What is a redirect chain?
A redirect chain happens when a URL redirects to another URL that also redirects, possibly several times, before reaching a page that actually loads. Instead of A → C, the browser and crawler go A → B → C. A redirect loop is the broken version, where the chain returns to a URL it already visited and never resolves.
Chains usually build up by accident over years: a page is moved, then moved again, then the site switches to HTTPS, then to a new domain, and every old rule is left pointing at the previous address.
How it works
Each hop is a separate HTTP request and response, so every extra redirect adds latency, especially on mobile networks. That delay lands on Time to First Byte and everything after it.
Googlebot follows up to 10 redirect hops in a chain. Beyond that it stops and reports a redirect error. Well before that limit, chains waste crawl requests and make it slower for Google to settle on the final URL. Google has said redirects do not lose PageRank, but long chains and loops raise the chance something breaks, and other crawlers may give up sooner.
The fix is to flatten the chain: update every old rule so it points directly at the final URL, and update internal links so they point at the final URL without any redirect at all.
Example
A common chain created by a migration:
http://example.com/blog/seo-tips
301 → https://example.com/blog/seo-tips
301 → https://www.example.com/blog/seo-tips
301 → https://www.example.com/blog/seo-tips/
301 → https://www.example.com/wordpress-seo-checklist/
Four hops for one request. The flattened version sends the original URL straight to https://www.example.com/wordpress-seo-checklist/, and the protocol, host, and trailing slash normalization rules are combined so they resolve in a single redirect.
To see the chain, run curl -sIL on the URL and read each location header, or use a crawler that reports redirect paths.
In WordPress
Chains in WordPress often come from mixing redirect sources: .htaccess rules, a host's HTTPS setting, WordPress's own trailing-slash and canonical redirects, and a redirect plugin. Hydrogen SEO's Redirection Manager documents a one-hop rule: never point a redirect at a URL that itself redirects. When you move a page for a second time, edit the first rule to point at the new destination.
Common mistakes
- Adding a new rule on top of an old one instead of editing the old one.
- Linking internally to URLs that redirect, such as the non-www or
http://version. - Redirect loops between two rules that point at each other.
Common questions
How many redirects are too many?
Aim for one. Googlebot follows up to 10 hops, but every extra hop adds delay and risk, so flatten any chain you find.
How do I find redirect chains?
Crawl your site with a tool that reports redirect paths, or check individual URLs with curl -sIL. Pay extra attention to URLs with backlinks and old internal links.