Redirect Tracer

Trace HTTP, JavaScript & Meta refresh redirects in real-time. Bulk test up to 50 URLs, export to CSV/JSON, and capture screenshots.

Redirect Tracer is a powerful SEO and debugging tool that visualizes the complete redirect chain of any URL in real-time. Perfect for SEO professionals, web developers, and digital marketers who need to debug redirect issues, audit website migrations, or analyze link structures. ═══════════════════════════════════════ 🔍 SINGLE URL TRACING ═══════════════════════════════════════ Navigate to any page and instantly see the full redirect chain. Redirect Tracer captures: • HTTP redirects (301, 302, 303, 307, 308) • JavaScript redirects (location.href, location.assign, location.replace) • Meta refresh redirects (including 0-second instant redirects) • Response headers and server IP addresses • Timing for each hop in the chain ═══════════════════════════════════════ 📊 BULK URL TESTING ═══════════════════════════════════════ Test up to 50 URLs at once. Simply paste your URL list and get instant results: • Pass/fail status for each URL • Redirect count per URL • Final destination and status code • JS and Meta redirect flags • One-click CSV export for spreadsheet analysis ═══════════════════════════════════════ 📤 EXPORT OPTIONS ═══════════════════════════════════════ • JSON Full — Complete redirect data with headers • JSON Simple — Streamlined chain data • CSV — Spreadsheet-ready format • PNG Screenshot — Visual proof of redirect chains • Copy to Clipboard — Quick sharing ═══════════════════════════════════════ ⚡ COMPLETE FEATURE LIST ═══════════════════════════════════════ ✓ Real-time redirect detection as you browse ✓ Extension icon badge shows status code (301, 302, 200, 404, etc.) ✓ Badge color coding: Green (200 OK), Orange (3xx redirects), Red (4xx/5xx errors) ✓ Visual chain display with Origin → Hops → Final Destination layout ✓ Color-coded status badges for each hop ✓ "⚠ META" and "⚠ JS" warning tags for non-HTTP redirects ✓ Expandable details panel for each hop showing full headers ✓ Server IP address display ✓ Millisecond timing for each redirect hop ✓ Total redirect time calculation ✓ Click stat tiles to highlight specific redirect types ✓ "Expand All / Collapse All" toggle for chain details ✓ Single/Bulk mode toggle in header ✓ Progress bar for bulk testing ✓ Stop button to cancel bulk tests mid-run ✓ Summary stats: OK count, Redirects count, Errors count ✓ Clickable URLs that open in new tabs ✓ Refresh button to re-trace current page ✓ Clear button to reset the chain ✓ Proactive meta refresh detection via HTML scanning ✓ HTTP Refresh header detection ✓ Clean neobrutalism UI design ═══════════════════════════════════════ 🎯 USE CASES ═══════════════════════════════════════ • SEO audits and technical SEO analysis • Website migration redirect verification • Debugging redirect loops and chains • Analyzing affiliate link redirect paths • Verifying canonical URL redirects • Checking URL shortener destinations (bit.ly, t.co, etc.) • Monitoring competitor redirect strategies • Validating HTTPS upgrade redirects • Testing www to non-www redirects • Checking trailing slash redirect behavior ═══════════════════════════════════════ 🔒 PRIVACY ═══════════════════════════════════════ • No data collection • No external servers • No analytics or tracking • Everything runs 100% locally in your browser • Your browsing data never leaves your device ═══════════════════════════════════════ ❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ═══════════════════════════════════════ Q1: What is a redirect? A: A redirect is when a URL automatically sends visitors to a different URL. For example, visiting "example.com/old-page" might redirect you to "example.com/new-page". Redirects are used for URL changes, domain migrations, HTTPS upgrades, and more. Q2: What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects? A: A 301 redirect is permanent — it tells search engines the page has moved forever and to transfer SEO value. A 302 redirect is temporary — the original URL may return, so search engines keep the old URL indexed. Q3: What is a redirect chain? A: A redirect chain occurs when one redirect leads to another redirect, creating multiple hops. For example: URL A → URL B → URL C → Final URL. Long chains slow down page loading and dilute SEO value. Q4: How do I use Redirect Tracer? A: Simply install the extension, navigate to any webpage, and click the Redirect Tracer icon in your browser toolbar. It automatically captures all redirects that occurred during page load and displays them in a visual chain. Q5: How do I test multiple URLs at once? A: Click the "BULK" button in the header to switch to Bulk mode. Paste up to 50 URLs (one per line) into the text area, then click "Test URLs". Results appear as the test runs, showing pass/fail status for each URL. Q6: What does the colored badge on the extension icon mean? A: The badge shows the final status code with color coding. Green = 200 OK (no issues). Orange = 3xx redirect detected. Red = 4xx or 5xx error. This gives you instant visibility without opening the popup. Q7: What is a JavaScript redirect? A: A JavaScript redirect occurs when page code uses JavaScript to change the URL, typically via location.href, location.assign(), or location.replace(). These are client-side redirects that happen after the page loads, unlike server-side HTTP redirects. Q8: What is a meta refresh redirect? A: A meta refresh redirect uses an HTML tag (<meta http-equiv="refresh">) to redirect after a delay. Common format: <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=https://newpage.com">. The number is seconds to wait before redirecting. Q9: Why does Redirect Tracer show "⚠ META" or "⚠ JS" warnings? A: These warnings indicate non-HTTP redirects. Meta refresh and JavaScript redirects can be problematic for SEO because search engines may not follow them reliably, and they add loading time for users. Q10: How do I export redirect data? A: Click the "EXPORT" button and choose your format: JSON Full (complete data with headers), JSON Simple (chain only), CSV (for spreadsheets), or TXT (plain text list). You can also use "SCREENSHOT" to save a PNG image or "COPY" for clipboard. Q11: Can Redirect Tracer detect redirect loops? A: Yes. If a redirect chain loops back to a previous URL, you'll see the repeated URL in the chain. The chain will eventually stop when the browser's redirect limit is reached. Q12: What is the maximum number of redirects Redirect Tracer can capture? A: Redirect Tracer captures all redirects in the chain. However, browsers typically limit redirects to 20-30 hops to prevent infinite loops. Q13: Why are some redirects not showing up? A: Some redirects happen before the extension can capture them, particularly instant meta refreshes that execute before the content script loads. Redirect Tracer uses proactive HTML scanning to catch most meta refreshes, but extremely fast redirects on initial page load may be missed. Q14: How do I check redirects for a URL I'm not currently visiting? A: Use Bulk mode — click "BULK", paste the URL, and click "Test URLs". This opens the URL in a background tab, traces the redirects, and reports results without navigating your current tab. Q15: What do the timing numbers mean? A: Each hop shows "+Xms" indicating milliseconds elapsed since the original request. This helps identify slow redirects in the chain. The total time is shown in the stats bar at the top. Q16: Can I see the response headers for each redirect? A: Yes. Click the expand arrow (›) on any hop to reveal full details including response headers, server IP, status line, and redirect target URL. Q17: Does Redirect Tracer work on localhost or local development sites? A: Yes. Redirect Tracer works on any URL including localhost, 127.0.0.1, and local network addresses. It captures all redirects regardless of the domain. Q18: How do I share redirect chain results with my team? A: Use the Screenshot feature to save a PNG image of the chain, export to CSV for spreadsheet sharing, or copy the chain data to clipboard. All export options are in the EXPORT dropdown. Q19: What is the difference between the stats tiles (Redirects, HTTP, JS/Meta)? A: "Redirects" shows total redirect count. "HTTP" shows server-side redirects (301, 302, etc.). "JS/Meta" shows client-side redirects (JavaScript and meta refresh). Click any tile to highlight those specific redirects in the chain. Q20: Is Redirect Tracer free? A: Yes, Redirect Tracer is completely free with no premium tiers, subscriptions, or hidden costs. All features are available to everyone. ═══════════════════════════════════════ 💡 PRO TIPS ═══════════════════════════════════════ • Click the black "Redirects" stat tile to highlight ALL redirects in orange • Click the blue "HTTP" tile to highlight only HTTP redirects • Click the pink "JS/Meta" tile to highlight JavaScript (orange) and Meta (purple) redirects separately • Use "Expand All" to see every header at once for comprehensive audits • The extension badge gives you instant status without opening the popup — great for quick checks while browsing • For site migrations, export bulk test results to CSV and sort by "Has Redirects" to find issues • Check the Server IP to verify requests are hitting the correct server/CDN ═══════════════════════════════════════ 🛠️ TECHNICAL DETAILS ═══════════════════════════════════════ • Manifest Version 3 (latest Chrome extension standard) • Uses chrome.webRequest and chrome.webNavigation APIs • Content script injected at document_start for early redirect detection • Proactive meta refresh detection via HTML parsing • No external dependencies or network requests • Lightweight: ~80KB total package size ═══════════════════════════════════════ 📧 SUPPORT ═══════════════════════════════════════ Found a bug or have a feature request? Visit tseo.dev for support and documentation. Built for the SEO community by Amrin Grewal