URL Redirection Checker

This URL Redirection Checker is an online tool designed to help users investigate URL redirections. When you input a URL, the tool follows the URL's redirect chain (if any), displaying detailed information about each step.

Enter the URL:

• Start by entering the URL you wish to check in the input field (e.g., https://example.com). Make sure to include scheme or protocol details, such as "http://" or "https://", in your URL.

Run the Check:

• Once the URL is entered, press the "Check Redirect" button. The tool will process the URL, follow any redirections, and gather related DNS and SSL details for each step.

View Results:

• The results will show the following details:
  • URL Info: Lists all URLs in the redirection chain.
  • HTTP Status Code: Displays codes such as 301 (permanent redirect), 302 (temporary redirect), or 200 (successful request), etc. See below for the complete status code list.
  • DNS: Includes the IP addresses and aliases for the domain names.
  • SSL Certificate Info: If the URL is HTTPS, the certificate's common name (CN), subject alternative names (SANs), issuer, and validity period will be displayed.
• If the URL does not have a redirect, you will see the details about the original URL alone.

The URL Redirection Checker is an essential tool for investigation and validation of URL redirects, DNS resolution, and SSL configuration. By providing comprehensive insights, this tool may be very useful in many scenarios, including:

SEO and User Experience Management:

• Ensuring a smooth user experience by verifying that your website's URLs redirect efficiently and accurately to the intended destination.
• Confirming that URLs are optimized for search engines by avoiding long redirect chains or loops.

Website Migration:

• When migrating a site to a new domain, all previous links must correctly redirect to the new site. This tool helps verify that each step of the process functions properly, ensuring no broken or incorrect redirects.

URL Reputation Investigation:

• The tool can "reveal" the target URL behind a shortened link helping to reduce the risk of exposure to malicious content.

What is HTTP Redirection?

HTTP redirection occurs when a server sends a response to a browser or client telling it to request a different URL instead of the one originally entered. The most common types of server-side redirects are:

• 301 Moved Permanently: A permanent redirect. Search engines will update their index with the new URL.
• 302 Found (Temporary Redirect): A temporary redirect, meaning that the client should still use the original URL in future requests.
• 303 See Other: Redirects to a new URL with a GET request (typically after a POST request).
• 307 Temporary Redirect: Similar to 302, but mandates the method (GET or POST) remains the same during the redirection.
• 308 Permanent Redirect: Like 301 but ensures the same method is used (GET remains GET, POST remains POST).

How HTTP Redirection Works.

HTTP redirection is triggered by the server when the client requests a URL. The server responds with an HTTP status code such as 301, 302, etc., accompanied by a "Location" header, which contains the URL the client should be redirected to. The browser or HTTP client automatically follows the new URL.

What is HTML Meta Redirection?

HTML meta redirection, also known as client-side redirect, happens when a webpage includes a special <meta> tag with a http-equiv attribute set to "refresh". This tag directs the browser to automatically refresh or load a new page after a specified delay. Here is an example of a meta redirect:

The content attribute specifies the redirect delay (0 seconds), followed by the URL to redirect to. In the example above, the browser will open https://new-url.example.com immediately after the initial page is loaded.

What is Redirection Used For?

• Changing URLs: If the structure of a site changes, redirects can be used to ensure users and search engines are directed to the correct new URLs.
• Shortened URLs: URL shortening services (for example, bit.ly) use redirects to make long URLs easier to share.
• Load Balancing: Sometimes, redirection is used to distribute traffic between multiple servers.
• Security Enhancements: Websites may use redirects to force users to switch from HTTP to HTTPS, ensuring secure connections.

URL BlackList Checker
RFC 2616 - Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP/1.1
RFC 9110 - HTTP Semantics
IANA - Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Status Code Registry
MDN - Redirections in HTTP
W3C - Using meta refresh to create an instant client-side redirect