We request the URL from our server with GET (not your browser), follow up to 10 redirects manually, and list each hop. Private and internal targets are blocked.
A redirect tells the client to repeat the request at another URL. Compathub’s server sends a GET request to the URL you enter (HTTPS is assumed if you omit the scheme), records each hop’s status code and Location header when present, and follows up to ten redirects before stopping with an error. The summary shows the final URL, final status, and hop count.
This is useful after migrations, when cleaning up http vs https, apex vs www, or trailing-slash rules - and when you need to know whether an old bookmark ends on a live page or a 404.
Only these codes are treated as redirects when a Location header is present: 301, 302, 303, 307, and 308.
| Code | Meaning in practice |
|---|---|
| 301 / 308 | Permanent move. Browsers and crawlers should prefer the destination URL going forward. Method is preserved with 308; classic 301 behaviour for GET matches what this tool exercises. |
| 302 / 307 | Temporary move. Appropriate for short-lived changes; avoid leaving temporary codes on URLs you permanently retired. |
| 303 See Other | Often used after POST (PRG pattern). This checker uses GET only, so you may see different behaviour on form endpoints. |
304 Not Modified is not a redirect to a new URL - it means the client’s cached copy may still be valid. This tool does not treat 304 as a hop to another address.
Other responses (for example 200 OK, 404 Not Found, 403 Forbidden) end the chain as terminal responses. A chain that ends in 404 still tells you the path users and crawlers ultimately receive.
Location value is where the client is sent next.Location headers on redirect codes surface as errors in the report.HTTP still redirecting through multiple hosts. Consolidate to a single HTTPS canonical hostname.
Marketing URL never reaches the product page. Walk the chain; a middle hop may point at an expired campaign domain.
“Looks fine in my browser.” This tool fetches from Compathub without your cookies, region, or logged-in state - some sites redirect differently based on those signals.
Crawlers use redirects to discover preferred URLs. Cleaner chains make it easier to see which URL should represent a piece of content - but redirects alone do not guarantee indexing or ranking outcomes.
HEAD vs GET? GET only - many servers respond differently to HEAD.
Internal or localhost URLs? Blocked, along with private IP ranges and cloud metadata hosts.
Results stored? Not shared between visitors; see the on-page note about caching.
After the chain looks correct, measure total elapsed time on the final URL with the Website Response Time Checker, check the TLS certificate on the final hostname with the SSL Certificate Checker, review response headers with the Security Headers Checker, scan for CMS or framework clues with the Website Stack Checker, confirm DNS with the DNS Lookup tool, or inspect PTR reverse DNS with Reverse IP Lookup.