SEO Pulse Feature
Redirect checker
in real time
See every redirect hop with its HTTP status code as the page loads. Chains longer than two hops flagged automatically. No URL pasting, no separate tool.
How it works
Every hop visible
before you open the popup
SEO Pulse tracks redirects in real time as the page loads — using Chrome's webNavigation API which fires on every navigation event. By the time you click the icon, the full redirect chain is already captured.
A badge on the extension icon shows the redirect count the moment the page finishes loading. Open the popup to see the full chain: every URL, every HTTP status code, every hop in sequence.
Chains longer than two hops are flagged as a warning in the Issues Tab. The specific issue card tells you how many hops were detected and links to the Overview tab where the full chain is displayed.
The server probe checks also verify that your HTTPS redirect uses 301 (permanent) rather than 302 (temporary), and that your HTTP to HTTPS redirect resolves in a single hop rather than multiple.
Redirect chain — 3 hops detected
1
http://example.com/old-page
302 Found
Temporary redirect — should be 301
2
https://example.com/old-page
301 Moved Permanently
HTTP → HTTPS redirect
3
https://www.example.com/old-page
301 Moved Permanently
Non-www → www redirect
✓
https://www.example.com/new-page/
200 OK — Final destination
⚠️ 3-hop chain detected. Each additional hop dilutes link equity and adds latency. First redirect also uses 302 instead of 301.
3
Badge shows redirect count on extension icon as page loads
Features
What's included
Real-time badge count
A number badge appears on the extension icon as the page loads — showing the redirect count before you even open the popup. No clicking required to know if redirects are present.
Real-time
Full chain view
Every URL in the chain is shown in sequence with its HTTP status code. See exactly where redirects start, where they go, and what the final destination is.
Issues Tab integration
Chains longer than two hops are automatically flagged as a warning in the Issues Tab with a direct link to the Overview panel for the full chain view.
Auto-flagged
301 vs 302 detection
Every hop is labelled with its exact HTTP status code. Temporary 302 redirects where 301 permanents are expected are flagged separately in the Issues Tab as a distinct warning.
HTTPS redirect probing
A live server probe checks that your HTTP to HTTPS redirect uses a 301, resolves in a single hop, and that HTTPS is properly enforced. Results appear in the Issues Tab if there are problems.
All redirect types
Detects 301, 302, 303, 307, and 308 HTTP redirects, plus meta refresh redirects in HTML. Each is labelled with its type so you can distinguish between permanent moves and temporary redirections.
HTTP status codes
Redirect types explained
SEO Pulse labels every hop with its exact status code. Here's what each one means for SEO.
301
Moved Permanently
The resource has permanently moved to the new URL. Search engines update their index to the new location and pass most link equity through.
✓ SEO preferred — use for permanent URL changes, HTTP → HTTPS, www → non-www consolidation
302
Found (Temporary)
The resource has temporarily moved. Search engines keep the original URL in their index and may not pass full link equity to the destination.
⚠ Use only for genuinely temporary redirects — A/B tests, maintenance pages. Avoid for permanent moves.
307
Temporary Redirect
Similar to 302 but explicitly preserves the HTTP method (POST stays POST). Temporary by definition — original URL stays in the index.
⚠ Appropriate for temporary redirects where method preservation matters. Not for permanent moves.
308
Permanent Redirect
Like 301 but preserves the HTTP method. Permanent move — search engines update their index to the new URL.
✓ Acceptable alternative to 301 when method preservation is needed for permanent moves.
Why it matters
Why redirect chains
hurt SEO
A single redirect is generally fine. Chains create compounding problems that are often invisible until you look for them.
Link equity dilution
Each hop in a redirect chain reduces the PageRank passed through. A 3-hop chain passes meaningfully less link equity to the final destination than a direct 301. External links pointing to old URLs compound this problem at scale.
Added latency per hop
Each redirect requires an additional HTTP round-trip before the page loads. On mobile connections, each hop adds perceptible delay. Chains of 3+ hops can add hundreds of milliseconds to your Time to First Byte.
Crawl budget waste
Search engine crawlers follow redirect chains but count each hop against your crawl budget. Large sites with widespread redirect chains can face crawlers giving up before reaching important pages.
FAQ
Common questions
What is a redirect chain? +
A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL that also redirects — creating multiple hops before reaching the final destination. For example: http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com → https://www.example.com/page/ is a 3-hop chain. Each additional hop adds latency and can reduce the link equity passed to the final URL.
What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect? +
A 301 is a permanent redirect — it tells search engines the content has moved permanently and to update their index to the new URL, passing most link equity through. A 302 is temporary — it signals the original URL may return, so search engines keep the original in their index. For SEO purposes, permanent moves should use 301. Using 302 for a permanent move is a common mistake that can leave search engines indexing the wrong URL.
How many redirects are too many? +
A single redirect (one hop) is acceptable and common — for example, HTTP to HTTPS, or non-www to www. Two hops is generally fine. Three or more hops constitutes a redirect chain and is worth fixing. SEO Pulse flags chains of three or more hops as a warning in the Issues Tab.
Does SEO Pulse track redirects in real time? +
Yes. SEO Pulse uses Chrome's webNavigation API which fires on every navigation event as the page loads. By the time the page finishes loading, the full redirect chain is already captured. A badge on the extension icon shows the hop count immediately — no clicking required to know if redirects are present.
Does SEO Pulse check HTTPS redirects? +
Yes. A live server probe checks that your HTTP to HTTPS redirect uses a 301 permanent redirect (not 302), resolves in a single hop (not a chain), and that HTTPS is properly enforced at the server level. Any issues are flagged in the Issues Tab with a plain-English fix suggestion.
Check redirects on any page instantly
Install SEO Pulse. Every redirect is tracked the moment you navigate to a page.
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