Web & TLS
Open Redirect Checker →Trace the route to the final response
Run Redirect Checker for the public website hostname and read each reported status and destination in order. Keep the first target and final URL, including scheme and hostname. An HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect followed by a www-to-apex redirect can work but add an extra round trip. A loop has no stable final destination and needs configuration review.
Distinguish permanent and temporary intent
301 and 308 indicate permanent redirects; 302 and 307 indicate temporary ones. Method handling matters when clients send more than a simple page request: 307 and 308 preserve the request method, while 301 and 302 can result in a POST becoming GET in common clients. Choose a code according to intended behavior and test the affected clients rather than changing status numbers solely for a score.
Find conflicting redirect owners
A CDN, reverse proxy, web server and application can all redirect the same request. If one layer sends apex to www and another sends www to apex, the policies conflict. HTTPS loops can also involve how a trusted proxy communicates the original scheme. Confirm the intended canonical destination, identify each redirecting layer, and correct the conflicting rule through the normal deployment process.
Verify links after a change
Retest until the expected final URL returns an appropriate response. Check important paths, query strings and form flows with a browser or client that can reproduce them. This tool follows HTTP redirects; it does not execute JavaScript navigation or reproduce every login flow. Update internal links to the intended destination so visitors do not repeatedly traverse avoidable redirects.
Worked example
Illustrative example — not a live test https://example.com → https://www.example.com https://www.example.com → https://example.com Conclusion: opposing hostname rules create a loop.
What to check next
- Write down the intended final scheme and hostname.
- Inspect every hop and identify the layer setting it.
- Retest representative pages and update internal links.
Common questions
Will this detect JavaScript redirects?
No. It traces server-reported HTTP redirects rather than executing a page.
Is every redirect chain wrong?
No. Some flows require redirects. Review avoidable hops and loops while preserving intended application behavior.