FollowRedirects

FollowRedirects is a configuration option commonly found in HTTP client libraries and web scraping tools. It determines whether the client should automatically follow HTTP redirects. When a server responds with a redirect status code, such as 301 Moved Permanently or 302 Found, it includes a 'Location' header specifying the new URL where the client should go.

If followRedirects is enabled, the HTTP client will automatically make a new request to the URL specified in the 'Location' header. This process can repeat if the new URL also responds with a redirect. The client typically has a limit on the number of redirects it will follow to prevent infinite redirect loops.

Conversely, if followRedirects is disabled, the client will return the redirect response to the application without making a subsequent request. This allows the developer to inspect the redirect status code and the 'Location' header, and decide how to proceed manually. This is useful in scenarios where you need to log all redirects, implement custom redirect logic, or prevent unexpected behavior.

The default behavior of followRedirects varies between libraries. Some libraries enable it by default, assuming that most users want seamless navigation through redirects. Others may disable it by default, requiring explicit configuration to enable this feature. Understanding this setting is crucial for controlling how your application interacts with web servers and handles redirection logic.