A redirect checker follows a URL from the first request to the final destination and shows every hop, status code and target along the way. To check redirects, paste the URL into a tool like the QCK Redirect Checker, confirm it lands on the right page in a single hop with a 301 or 308, and fix any chains, loops or temporary redirects you find.
What a redirect is and how redirect checking works
A redirect tells a browser or crawler that the content it asked for lives at a different URL. Server-side redirects return a 3xx status code with a Location header pointing to the new address. A redirect checker sends a request, records the status and the Location, then requests that location, repeating until it reaches a page that returns 200, an error, or a loop.
The main server-side status codes:
| Code | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved permanently | The page has moved for good. The standard choice for SEO migrations. |
| 308 | Permanent redirect, request method preserved | Same as 301 for SEO purposes; useful when a POST must stay a POST. |
| 302 | Found (temporary) | Short-term moves, such as a temporary promotion page. |
| 307 | Temporary redirect, method preserved | Temporary moves where the method must not change. Browsers also show 307 internally for HSTS upgrades. |
There are also client-side redirects: meta refresh tags and JavaScript that changes window.location. Google can follow them, but they are slower and less reliable signals than a server-side 301. Use them only when you cannot configure the server.
Why redirects matter for SEO, AI search and revenue
Google treats permanent redirects (301 and 308) as a strong signal that the target should be the canonical URL, and temporary redirects (302 and 307) as a weak one. Use a 302 for a permanent move and Google may keep showing the old URL. Get it right and the new URL inherits the old one's place in the index.
Chains add risk. Each hop is another request for crawlers and users, and Google documents that Googlebot follows a limited number of redirect hops before it gives up on the URL. Chains also tend to grow: an HTTP to HTTPS rule, then a trailing-slash rule, then a migration rule, each layered on top of the last. Loops are worse: the URL never resolves, so the page drops out of search and visitors see an error.
For e-commerce brands the cost is direct. Discontinued products, renamed collections and old campaign URLs keep receiving links and ad clicks. If those redirects break or loop, paid traffic lands on errors and the link equity built over years stops flowing to pages that make money. AI assistants that cite an old URL send users through the same path.
How to use the QCK Redirect Checker
The tool has two modes: follow a single URL, or validate a whole redirect map.
Check a single URL
- Open the Redirect Checker.
- Paste the starting URL. Test the variants people and links actually use:
http://,https://, with and withoutwww, and with and without a trailing slash. - Run the check and read the hop list from top to bottom: each row shows the URL requested, the status code and where it pointed next.
- Confirm the final URL returns 200 and is the page you intended.
Validate a redirect map
- Paste your planned or existing redirects as source and destination pairs.
- Run the validation to find loops (A points to B, B points back to A) and chains (A to B, B to C).
- Update the map so every source points directly at its final destination, then re-run until it is clean.
Validating the map before launch is the cheapest moment to catch problems. Once a migration is live, every chain is already being crawled.
How to read the results and fix common issues
- More than one hop: update the first redirect to point straight at the final URL. Also update internal links, canonicals and sitemaps so they reference the final URL and do not trigger a redirect at all.
- 302 or 307 on a permanent move: change it to 301 or 308. Many platforms and plugins default to 302.
- Loop detected: look for two rules that contradict each other, often a CMS redirect fighting a server or CDN rule, or a trailing-slash rule fighting a canonical rule.
- Final URL returns 404: the redirect points at a page that no longer exists. Choose the closest live equivalent. The guide to fixing 404 errors covers how to map them.
- Everything redirects to the homepage: Google may treat irrelevant redirects like this as soft 404s. Redirect to the most relevant page instead, or let truly gone pages return 404 or 410.
Redirect tips and mistakes to avoid
- Keep redirects in place long term. Google recommends keeping site-move redirects for at least a year, and keeping them longer costs little. Old links and bookmarks keep sending traffic for years.
- Redirect at the closest layer you control. Shopify URL redirects, server config or your CDN all work. Avoid spreading rules across several layers where they can conflict.
- Preserve query strings on campaign URLs. Check that UTM parameters survive the redirect, or your attribution breaks.
- Do not redirect robots.txt or sitemaps casually. Crawlers expect them at fixed locations.
- Re-check after platform changes. Theme, app and CDN updates can add rules you did not write.
Planning a replatform or URL restructure? Our technical SEO team builds and validates redirect maps for migrations, including Shopify moves. You can also contact us for a migration review.