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HTTP Headers
Status, headers and every redirect of any address, all the way to the final page.
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What this tool does
The HTTP headers tool requests the address you enter just like a browser would and shows the server's response: the status code, every header and each redirect up to the final page. It's useful to check whether a 301 redirect is set up correctly, whether the site forces HTTPS, what caching is configured and which security headers are active.
How to read the result
- 200: the page responded normally.
- 301 and 308: permanent redirect. The right choice for moving domains or forcing HTTPS, because search engines pass ranking signals to the new address.
- 302 and 307: temporary redirect. If used for a permanent move, Google may keep showing the old address.
- 403, 404 and 410: access denied, page not found and page removed.
- 500 to 504: server error. 502 and 504 usually mean the application behind the web server has stopped or is slow.
Among the headers, look for Strict-Transport-Security (enforces HTTPS), Content-Security-Policy and X-Content-Type-Options (browser protections), Cache-Control (how long the page may be cached) and Server (the server software).
Common problems
Redirect chains. Going from http to https and then from www to non-www in two hops works, but slows down loading. Ideally the final address is reached in a single hop.
Redirect loop. The address points back to itself. We show at most five hops; if the chain doesn't end, there's a loop or the chain is too long.
Different result from the browser. Some sites respond differently depending on country, language or cookies. Here the request comes from our server, without cookies.
Frequently asked questions
What are HTTP headers?
They are information the server sends along with the page, before the content: status code, file type, caching rules, cookies and security instructions for the browser.
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 is permanent and passes search ranking to the new address. A 302 is temporary and keeps the old address as the main one.
How do I know if my site forces HTTPS?
Enter the address starting with http://. If the first hop is a 301 to https://, the site forces HTTPS. Also check whether the Strict-Transport-Security header is present.
Why do I get a 403 error here when the page opens in my browser?
Some sites block automated or server-based requests. The block comes from the tested site, not from your connection.
Does the tool download the page content?
No. We only read the status and headers of each response and close the connection before the content.