Avoid redirect chains and loops
How chains are formed
During the first relaunch, /alt is redirected to /neu. During the second, /neu is redirected to /neuer – the old rule remains. Redirects from HTTP to HTTPS and from without-www to with-www are added. Quickly, a single request becomes four jumps.
Why this is harmful
- Each station extends the charging time, especially in mobile networks.
- Search engines follow only a limited number of redirects.
- Every additional rule is a source of error in the next modification.
Loops: the worst case
If A redirects to B and B redirects back to A, no one can access it. Browsers terminate with an error message. Loops often occur when rules in the server and the CMS contradict each other.
So you clean up
- Check all redirects with a crawler or header checker.
- Set every old address directly to the final destination.
- Maintain rules in one place – server or CMS, not both.
And QR codes?
A dynamic QR code is itself a redirect. If its target points to an old address that redirects again, a chain is created. Therefore, after the relaunch, it is advisable to set the targets of the codes directly to the new pages.
Frequently asked questions
Ideally, there should be exactly one. From three stations onwards, you should clean up.
With an online HTTP header checker or in the network tab of the developer tools – there each station is listed with its status code.
Do not delete, but adjust: The old address should continue to function, but lead directly to the final destination.
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