Htaccess Redirect Generator
An htaccess redirect generator is a tool that converts old and new URLs into Apache directives such as…
Free redirect chain checker
Paste your redirect map, find chains and loops, and get a clean one hop version.
Separate the two URLs with a space, tab, comma or arrow (->). Lines starting with # are ignored. Nothing leaves your browser; this checks your map, not live servers.
Result
0Rules
0Chains
0Rules in loops
| Start URL | Hops | Path and issue |
|---|
The free redirect chain checker runs in your browser, needs no sign-up and never sends what you type anywhere.
Quick answer
A redirect chain happens when URL A redirects to B, and B redirects to C, instead of A going straight to C. Google suggests avoiding chains, keeping any that remain ideally no longer than 3 hops and fewer than 5, and Googlebot generally follows up to 10 hops. Fix loops first, then point every old URL at its final destination.
What is a redirect chain finder?
A redirect chain finder is a tool that reads a list of redirect rules and follows each old URL through the map until it reaches a URL with no further redirect. It counts the hops, flags loops (where the path returns to a URL it already visited) and builds a flattened map that sends each old URL straight to its final target.
How do you use the Redirect Chain Finder?
- Export your redirects from your plugin, server config or migration spreadsheet.
- Paste them with one rule per line: old URL, then new URL, separated by a space, tab, comma or arrow.
- Enter your domain so full URLs and relative paths are matched, and choose the trailing slash and case options.
- Review the table of chains and loops and the tips for duplicates or self redirects.
- Copy or download the flattened map and update your rules so each old URL redirects in one hop.
What is a redirect chain and why is it bad for SEO?
A redirect chain is two or more redirects in a row between the first URL and the final page. Chains add latency for users, waste crawl requests and can break if one step fails. Google's site move guide recommends sending users straight to the final destination and keeping chains ideally to 3 hops or fewer.
How many redirects will Googlebot follow?
Googlebot generally follows up to 10 redirect hops for normal web content. If it does not reach the content within that limit, Search Console can report a redirect error for the URL. Do not plan around the limit: one hop is the goal for every old URL you control.
How do I fix a redirect loop?
Find the rules that point back to each other, decide which URL is the real final page, and make every other URL in the loop redirect to it. Then clear caches and test in a private window. Loops often come from conflicting rules in a plugin, the server config and the CDN at the same time.
Quick reference
| Pattern | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Single redirect | /a/ → /b/ | Fine; keep it |
| Chain (2 hops) | /a/ → /b/ → /c/ | Point /a/ straight to /c/ |
| Long chain (5+ hops) | /a/ → /b/ → /c/ → /d/ → /e/ → /f/ | Flatten now; Google suggests fewer than 5 |
| Loop | /a/ → /b/ → /a/ | Pick the final URL and break the loop |
| Self redirect | /a/ → /a/ | Delete the rule or fix the target |
| Duplicate source | /a/ → /b/ and /a/ → /c/ | Keep one rule; servers use the first match |
Worked example
Example
Example: the default map has /old-blog/seo-tips/ → /blog/seo-tips/ → /guides/seo-tips/ → https://www.example.com/seo-guide/, a 3 hop chain, plus a second chain inside it, a loop between /pricing-old/ and /pricing-2025/, and a self redirect on /contact-us/. The flattened map sends /old-blog/seo-tips/, /blog/seo-tips/ and /guides/seo-tips/ straight to https://www.example.com/seo-guide/ in one hop each.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Does this tool check live URLs?
No. It analyses the redirect map you paste, entirely in your browser, because browser JavaScript cannot follow redirects on other websites. After you deploy the flattened rules, crawl the old URLs with a desktop crawler or check them in Search Console's URL Inspection tool.
Do redirect chains lose link equity?
Google's documentation does not describe a fixed loss of ranking signals per hop, but every extra hop adds latency, uses another crawl request and is another chance for a broken step. Backlinks pointing to the first URL are safest when that URL redirects once, straight to the final page.
Should I update internal links or only redirects?
Both. Flatten the redirects for external links and bookmarks, then update internal links, canonicals, hreflang and sitemaps to point at the final URL directly. Internal links that pass through redirects waste crawling and show up as Page with redirect in Search Console.
How long should I keep old redirects?
Google recommends keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year after a site move, and suggests keeping them indefinitely for users. Removing them early breaks old backlinks, bookmarks and links in emails or social posts.
Is a 302 redirect in a chain a problem?
A temporary redirect tells Google the move may be undone, so the old URL might stay indexed. In a chain it adds a hop and a mixed signal. Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves, and point them straight to the final URL.
What causes redirect chains after a migration?
Chains usually appear when a site changes URLs more than once: old rules point to URLs that were later redirected again. HTTP to HTTPS, www to non www and trailing slash rules stacked on top of page rules also add hops. Flatten the map after every migration.
Sources
Facts checked against these official pages. Read how I check facts in my editorial policy.
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