Redirect checker
Paste a link, including a short link, to follow each redirect it goes through. You see every hop's address, status code and time, the final destination, and anything that looks wrong.
Free, no sign-up. We fetch the page for you and keep nothing about it. Nothing you type is stored.
Short links with one hop
Liite short links at liite.co/x/yourcode send people to your page in a single redirect, with a click count and a QR code for each link.
How to use it
- Paste the link you want to check, for example a short link from a post.
- Press Check. We follow up to 10 redirects from our server.
- Read the hops from top to bottom and fix any problems flagged in the list.
What a redirect is
A redirect is a server's way of saying "this page is somewhere else". The browser asks for one address, gets back a status code and a new address, and goes there instead. Short links, old pages that moved, http to https, and tracking links all work this way. One link can pass through several redirects before it reaches a page, and each one is called a hop.
The status codes
301 and 308 mean the move is permanent: search engines pass the old page's standing to the new address, and browsers may remember it. 302 and 307 mean temporary: the old address is expected to come back, so search engines keep it. 307 and 308 also keep the request method, which matters for forms but rarely for links. 200 means the page was found, which is where the chain should end.
A 4xx code at the end means the page is missing or blocked (404 is not found, 410 is gone). A 5xx code means the server failed. The checker flags both, so you know a link is broken before your readers find out.
Problems the checker flags
A loop is a chain that comes back to an address it already visited, so it never ends. Too many hops slow the page down and some apps give up after a few. A hop from https to http drops the secure connection, and browsers may warn about it. A temporary redirect on a page that has moved for good is usually a mistake, and a 301 is probably what you meant.
Each hop shows how long it took, which helps when a link feels slow. Tracking links and link shorteners stacked on top of each other are the usual cause.
What it can't see
The checker follows the redirects a server sends. It doesn't run JavaScript and doesn't follow meta refresh tags, so a page that sends you on with a script will show as the last hop. It only checks public addresses: private and local network addresses are refused. Nothing you check is stored.
Questions
Is the redirect checker free?
Yes. You can run 50 checks a day without an account, and 300 when you're signed in to Liite.
Is it safe to check a link I don't trust?
Our server follows the link, not your browser, so you see the destination without opening it. It doesn't run scripts on the pages it reaches.
Why does it stop at a page when my browser goes further?
The page probably sends you on with JavaScript or a meta refresh tag. The checker only follows server redirects, so that page is shown as the last hop.
Should I use a 301 or a 302?
Use a 301 (or 308) when a page has moved for good, so search engines move its standing to the new address. Use a 302 (or 307) only when the old address will come back.
How many redirects does it follow?
Up to 10. A chain longer than that is flagged as too many hops.