Question 1

What is a redirect chain?

Accepted Answer

A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL, which redirects to another, and so on. Each hop adds latency and can dilute SEO link equity. Ideally, URLs should redirect in one hop directly to the final destination.

Question 2

What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?

Accepted Answer

A 301 redirect is permanent — it tells search engines to transfer all ranking power to the new URL. A 302 redirect is temporary — search engines keep indexing the original URL. Use 301 for permanent URL changes and 302 for temporary ones like maintenance pages.

Question 3

How many redirects is too many?

Accepted Answer

Google recommends no more than 3-5 redirects in a chain, but ideally you should have just 1. Each redirect adds latency (typically 100-500ms per hop) and can cause crawl budget waste. Most redirect chains can be consolidated into a single hop.

Redirect Checker

Redirect Checker