URL redirect checker tool
About the URL redirect checker tool
The URL redirect checker helps in getting information about URL redirects. It ensures that domain redirects send traffic to your website where it is supposed to go. The tool works in a way that once it has visited the page, it checks if there are any redirects and what type they are and then moves on to the next page, repeating the process until there are no more redirects.
What is a URL redirect?
A URL redirect is a function that directs your domain's visitors to a different URL on the server. Redirected URLs are opened with a different URL when a browser attempts to open them. Similarly, redirecting a URL domain to another domain is called domain redirection or forwarding.
What is a redirect Chain?
When a URL is requested and then redirected multiple times, the URL chain is called a redirect chain. For example, your website's first page is redirected to a second page, which is then redirected to a third page, and the process is repeated multiple times.
How to check redirects using Free Nerd Tools?
You can run a redirect test through our link redirect checker. All you need to do is follow these simple steps to trace redirected URLs.
- Click here on Redirect Checker to go to the search box.
- Paste the URL in the field and click enter.
- The results will be displayed instantly.
Why check for link redirects?
The redirection flow can be checked for many reasons before visiting a link; these include:
- To prevent the spread of malware
- To make sure redirects are valid
- To track redirect loops
- To eliminate intermediate redirects
- To keep track of users
Types of redirects
A website or a specific page might implement several types of redirects bearing different HTTP status codes. To understand how URL redirections work, let's first look at different types of redirects.
301 redirect
Redirecting a page to a new URL through a 301 redirect passes the original URL's link equity (ranking power) to the unique URL. 301 status codes transfer all clicks to the updated URL from the old URL. Mergers of businesses and websites that change their domain names use it. You can identify it with the Free Nerd 301 redirect checker tool.
302 redirect
A 302 redirect is an unmasked redirect that is temporary. This redirection should be used when a URL is temporarily changed to another address. A 302 redirection is also used to move clicks to a different URL, but it only works for a specific duration and cannot be used indefinitely.
307 redirect
307 Temporary Redirect is an HTTP response code indicating a temporary URL change for the requested resource. When moving material to a new URL is necessary during maintenance or other circumstances, 307 should be used.
308 redirect
When a resource is moved permanently to another location, 308 redirects are used. When rebuilding a website or migrating it to a secure extension of HTTP, a permanent redirect is the best option.
Meta refresh
Websites use a meta refresh technique to refresh the page after a certain amount of time has automatically passed. Every page of a site is redirected instead of the entire website with Meta Refresh. Once a certain period elapses, a browser is instructed to visit another website due to a meta refresh.
Whether to use 301 vs 302 redirect
Although 301s and 302s are different, there is no right or wrong option to choose from. Most people won't notice any difference between the two from a user's perspective. It does, however, matter to search engines what redirect you choose.
It is very quick to handle 302 redirects, but it takes more time for 301 redirects. Conclusively, the purpose of 301 redirects is to make changes permanent, and there is a temporary nature to 302 redirects.
Either 301 redirect is better, or 302; it depends on your goals and requirements. A 301 redirect is recommended for indexing a new URL. It is better to use a 302 redirect if you plan to switch back.
Importance of redirect in SEO
When a page is redirected, you are giving it a brand-new URL. When done correctly, there will be no impact on the SEO rankings. Getting visitors to your site is all about search engine optimization, so you should pay attention to this.
Your SEO rankings won't suffer when redirects are correctly executed. If they are not managed properly, they can damage your SEO ranking. It is crucial to use every effort to preserve the original page's SEO value when redirecting one URL to another.
When you want to maintain your SEO rankings, you should serve a 301 redirect because it tells the search engines that the page has been permanently moved, but this process can be lengthy.