Redirect Audit
What This Skill Does
Analyzes website redirects to find problems that hurt SEO and user experience.
Why Redirects Matter
- Every redirect = delay: 301 redirects add 100-500ms latency
- Chains lose link equity: Google follows max ~5 hops, then stops
- Wrong type = lost ranking: 302 (temporary) doesn't pass full link juice
- Loops = crawl waste: Googlebot hits loop, gives up, page not indexed
Check Categories
1. Redirect Chains
A redirect pointing to another redirect, pointing to another...
BAD: /old → /old-2 → /old-3 → /final (3 hops, slow, loses equity) GOOD: /old → /final (1 hop, fast, full equity)
Rule: Maximum 1 redirect hop. More than 1 = fix immediately.
2. Redirect Loops
Page A redirects to B, B redirects back to A. Infinite loop.
BAD: /page-a → /page-b → /page-a (loop!)
Detection: Follow redirects up to 10 hops. If same URL appears twice = loop.
3. Redirect Type Audit
| Type | When to Use | SEO Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | Permanent move | Passes ~95% link equity |
| 302 | Temporary (A/B test, maintenance) | Passes less equity, can cause issues if permanent |
| 307 | Temporary (preserves HTTP method) | Same as 302 |
| 308 | Permanent (preserves HTTP method) | Same as 301 |
| Meta refresh | NEVER for SEO | Bad UX, slow, not recommended |
| JavaScript redirect | Avoid if possible | Googlebot may not follow |
Rule: Permanent moves must use 301 or 308. Using 302 for permanent = error.
4. Protocol Issues
BAD: https://site.com → http://site.com (downgrade, security warning) BAD: http → https → http (mixed, confusing) GOOD: http://site.com → https://site.com (upgrade, correct)
5. Domain Consistency
BAD: www.site.com → site.com → www.site.com (inconsistent) GOOD: Pick ONE (www or non-www) and redirect all others to it
6. Trailing Slash Consistency
BAD: /page → /page/ → /page (loop risk) GOOD: Pick ONE pattern (/page or /page/) and redirect all others
7. Post-Migration Orphans
After site migration/redesign:
- Old URLs that redirect to 404 or homepage (should go to equivalent new page)
- Important pages with no redirect (losing all link equity)
8. Soft 404s via Redirect
Redirecting deleted pages to homepage = soft 404 penalty risk.
BAD: /deleted-product → / (Google sees this as soft 404) GOOD: /deleted-product → 410 Gone (or related category page)
How to Run Audit
Method 1: Crawl-based (recommended)
Use squirrel audit or similar crawler to:
- Crawl entire site
- Follow all internal links
- Record redirect chains
Method 2: Log-based (for large sites)
Analyze server access logs for:
- All 301/302 responses
- Most-hit redirect URLs
- External referrers hitting redirects
Method 3: URL list
If you have a list of old URLs (from migration):
- Check each URL
- Record final destination
- Flag chains, loops, 404s
Output Format
Redirect Health Score: XX/100
Critical Issues (Fix Immediately)
| Issue Type | Count | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Redirect loops | X | /a → /b → /a |
| 5+ hop chains | X | /old → ... → /new |
| HTTPS downgrade | X | https → http |
High Priority (Fix This Week)
| Issue Type | Count | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 hop chains | X | /old → /mid → /new |
| 302 used for permanent | X | /old-page 302→ /new-page |
| Soft 404 redirects | X | /deleted → / |
Medium Priority (Fix This Month)
| Issue Type | Count | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hop chains | X | /old → /mid → /new |
| Inconsistent trailing slash | X | /page and /page/ both exist |
Redirect Map
Top 20 most-accessed redirects and their chains:
| Source URL | Hops | Final Destination | Type | Monthly Hits |
|---|
Recommendations
- [Specific fix instructions based on findings]
[PROTOCOL]: Update this header on changes, then check CLAUDE.md
