Link checker
Paste a URL — we'll follow up to five redirect hops with HEAD requests and show you the chain plus the final status code.
What this tool does (and doesn't)
- Does: follow up to 5 HTTP 30x redirects, surface every hop with its status code, and report the final destination.
- Doesn't: check Google Safe Browsing, abuse blocklists, or run a content scan. Elido's url-scanner does that on every shortened link in the dashboard — sign up if you need it.
How to read a redirect chain
- 01
Paste the link exactly as it was shared
Including the tracking parameters and the exact host. A link that works when you retype it can still be broken in the form people received, and that is the version worth checking.
- 02
Read the status code on every hop
301 and 308 are permanent, 302 and 307 are temporary, and the last hop should be a 200. Anything in the 4xx or 5xx range at the end means the destination is gone or refusing the request.
- 03
Count the hops
One redirect is normal. Two is common when a shortener forwards to a marketing URL that then normalises itself. Beyond that, every hop adds latency for the visitor and gives search engines another chance to drop the trail.
- 04
Check where you actually landed
Compare the final URL with the one you expected: the wrong locale, a stray www, a lost query string or a login page instead of the content are all things the status codes alone will not tell you.
What the status codes mean, and what they cost
301 or 308 - permanent
The right answer for a short link whose destination is settled. Search engines pass the ranking signal through and browsers cache the result, which is exactly what you want, and also why a mistake is expensive to undo.
302 or 307 - temporary
Correct when the destination rotates: A/B tests, geo or device routing, a campaign that will be repointed. Nothing is cached long-term, so the cost is a lookup on every visit instead of a stale one.
Long chains
Each hop is a round trip before anything renders, which is felt most on mobile networks. Chains also accumulate risk: any one hop going away breaks the whole path, and the failure is invisible until someone clicks.
Redirects this tool cannot see
A meta refresh or a JavaScript location change happens after the response, so an HTTP checker reports a clean 200 while the visitor still gets moved. Crawlers treat those the same way, which is why they make poor redirects.
Questions people ask about redirects
Which status code should a short link use?
301 or 308 unless the destination is meant to change. Use a temporary code for links that rotate, and keep in mind that browsers cache permanent redirects aggressively - a wrong 301 can outlive the fix.
Does a redirect chain hurt SEO?
Signals pass through redirects, including chains, but each hop adds latency and one more thing that can break. Keeping it to a single hop is about speed and reliability more than ranking.
Why does the checker see something different from my browser?
Because it arrives without your cookies, your session or your location, and identifies itself differently. Links that route by geography, device or login state legitimately answer differently for it than for you.
Can I use this to check a link before clicking it?
Yes, and it is a reasonable habit for links that arrive unexpectedly. You see the whole chain and the final destination without loading the page, which is enough to spot a shortener pointing somewhere it should not.