RedirectKetten

RedirectKetten, a term commonly used in German-language web development, refers to redirect chains: sequences where a URL response 3xx redirects to another URL, which may in turn redirect again, eventually reaching a final destination.

They arise from migration projects, URL restructuring, CMS configuration, or outdated internal links. Common triggers include 301 or 302 redirects layered over time, use of multiple domain aliases, or automatic redirects from content delivery rules.

Impact: Each redirect adds latency; crawlers must follow each step; long chains waste bandwidth and crawl budget; search engines may dilute link equity and treat chains as lower quality; in some cases chains can loop or fail if misconfigured.

Best practices: minimize chain length; aim for direct redirects to the final URL; prefer 301 for permanent moves and 302 only for temporary moves; audit and update internal links; remove obsolete redirects; test using curl or browser console; ensure final URL returns 200 and proper canonicalization.

Detection and debugging: use command line tools (curl -I, wget --server-response), browser developer tools, or SEO tools to reveal the redirect chain; logging and server configuration (Apache mod_rewrite, Nginx rewrite) can help identify chains; automated monitoring can alert on cycles.

See also: HTTP redirect, 3xx status codes, search engine optimization.