How to fix redirect chains
Each redirect adds a round trip before the page can load and leaks ranking signals along the way. Link straight to the final URL.
Step by step, with screenshots: Redirect chains: find every hop and flatten it to one →
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What it is
A redirect chain is when a URL redirects to another URL that redirects again before the real page loads, for example http://shop.com → https://shop.com → https://www.shop.com/. Each hop is a full round trip, often 100-300 ms on a phone, and the visitor sees a blank screen until the last one answers.
Search engines follow chains too, but Googlebot stops after 10 hops and every extra hop makes the old URL's signals take longer to consolidate. Old links in menus, ads and social profiles are the usual cause: each change of domain, https or trailing slash added a rule on top of the last one.
OK looks like this: every old address reaches the final page in a single 301, and your own links point straight at the final URL, so they do not redirect at all. getReport follows the chain for the page you test and lists links on the page that still go through a redirect.
What a passing site looks like
- No redirect on your site goes round in a loopfail · −8 ptseffort S
- No redirects before the pagewarning · −4 ptseffort S
- The URL loads without a redirect chainwarning · −1.5 ptseffort M
- No link on your site goes through more than one redirectwarning · −1.5 ptseffort S
- No link on the page goes through a redirectinfo onlyeffort S
1. Redirect loops
Why it matters. A redirect loop sends the browser from one address to the next and back again until it gives up with "too many redirects". Visitors see an error page, and search engines cannot reach anything behind the loop.
- Open the redirect rules for each address listed and find the rule that sends it back; usually two rules undo each other, such as www to non-www and back.
- Keep one rule per address that points straight at the final page.
- In WordPress, check the redirect plugin, the site and home URLs under Settings → General, and any redirects in the host's control panel.
2. Redirects before the page
Why it matters. Every redirect is a full round trip before the browser can even ask for the page. http → https → www → trailing slash can easily add a second on mobile.
- Link straight to the final URL everywhere (menus, ads, social profiles).
- Collapse chains: redirect http and non-www directly to the final https URL in one hop.
3. Redirect chains
Why it matters. Each redirect is a full request and response before the browser can start loading the page, which slow mobile connections feel most. Google says redirects do not lose ranking value, but Googlebot follows at most 10 hops, and long chains slow crawling and break when one hop changes.
- Point every old URL straight at the final one (a single 301), and update internal links to use the final URL directly.
- Look for rules that stack, for example http → https, then non-www → www, then trailing slash; combine them into one rule.
4. Redirect chains
Why it matters. Every redirect costs visitors a round trip before the page starts loading, and a chain breaks as soon as one hop changes. Search engines follow a few hops but may stop before the end of a long chain.
- Point the first redirect of each chain straight at the final address.
- Update the links on your pages to the final address, so visitors skip the redirects altogether.
5. Links through redirects
Why it matters. Every redirected link costs visitors an extra round trip, and a chain can break when one hop changes. Linking to the final URL is free.
- Update each link listed in the technical detail to its final URL.
- Search your templates and content for the old URLs after a domain, https or trailing-slash change.
Questions people ask
What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect is a server response that says a page has moved permanently to a new address. Browsers go to the new URL automatically, and search engines move the old URL's ranking signals to the new one and show the new address in results. Use it for anything that has moved for good, such as a new domain, https, or a renamed page.
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 means moved permanently and a 302 means moved temporarily. Google passes signals through both, but with a 302 it keeps the old URL in its index for longer because you said the move is temporary. Use 301 (or 308) for permanent moves and keep 302 (or 307) for short-term cases such as a maintenance page.
What is a redirect chain?
A redirect chain is two or more redirects in a row before the final page, such as http to https, then to www, then to a trailing slash. Each hop costs a round trip before anything loads. Replace the chain with one rule that sends every old variant straight to the final URL, and update links to use that URL.
How do I fix a redirect chain?
Point every old URL straight at the final address instead of at the next hop. In practice: update the oldest redirect rules so their target is the current URL, combine the http-to-https and www rules into one, and change internal links, canonicals and sitemap entries to the final URL so visitors never hit a redirect at all. Then test the old URLs again; each should take one hop.
How many redirects are too many?
More than one redirect between a link and its page is already too many for visitors, because each hop adds a round trip. Googlebot follows up to 10 hops before giving up, but you should aim for zero on your own links and one for old addresses. getReport warns as soon as a URL redirects more than once.