What this checks
- Each hop's status code and Location header, followed one at a time (up to 10 redirects).
- Redirect loops and chains that are longer than necessary.
- Temporary redirects (302, 303, 307) where a permanent one (301, 308) may be intended.
- Whether HTTP is upgraded to HTTPS, and whether any hop falls back from HTTPS to HTTP.
- Whether the chain ends on a working page, a missing page (404/410) or a server error (5xx).
Reading the status codes
- 301 Moved Permanently / 308 Permanent Redirect
- The content has moved for good. Search engines generally index the destination instead. 308 also keeps the request method (e.g. POST stays POST).
- 302 Found / 307 Temporary Redirect / 303 See Other
- The move is temporary, so search engines may keep showing the original URL. Correct for login pages, short campaigns or maintenance, but a common mistake after a permanent site move.
- 404 Not Found / 410 Gone
- The page does not exist. Fine for content you removed on purpose (410 says it is permanent), but a redirect that lands here throws away the visitors and links it was meant to keep.
- 5xx server errors
- The server failed to answer. Persistent errors stop visitors and reduce how often a site is crawled.
Common fixes
- Chains after a migration: update old rules so every legacy URL points directly at its final destination, and update internal links to use the final URLs.
- Loops: usually two rules undoing each other (HTTP↔HTTPS or www↔non-www), often one in the CMS and one at the CDN or server. Keep the rule in one place.
- HTTP still served: add a single 301 from http:// to https:// at the server or CDN.
Limitations
- Studio requests the URL once, from a server in India, without cookies or JavaScript. Redirects based on login state, country, device or JavaScript (
window.location) and meta-refresh tags are not followed. - Only public web addresses on ports 80 and 443 can be checked; private network addresses are refused.
- A clean redirect chain does not mean a page is indexed or ranks; only the search engine can tell you that.