# Redirect Checker: Bulk Redirect Chain & URL Status (`datawright-labs/redirect-checker`) Actor

Redirect checker for any list of URLs: full redirect chain (301, 302, 307, 308, meta refresh) with status codes, final URL, loops, HTTPS downgrades, soft-404 homepage redirects and old-to-new URL checks for site migrations. Callable by AI agents via MCP. $0.50 per 1,000 URLs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datawright-labs/redirect-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Datawright Labs](https://apify.com/datawright-labs) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.40 / 1,000 url checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

**For AI agents:** Use when asked to check redirects, follow a redirect chain, find where a URL ends up, check HTTP status codes for a list of URLs, or verify old-to-new redirects after a site migration. Call with `urls` (URLs, or "old-url new-url" pairs on one line; required), optional `outputFilter` (`all`, `problems`, `redirects`) and `userAgent` (`browser`, `googlebot`, `mobile`). Returns one row per URL: `finalUrl`, `finalStatusCode`, `redirectCount`, `redirectTypes`, `redirectChain` (every hop), `permanent`, `matchesExpected`, `problems`, `canonical`, `title`. Cost: $0.0005 per URL ($0.50 per 1,000); unreachable URLs and invalid inputs free.

**For people:** Tell your AI agent "check that all 300 old URLs from our migration spreadsheet 301 to the right new pages and list the ones that don't" and it hands the list to this tool, then reads back the problems. No one-URL-at-a-time redirect checkers, and 1,000 URLs cost $0.50.

**Bulk redirect checker for hundreds or thousands of URLs in one run.** Paste a list of URLs (or old-URL / new-URL pairs) and this redirect chain checker follows every hop like a browser: **301, 302, 303, 307 and 308** redirects plus **meta refresh** and **Refresh header** redirects, with the status code, location and response time of each hop. You get the **final URL and its HTTP status**, and a plain-English **problems list**: **redirect chains** (more than one hop), **temporary 302 redirects** where a 301 belongs, **redirect loops**, **too many redirects**, **HTTPS to HTTP downgrades**, final pages that return **404 / 410 / 5xx**, deep URLs that redirect to a **homepage (soft 404)**, final pages that are **noindex** or whose **canonical** points elsewhere, and, for migrations, URLs that **don't end at the expected new URL**.

No proxies, no API keys and no browser: results export to **CSV, Excel, JSON or Google Sheets**, or run on a **schedule** to monitor your redirects.

### What does this redirect checker do?

- 🔀 **Full redirect chain** for every URL: each hop's URL, status code (301/302/303/307/308), type (meta-refresh, refresh-header), Location target, response time and server.
- 🎯 **Site migration QA**: put `old-url new-url` on a line (or upload a JSON redirect map) and every row says whether the old URL ends at the expected new URL (`matchesExpected`). Relative targets like `/new-page` work.
- 🚩 **SEO redirect problems**: chains, temporary redirects, loops, more than N hops, HTTPS downgrades, final 4xx/5xx, homepage redirects (soft 404), noindex or mismatched canonical on the destination, plain-HTTP destinations, invalid TLS certificates.
- 📊 **Bulk URL status checker**: the final HTTP status code, page title, content type, canonical, meta robots and X-Robots-Tag for every URL, redirected or not.
- 🤖 **Googlebot, desktop or iPhone user agent**, since some sites redirect bots or phones differently.
- 🧹 **Bulk-friendly input**: full URLs or bare domains (`example.com` -> `https://example.com/`, use `http://` to test the HTTP to HTTPS redirect), de-duplicated; up to 50 URLs in parallel, at most 4 per host.

### Use cases

- **Website migrations and redesigns**: check that every old URL 301s to the right new page before and after launch.
- **Redirect audits**: find chains and 302s that waste crawl budget and leak link equity, then point each old URL straight to its final destination.
- **Backlink and affiliate link checks**: see where your inbound links, ads or affiliate links really land.
- **Domain consolidation**: verify http/https and www/non-www variants all end on one canonical host.
- **Bulk URL status checks**: HTTP status codes for a list of URLs from a sitemap, a crawl or a spreadsheet.
- **Scheduled monitoring**: run weekly with **Only URLs with problems** and get an email, Slack message or webhook when a redirect breaks.

### How to use it

1. Paste URLs into **URLs**, one per line. For a migration, write the old and new URL on the same line: `https://example.com/old https://example.com/new`.
2. Optionally choose **Which URLs to save** and the **User agent**.
3. Click **Start**, then open the **Overview** table or export the results.

