Redirect Chain Inspector: Overview
Given a URL, this tool follows every redirect hop (up to a configurable limit)
and reports each step with its status code, target, and the headers most likely
to matter: Location, Strict-Transport-Security, Set-Cookie, Cache-Control.
What it surfaces
- The full redirect chain, in order.
- Which hops upgrade HTTP to HTTPS.
- Which hops change host (www ↔ apex, country variants, tracking domains).
- Mixed-scheme chains and downgrades from HTTPS back to HTTP (rare but serious).
- Redirect loops and chains that exceed the default hop budget.
What it does not do
- It does not run JavaScript — client-side redirects (
window.location) are invisible. - It does not interpret cookies or WAF/bot challenges — it treats them as opaque.