200: the page itself. Every chain should end here.
- 404 or 410: the page is gone. Fine for pages you removed on purpose, but a redirect that ends on one is a dead end.
The four versions of a website
To a search engine, http://yourbusiness.com, http://www.yourbusiness.com, https://yourbusiness.com and https://www.yourbusiness.com are four different addresses. Type a bare domain here and the checker traces all four. They should each reach the one version you use in a single 301 step. If two of them show the site without redirecting, Google sees duplicate copies and your ranking is split.
Chains and loops
A chain is a redirect to another redirect: http to https, then to www, then to a new page name. Each step adds a round trip for every visitor and uses crawl effort. Point every old address straight at the final one. A loop, where the redirects lead back to an address already visited, stops the page from loading at all.
When links on your own pages point at redirected addresses, update them too: the broken link checker shows which links redirect. For everything else Google weighs, run the AI Website SEO Checker.
Redirect Checker: questions and answers
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 says the page has moved for good, so search engines pass its ranking to the new address. A 302 says the move is temporary, so they may keep the old address. For a permanent move, use a 301 (or 308).
What is a redirect chain?
A redirect that leads to another redirect before reaching the page. Each step costs time and some crawl effort. Point every old address straight at the final page.
Why check all four versions of a website?
http://, https://, www and non-www are four addresses to a search engine. They should all lead, in one step, to the one version you use, or your ranking is split between copies.
What is a redirect loop?
Redirects that lead back to an address already visited, so the page never loads. Browsers show an error and search engines give up.