#### Input example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "http://github.com",
    "apify.com/store",
    "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news"
  ],
  "outputFilter": "all",
  "userAgent": "browser"
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "url": "http://github.com/",
  "input": "http://github.com",
  "status": "ok",
  "finalUrl": "https://github.com/",
  "finalStatusCode": 200,
  "redirectCount": 1,
  "redirectTypes": ["301"],
  "firstRedirectStatus": "301",
  "isRedirect": true,
  "permanent": true,
  "crossDomain": false,
  "expectedUrl": null,
  "matchesExpected": null,
  "ok": true,
  "problems": [],
  "redirectChain": [
    { "url": "http://github.com/", "statusCode": 301, "type": "301", "location": "https://github.com/", "responseTimeMs": 41, "server": null },
    { "url": "https://github.com/", "statusCode": 200, "type": null, "location": null, "responseTimeMs": 180, "server": "github.com" }
  ],
  "title": "GitHub · Build and ship software on a single, collaborative platform",
  "canonical": "https://github.com/",
  "totalTimeMs": 225,
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-25T14:30:00.000Z"
}
```

URLs that can't be reached at all (DNS failure, timeout, refused) come back with `status: "error"` and are **free**. A **SUMMARY** record in the key-value store has the counts.

### How much does a redirect check cost?

You pay **$0.0005 per URL checked** ($0.50 per 1,000 URLs), whatever the number of hops. **Unreachable URLs and invalid inputs are free**, and URLs skipped by **Which URLs to save** are **free** too. No start fee.

| Job | URLs | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Check 500 migrated URLs before launch | 500 | **$0.25** |
| Weekly redirect monitor for 2,000 URLs | ~8,000/month | **~$4/month** |
| Status codes for a 50,000-URL sitemap | 50,000 | **$25** |

- Apify's **free plan includes $5 of monthly credit**, enough for about **10,000 URLs a month**.
- Paid Apify plans get automatic discounts: **Silver -10%**, **Gold and above -20%**.
- Set **Maximum cost per run** to cap spend; the Actor stops cleanly at the limit.

### Bulk redirect checker vs. the alternatives

| | This Actor | Online redirect checkers / extensions | curl -IL by hand | SEO crawler licenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands of URLs per run | ✅ | ❌ one or a few at a time | ✅ after you write the script | ✅ |
| Old URL -> expected new URL check | ✅ | ❌ | DIY | partly |
| Meta refresh, loops, soft-404 homepage redirects | ✅ | partly | ❌ | ✅ |
| Canonical / noindex on the destination | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| CSV / Excel / JSON / Sheets export, schedules, webhooks | ✅ | ❌ | DIY | varies |
| Callable by AI agents (MCP) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Cost model | $0.50 per 1,000 URLs, no subscription | free, manual | free + your time | yearly license |

### Use it as an API (Python, JavaScript, cURL)

#### Python

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("datawright-labs/redirect-checker").call(run_input={"urls": ["http://github.com", "https://example.com/old https://example.com/new"]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["input"], item.get("finalUrl"), item.get("finalStatusCode"), item.get("problems"))
```

#### JavaScript / Node.js

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('datawright-labs/redirect-checker').call({ urls: ['http://github.com'] });
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

#### cURL

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/datawright-labs~redirect-checker/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"urls":["http://github.com"],"outputFilter":"all"}'
```

### Use it from your AI agent (MCP)

Your AI assistant or agent can run this Actor as a tool through [Apify's MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp), so it can check redirects on its own while you chat. Add this server to any MCP client that supports remote (Streamable HTTP) servers:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datawright-redirect-checker": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=datawright-labs/redirect-checker"
    }
  }
}
```

On first use your browser opens to sign in to Apify (OAuth). If your client can't do OAuth, add `"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" }` instead. The tool shows up as `datawright-labs--redirect-checker`, with the same input fields as above, and the agent reads the results with `get-dataset-items`. Then just ask, for example:

> Check where these 40 URLs redirect and list any that use a 302, have more than one hop or end on a 404.

Want several Datawright tools at once? Comma-separate them: `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=datawright-labs/redirect-checker,datawright-labs/broken-link-checker`. Runs are billed per result, exactly like normal runs.

### FAQ

#### How do I check where a URL redirects?

Paste it and run. `finalUrl` is where it ends, `redirectChain` lists every hop with its status code, and `problems` says what to fix.

#### How do I check redirects after a website migration?

Put each old URL and the new URL it should go to on one line (`old new`, separated by a space, tab, comma or `->`), or paste a JSON redirect map exported from your spreadsheet. Set **Which URLs to save** to **Only URLs with problems** to get just the broken ones.

#### What's the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?

A 301 (or 308) says the page moved permanently, so search engines move the old URL's ranking signals to the new one. A 302 (or 303 / 307) says the move is temporary. Using 302s for permanent moves is a common SEO mistake, and this checker flags it.

