Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Redirect Checker

Field	Value	Copy
{{ r.label }}	{{ r.value }}
No summary available.

#	URL	Status	Location	Time (ms)	Copy
{{ h.index }}	{{ h.url }}	{{ h.status }}	{{ h.location \|\| '—' }}	{{ h.time_ms }}
No hops recorded.

Web redirects are automatic jumps from one address to another. They keep bookmarks working during site moves and route traffic toward canonical pages. A redirect chain checker helps you see the full path and the destination in one pass.

Enter one address, run the check, and read the final destination and the stops along the way. You also see how long each hop took so you can spot slow links and unnecessary detours.

A common case is a move from a bare domain to a secure version. For example a link might go from a plain address to a subdomain and then end at a secure address. That pattern is normal when a site consolidates traffic and sets a preferred home.

Use steady inputs for clear results. Try again at different times if a site is busy and compare totals rather than a single hop. If results look odd check the address for typos or stray spaces before you try again.

Redirects do not prove that a page is healthy or current and they do not confirm account access. Avoid pasting private tokens into the box and treat copied links from email with extra care.

Choose this when you want the live chain rather than a page script or a DNS record. It focuses on one address at a time for a crisp read.

Technical Details:

The core concept is the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and its journey through responses defined by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) status codes. The engine observes each response in sequence and records the URL at that step, the status code, the next location if present, and the elapsed time in milliseconds.

The computation assembles a chain of hops, counts redirects, and identifies the final URL and status code. It also marks whether the final response declares HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) and whether the scheme changed from http to https or the reverse, which helps explain why a link lands where it does.

Redirects are recognized only when a status code is in the 300 to 399 range and a Location header exists. Crossing limits yields a clear note such as a timeout or a maximum‑redirects ceiling, so borderline cases are easy to spot.

Results reflect the vantage point of the helper service and the request style. A preference for HEAD can be faster, while GET may be necessary for servers that refuse HEAD. The user agent string and certificate checks can also influence behavior.

T = \sum_{i = 1} t_{i}

Symbols and units used in computations
Symbol	Meaning	Unit/Datatype	Source
`u₀`	Input URL	string	Input
`u_i`	URL at hop `i`	string	Derived
`s_i`	Status code at hop `i`	integer	Derived
`L_i`	`Location` header at hop `i`	string or empty	Derived
`t_i`	Elapsed time for hop `i`	ms	Derived
`n`	Redirect count	integer	Derived
`T`	Total time across hops	ms	Derived

Worked example.

u₀ = "http://a.test"
s₁ = 301, L₁ = "https://a.test", t₁ = 40 ms
s₂ = 200, t₂ = 125 ms
n = 1, T = 165 ms

Interpretation: one redirect to a secure scheme with a final success code. HSTS is marked only if the final response includes a Strict‑Transport‑Security header.

Processing pipeline

Normalize the input; add http:// if the scheme is missing and reject non‑http(s).
Select the preferred method, HEAD by default or GET if chosen.
Issue a request with redirects disabled and measure elapsed time per hop.
If 405 is returned on HEAD and fallback is enabled, retry with GET.
If status is 300–399 and Location exists, resolve the next URL against the current URL.
Apply method rules: 303 switches to GET; 301, 302, 307, and 308 keep the current method.
Repeat until a non‑redirect response arrives or the hop limit is reached.
Compute totals, scheme badge, and HSTS flag from the last response headers.

Variables & parameters

Parameters that influence results
Parameter	Meaning	Unit/Datatype	Typical Range	Notes
Method preference	Choose `HEAD` or `GET`	enum	HEAD or GET	Default HEAD; GET may reveal different paths.
Timeout per hop	Limit for each request	ms	200–4000	Neutral default 2500 ms.
Max redirects	Ceiling on followed hops	count	1–20	Neutral default 10.
Validate TLS certificate	Reject invalid certificates	boolean	on/off	Recommended on; off accepts misconfigurations.
Fallback GET on 405	Retry with `GET` when `HEAD` not allowed	boolean	on/off	Neutral default on.
User‑Agent	Custom identifier for requests	string	optional	Default identifies this checker.

Units, precision & rounding

Per‑hop times are measured in whole milliseconds using a monotonic clock.
Total time is either the measured end‑to‑end duration or the sum of hop times.
Integers are reported without decimal separators; status codes remain integers.

Validation & bounds extracted from code

Input fields, constraints, and error text
Field	Type	Min	Max	Step/Pattern	Error Text / Notes
URL	text	1	—	scheme must be http or https	“Enter a URL.” / “Invalid URL.” Placeholder `https://example.com`. Extra lines are ignored after the first.
Timeout per hop	number	200	4000	step 50	Per‑redirect timeout.
Max redirects	number	1	20	step 1	How many hops to follow at most.
Method preference	select	—	—	HEAD or GET	Default HEAD.
Validate TLS certificate	boolean	—	—	on/off	Neutral default on.
Fallback GET on 405	boolean	—	—	on/off	Neutral default on.
User‑Agent	text	0	—	any	Optional; leave blank to use the default.

