# Redirect Chain Checker (`mighty_monk/redirect-chain-checker`) Actor Analyze HTTP redirect chains for any URL. Returns full redirect path, final URL, status codes, and loop detection. Perfect for SEO audits and affiliate link checks. - **URL**: https://apify.com/mighty\_monk/redirect-chain-checker.md - **Developed by:** [Harsh](https://apify.com/mighty_monk) (community) - **Categories:** SEO tools, Developer tools - **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 99.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.00 / 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. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Redirect Chain Checker **Analyze HTTP redirect chains for any URL — no browser required.** Redirect Chain Checker is an Apify Actor built for SEO professionals, developers, and marketers who need to audit how URLs resolve across the web. Enter one or more URLs and get a complete picture of every hop: status codes, `Location` headers, final destination, redirect count, loop detection, and response times. Ideal for: - **SEO audits** — verify 301/302 chains, spot redirect loops, and confirm canonical destinations - **Affiliate link checks** — trace tracking URLs to their landing pages - **Site migrations** — validate redirect rules after domain or path changes - **API & integration testing** — confirm endpoints resolve as expected ### Features - Follows HTTP redirects manually (301, 302, 303, 307, 308) using native `fetch` - Returns the full redirect chain with status codes and `Location` headers - Detects redirect loops automatically - Configurable max redirects, per-request timeout, and custom User-Agent - Processes multiple URLs in a single run - Graceful error handling — failed URLs are recorded without stopping the run ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `urls` | `string[]` | Yes | — | URLs to check for redirect chains | | `maxRedirects` | `integer` | No | `10` | Max redirects to follow per URL (1–50) | | `timeoutMs` | `integer` | No | `10000` | Per-request timeout in milliseconds | | `userAgent` | `string` | No | `ApifyRedirectChecker/1.0` | User-Agent header for requests | #### Example input ```json { "urls": [ "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com" ], "maxRedirects": 10, "timeoutMs": 10000 } ```` ### Output Each checked URL produces one dataset item: | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `inputUrl` | `string` | Original URL submitted | | `finalUrl` | `string` | Final URL after all redirects | | `statusCode` | `integer` | HTTP status of the final response | | `redirectChain` | `array` | Ordered hops: `{ url, status, location }` | | `totalRedirects` | `integer` | Number of redirect responses | | `isLoop` | `boolean` | `true` if a redirect loop was detected | | `responseTimeMs` | `integer` | Total time to resolve the chain (ms) | | `error` | `string` | Present only when the check failed | #### Example output ```json { "inputUrl": "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "finalUrl": "https://httpbin.org/get", "statusCode": 200, "redirectChain": [ { "url": "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "status": 302, "location": "/redirect/2" }, { "url": "https://httpbin.org/redirect/2", "status": 302, "location": "/redirect/1" }, { "url": "https://httpbin.org/redirect/1", "status": 302, "location": "/get" }, { "url": "https://httpbin.org/get", "status": 200, "location": null } ], "totalRedirects": 3, "isLoop": false, "responseTimeMs": 1240 } ``` ### How it works 1. The Actor reads `urls` from input and processes each one sequentially. 2. For each URL, it sends HTTP GET requests with `redirect: 'manual'` so redirects are not followed automatically. 3. On 3xx responses, it reads the `Location` header and follows the chain until a non-redirect response, a loop, an error, or `maxRedirects` is reached. 4. Results are saved to the default dataset via `Actor.pushData()`. ### Run locally ```bash apify run ``` Set test input in `storage/key_value_stores/default/INPUT.json`: ```json { "urls": ["https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com"] } ``` ### Deploy to Apify ```bash apify login apify push ``` ### Resources - [Apify SDK for JavaScript](https://docs.apify.com/sdk/js) - [Actor input schema](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/development/input-schema) - [Dataset storage](https://docs.apify.com/sdk/js/docs/guides/result-storage#dataset) # Actor input Schema ## `urls` (type: `array`): List of URLs to analyze for HTTP redirect chains. ## `maxRedirects` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of redirects to follow per URL before stopping. ## `timeoutMs` (type: `integer`): Timeout in milliseconds for each HTTP request in the chain. ## `userAgent` (type: `string`): Custom User-Agent header sent with each request. ## Actor input object example ```json { "urls": [ "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com" ], "maxRedirects": 10, "timeoutMs": 10000, "userAgent": "ApifyRedirectChecker/1.0" } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "urls": [ "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("mighty_monk/redirect-chain-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "urls": [ "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("mighty_monk/redirect-chain-checker").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).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": [ "https://httpbin.org/redirect/3", "https://google.com" ] }' | apify call mighty_monk/redirect-chain-checker --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=mighty_monk/redirect-chain-checker", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Redirect Chain Checker", "description": "Analyze HTTP redirect chains for any URL. Returns full redirect path, final URL, status codes, and loop detection. Perfect for SEO audits and affiliate link checks.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "P8TYphXnfOrwsgVkQ" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/mighty_monk~redirect-chain-checker/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-mighty_monk-redirect-chain-checker", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/mighty_monk~redirect-chain-checker/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-mighty_monk-redirect-chain-checker", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/mighty_monk~redirect-chain-checker/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-mighty_monk-redirect-chain-checker", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "urls" ], "properties": { "urls": { "title": "URLs to check", "type": "array", "description": "List of URLs to analyze for HTTP redirect chains.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxRedirects": { "title": "Maximum redirects", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of redirects to follow per URL before stopping.", "default": 10 }, "timeoutMs": { "title": "Request timeout (ms)", "minimum": 1000, "maximum": 60000, "type": "integer", "description": "Timeout in milliseconds for each HTTP request in the chain.", "default": 10000 }, "userAgent": { "title": "User-Agent", "type": "string", "description": "Custom User-Agent header sent with each request.", "default": "ApifyRedirectChecker/1.0" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```