Redirect Checker

Every domain can be typed four ways: with http or https, and with or without www. The Redirect Checker tests all four at once, follows every redirect step, and tells you whether they all end at the same final address. If they do not, you are splitting your visitors and your SEO across several versions of the same site.

Why the four versions matter

To a browser and a search engine, these are four different addresses:

• http://example.com
• https://example.com
• http://www.example.com
• https://www.example.com

Your site should pick one of them as the main version, usually https with or without www, and send the other three to it with a permanent 301 redirect. When that is set up correctly:

• Every visitor ends on the secure https version.
• Links from other sites all count toward one address, not four.
• Search engines index one version, with no duplicates.
• Cookies, logins and analytics work the same for everyone.

When it is set up wrong, some versions show errors, some show the site without SSL, and search engines may index two copies of every page.

How to use the checker

1. Type your domain without http or www, like example.com.

2. Press Check redirects. The tool requests all four versions from our server.

3. Read the verdict. “All versions end at one address” is what you want. The final address is shown.

4. Check each version. For each one you see every step, its HTTP code and the time it took.

5. Fix any warning. Versions with two or more redirects, errors or a different final address need attention.

What a perfect result looks like

Say your main version is https://example.com. A perfect setup looks like this:

Each version reaches the final address in at most one redirect.

Redirect codes explained

Common problems and fixes

Two redirects in a row

A typical chain is http://www.example.com to https://www.example.com to https://example.com. It works, but each step adds delay, especially on mobile. Change the server rule so every version jumps straight to the final address in one step.

Different final addresses

For example, the www version ends on https://www.example.com while the plain version ends on https://example.com. Search engines now see two sites. Choose one, update the WordPress Address and Site Address settings to match it, and redirect the other.

One version shows an error

Often the www version has no DNS record, so it fails completely. Add a www CNAME record pointing to the main domain; check it with the DNS Checker. If https fails only on www, the SSL certificate does not cover www; check with the SSL Checker and reissue it for both names.

http versions do not redirect

The site loads on plain http without moving to https. Visitors see “Not secure” in the browser. Turn on “Force HTTPS” in your hosting dashboard, or add a redirect rule.

Redirect loop

The browser shows “too many redirects”. Two rules point at each other, often a hosting rule and a plugin rule, or Cloudflare’s SSL mode set to Flexible while the server also forces https. Remove one of the rules, or set Cloudflare SSL to Full.

302 instead of 301

Temporary redirects for permanent changes can slow down how search engines move signals to the new address. Change them to 301.

How to set up the redirects

In your hosting dashboard

Most hosts, including Hostinger, have a one-click Force HTTPS option. Turn it on after your SSL certificate is active.

In WordPress

Set both addresses in Settings, General to your final version, for example https://example.com. WordPress then redirects the other host name automatically for most pages.

With .htaccess on Apache or LiteSpeed

A common rule sends every version to https without www in one step:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://example.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Replace example.com with your domain, place it above the WordPress rules, and back up the file first.

With Cloudflare

Turn on Always Use HTTPS, and create one redirect rule from www to the root domain (or the other way). Set SSL mode to Full or Full (strict) to avoid loops.

www or no www?

For SEO it makes no difference. Pick the version you like and stay consistent. Shorter addresses without www are popular today. Large sites sometimes prefer www for technical reasons with cookies and CDNs. What matters is choosing one and redirecting the rest.

Redirects after moving to a new domain

When you move a site from an old domain to a new one, every old URL should 301 redirect to the matching new URL, not just to the new home page. That way visitors who click an old link land on the exact page they expected, and search engines move each page’s value to its new address.

1. Keep the old domain registered and pointed to a server for at least a year.

2. Add a rule that redirects every path on the old domain to the same path on the new domain.

3. Test several old URLs, not only the home page, with the Website Status Checker.

4. Use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console.

5. Update links on your social profiles and anywhere you control.

HSTS and why some redirects are skipped

If a site sends an HSTS header, browsers remember to always use https for that domain. After the first visit, the browser changes http to https by itself, before any request is sent. That is good for security. It also means your browser may hide redirect problems that first-time visitors still see. This checker always tests from a clean start, so it shows the redirects a new visitor or a search engine really gets.

Redirects and page speed

Each redirect costs a full round trip to the server before the page can start loading. On a fast connection that may be 50 milliseconds; on mobile data in hilly areas it can be several hundred. A chain of three redirects can add a noticeable delay before anything appears. Links in your menus, posts, social profiles and ads should always point straight to the final https address.

Redirects for single pages

Besides the four domain versions, you will also redirect individual pages over time: a renamed post, a merged article, a discontinued product. Rules of thumb:

• Redirect to the closest matching page, not always to the home page.
• If no similar page exists, a 404 or 410 is more honest than a redirect to an unrelated page.
• Keep a list of redirects so they are not lost when you change hosting or plugins.

Check after every big change

Run this checker after installing SSL, moving hosts, changing the WordPress address, turning on Cloudflare or adding a security plugin. These are the moments when redirect rules most often break or start fighting each other, and a quick test catches problems before visitors and search engines do.

Frequently asked questions