#### Why is a redirect chain a problem?

Every extra hop adds latency and wastes crawl budget, and Google stops following after about 10 hops. Point each old URL straight to its final destination.

#### Does it follow meta refresh and JavaScript redirects?

Meta refresh and the Refresh header, yes (turn it off with **Follow meta refresh redirects**). JavaScript redirects need a real browser and aren't followed.

#### Does it test the HTTP to HTTPS redirect?

Yes: enter the URL with `http://`. A bare domain is checked as `https://`. For HTTPS, HSTS and header hygiene, use the Security Headers Checker below.

### More tools from Datawright Labs

- [Meta Tags & Open Graph Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/meta-tags-checker): bulk title, meta description, canonical, noindex, hreflang, Open Graph / Twitter card and schema.org checks with an SEO problems list per URL.
- [Broken Link Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/broken-link-checker): crawl a whole site and find broken links, images and redirects, with the page and anchor text of each.
- [Sitemap URL Extractor](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/sitemap-url-extractor): get every URL of a site from its sitemaps, then check their redirects here.
- [Security Headers Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/security-headers-checker): bulk HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options and HTTPS redirect checks with an A-F grade.
- [SSL Certificate Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/ssl-certificate-checker): bulk SSL certificate and domain expiry checks with alerts for expiring, invalid or outdated TLS.
- [SPF, DMARC & DKIM Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/email-domain-dns-checker): bulk email domain audit of SPF (10-lookup limit), DMARC, DKIM, MX provider, BIMI and MTA-STS.
- [WHOIS Domain Lookup (RDAP)](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/whois-rdap-domain-lookup): bulk registrar, domain age, expiry date, nameservers, EPP status and availability from official registry RDAP.
- [Bulk PageSpeed & Core Web Vitals Checker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/pagespeed-auditor): audit PageSpeed / Lighthouse scores for many URLs.
- [Website Screenshot API](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/website-screenshot): bulk full-page screenshots and PDFs.
- [Google Autocomplete Keyword Scraper](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/autocomplete-keyword-scraper): long-tail keyword ideas from Google, YouTube and Bing.
- [Greenhouse, Lever & Ashby Jobs Scraper](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/ats-jobs-scraper): normalized job feeds from 5 ATS platforms.
- [App Store Top Charts & Rank Tracker](https://apify.com/datawright-labs/app-store-top-charts): daily top free/paid/grossing app rankings with rank changes.

Tip: pair it with the **Sitemap URL Extractor** to check the redirects of every URL in a sitemap, and the **Broken Link Checker** to find links that still point at old URLs.

Made by **Datawright Labs**: reliable, fairly priced web data tools. Questions or a missing feature? Open an issue on the Issues tab; we usually reply within a day.

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

One per line. A URL or bare domain (http://example.com, example.com/old-page) is followed through every redirect. To check a site migration, put the old URL and the URL it should end at on one line, separated by a space, tab, comma or ->, e.g. "https://example.com/old https://example.com/new"; the row then says whether it matches. A relative expected URL (/new) is resolved on the old URL's site. Duplicates are merged.

## `redirectMap` (type: `array`):

Alternative to the pairs above, e.g. exported from a spreadsheet: \[{"from": "https://example.com/old", "to": "https://example.com/new"}]. Keys from/url/source and to/expected/target are accepted.

## `followMetaRefresh` (type: `boolean`):

Also follow <meta http-equiv="refresh"> and Refresh header redirects (reported as hop type meta-refresh / refresh-header).

## `maxRedirects` (type: `integer`):

Stop following after this many hops and report TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS.

## `outputFilter` (type: `string`):

Skipped rows are not saved and not charged.

## `userAgent` (type: `string`):

Some sites redirect differently for bots or phones.

## `timeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Per hop.

## `concurrency` (type: `integer`):

URLs checked in parallel (max 4 at a time per host).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "http://github.com",
    "apify.com/store",
    "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news"
  ],
  "redirectMap": [],
  "followMetaRefresh": true,
  "maxRedirects": 10,
  "outputFilter": "all",
  "userAgent": "browser",
  "timeoutSecs": 20,
  "concurrency": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Per-URL redirect results.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

SUMMARY record with counts.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "urls": [
        "http://github.com",
        "apify.com/store",
        "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datawright-labs/redirect-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "urls": [
        "http://github.com",
        "apify.com/store",
        "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datawright-labs/redirect-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "urls": [
    "http://github.com",
    "apify.com/store",
    "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news"
  ]
}' |
apify call datawright-labs/redirect-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,datawright-labs/redirect-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/Ijc551TCd8s6zTWZx/builds/lkaMvucrQW5lfop6H/openapi.json