Redirect Chain
A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to a second URL that redirects again to a third or more before reaching the final destination. Each hop adds latency and consumes crawler resources, and long chains can prevent engines from following through to the target.
Why It Matters
Chains slow page loads for users and waste crawl capacity, and signal consolidation can weaken across multiple hops. Collapsing chains to a single redirect preserves speed and ensures ranking signals reach the intended final URL.
Common Mistake
Letting chains accumulate after site migrations, HTTP-to-HTTPS moves, and trailing-slash changes stack on top of each other. Each should be updated to point directly at the final URL rather than chaining through previous redirect targets.