Question 1

What does the 301 redirect checker check?

Accepted Answer

It checks all 4 URL variants — http://domain, https://domain, http://www.domain, https://www.domain — and verifies they all redirect correctly to a single canonical HTTPS URL.

Question 2

How is the redirect score calculated?

Accepted Answer

Each of the 4 variants is scored out of 25 points. A clean single redirect to HTTPS scores 25. Two hops score 18. Three or more score 10. Failing to reach HTTPS scores 0. Maximum is 100.

Question 3

Why are too many redirects bad for SEO?

Accepted Answer

Each redirect adds latency and wastes crawl budget. Search engines may not follow more than 5 hops. Ideally every variant should resolve in a single 301 redirect.

Question 4

What is HSTS and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

HTTP Strict-Transport-Security tells browsers to always use HTTPS, preventing SSL stripping attacks. Its absence can leave users vulnerable even when redirects are configured correctly.

Question 5

What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?

Accepted Answer

301 is a permanent redirect that passes full link equity to the destination. A 302 is temporary and may not transfer SEO value. For domain canonicalization, always use 301.

301 Redirect Checker

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