What are Redirect Chains?
Redirect chains are sequences of redirects (e.g. A → B → C) before the final URL. Learn why they hurt performance and SEO and how to shorten them.
A redirect chain is when one URL redirects to another, which redirects again, and so on, until the final destination. For example: old.example.com/page → www.example.com/page → https://example.com/page. Each hop adds latency and can dilute link equity or confuse crawlers.
Why redirect chains matter
- Speed — Each redirect is an extra round trip. Long chains slow down page load and can hurt Core Web Vitals and UX.
- Crawl efficiency — Crawlers may follow a limited number of redirects; long chains can prevent the final URL from being fully considered.
- Link equity — Pass-through of “link juice” is less reliable across multiple hops; consolidating to one redirect is cleaner.
Best practice
- One hop when possible — Point the old URL directly to the final URL (e.g. 301 to the canonical HTTPS URL).
- Update internal links — Link to the final URL so users and crawlers don’t rely on redirects for normal navigation.
How BearAudit checks them
BearAudit follows redirects during the crawl and reports chain length and the final URL. We highlight long or inefficient chains so you can replace them with a single redirect and update links.