What Is an HTTP Status Checker?
HTTP status codes are three-digit responses returned by a web server for every request. They are grouped into five classes: 1xx (informational), 2xx (success), 3xx (redirection), 4xx (client error), and 5xx (server error). This tool sends a request to any URL and follows its entire redirect chain, recording the status code, response headers, and timing at every hop. It is essential for validating site migrations, debugging redirect loops, and verifying that search engines see the correct final destination.
How Does It Work?
- Enter up to 10 URLs in the text area, one per line.
- Select a User-Agent to simulate (Chrome, Googlebot, Firefox, or mobile).
- The tool sends a request to each URL with redirect following disabled, recording the status code and headers at every hop.
- If the response is a 3xx redirect, it follows the Location header to the next hop — repeating until a final (non-redirect) status is reached or 10 hops are exceeded.
- All URLs are checked in parallel and results are displayed as a visual redirect chain with colour-coded status badges.
Why HTTP Status Codes Matter
Redirects directly impact SEO performance. A 301 (permanent) redirect passes link equity to the destination, while a 302 (temporary) signals that the original URL should remain indexed. Redirect chains — multiple hops between the original URL and the final destination — add latency and dilute link equity with each hop. During site migrations, misconfigured redirects are one of the most common causes of traffic loss. Regularly checking your URLs ensures that visitors and search engine crawlers reach the correct page efficiently, without unnecessary hops or broken chains.