I/O formats

Input and output shapes
Input	Accepted Families	Output	Encoding/Precision	Rounding
Single URL	http, https	Final URL, status, redirect count, hop list, total	JSON values; integers for codes and times	Times rounded to whole milliseconds

Networking & storage behavior

Requests are posted to a helper endpoint that performs the checks and returns JSON.
Only selected headers are surfaced from each hop: location, strict-transport-security, content-type, server, cache-control, date, and vary.
CORS responses vary by Origin and Referer; preflight is supported.
Server responses include Cache-Control: no-store.

Performance & complexity

Time and memory scale linearly with the number of hops. Each request is independent and bounded by the per‑hop timeout and a global deadline.

Diagnostics & determinism

Identical inputs generally produce identical chains when servers behave consistently. Live networks and server policies introduce variability, so repeat checks if you need confirmation.

Security considerations

Treat entered URLs as potentially sensitive; avoid tokens and one‑time links.
Turning certificate validation off accepts invalid certificates and weakens transport guarantees.
Server‑side fetching is restricted by origin checks and authentication to reduce abuse.

Assumptions & limitations

Single address per run; extra lines are ignored after the first.
Only http and https schemes are accepted.
Redirects require a 3xx code with a Location header.
HTML meta refresh or script‑based navigations are not followed.
Per‑hop timeout is 200–4000 ms; a global stop occurs near the overall limit.
Maximum followed redirects are 1–20; default 10.
HSTS is detected on the final response only.
The user agent and chosen method can influence server behavior.
Only a small header set is returned for each hop.
Heads‑up Results reflect the helper’s network path, not the viewer’s.

Edge cases & error sources

Scheme missing or unsupported.
Non‑resolving host or DNS failure.
TLS handshake errors or expired certificates.
3xx without Location ends the chain with a redirect code.
Malformed Location yields a “bad location” error.
Redirect loops hit the maximum‑redirects limit.
Slow servers exceed the per‑hop timeout and cause a timeout note.
HEAD rejected without fallback produces a 405 outcome.
Method rewriting on 303 changes behavior compared to 307 or 308.
Temporary outages create different chains on repeat runs.

Scientific & standards backing

Behavior and terminology follow IETF HTTP semantics, the generic URI syntax, and the HSTS specification.

Privacy & compliance

No account data is required and server responses are marked not to store. Avoid submitting URLs that include personal tokens or credentials.

How‑to · Step‑by‑Step Guide

Redirect chains and timing are captured for one address to show the final destination and the path.

Paste the target address into the URL field required.
Open Advanced and choose the request method if needed.
Set per‑hop timeout and maximum redirects for tricky cases.
Decide whether to validate certificates and whether to retry with GET on 405.
Run the check and read the summary line and the table of hops.
Switch to the Chain tab to compare per‑hop times.

Example: A slow first hop suggests a cold cache or a distant origin. Reducing redirects or caching at the edge often helps.

You now have the final address, status, and timings to troubleshoot or document the link.

FAQ

Is my data stored?

Requests are checked by a helper service that returns JSON and marks responses not to store. The page itself does not add storage code for results.

How accurate is hop timing?

Times come from a monotonic clock around each request. They reflect network and server latency at the helper’s location and can vary across runs.

Which units and formats are used?

Status codes are integers. Times are whole milliseconds. The JSON view shows the chain with fields for URL, status, location, and time per hop.

Can I use it offline?

No. It performs live requests to build the chain, so a network connection is required.

What does “timeout” or “max_redirects” mean?

“Timeout” means a hop exceeded the per‑hop or global limit. “max_redirects” means the hop ceiling was reached before a final response arrived.

What if a site blocks HEAD?

Enable the fallback setting so a 405 on HEAD is retried with GET. Or choose GET as the method preference for that run.

How do I check 301 vs 302 vs 307?

Run the check and read the status at each hop. Method behavior differs: 303 forces GET, while 301, 302, 307, and 308 keep the current method.

What does HSTS tell me?

The final response sets a policy that asks browsers to use https for future requests. The flag simply reflects whether the header is present.

Is there any cost or license note?

No payment features appear in this package. Availability is controlled by the host that embeds the tool.

Troubleshooting

“Invalid URL.” — Add a scheme or correct typos.
No hops recorded — The server replied without a redirect path.
Unexpected 405 — Switch to GET or enable the fallback.
Certificate errors — Keep validation on and fix server TLS.
Very slow totals — Increase the per‑hop timeout or try later.
Limit reason shown — Raise max redirects or check for loops.

Forbidden response — Access can be restricted by origin checks. Run the tool from the approved host or contact the maintainer.

Advanced Tips

Tip Compare runs with HEAD and GET to uncover method‑sensitive behavior.
Tip Increase the hop ceiling temporarily when auditing legacy link farms.
Tip Watch for mixed schemes; a jump to https often indicates a security upgrade.
Tip Record totals alongside status codes to track improvements during migrations.
Tip Use a custom user agent when a server treats tools differently from browsers.
Tip Keep certificate validation on to catch staging or misconfigured hosts.

Glossary

URL: Uniform Resource Locator, a web address.
Redirect: A response that points to a different address.
Status code: Three‑digit HTTP result number such as 200 or 301.
Location header: Header that supplies the next address in a redirect.
HSTS: HTTP Strict Transport Security policy on the final host.
TLS: Transport Layer Security, the protocol behind https.
HEAD: Request method that asks for headers only.
GET: Request method that retrieves a representation of a resource.