Definition
A redirect chain occurs when there are multiple redirects between an initial URL that’s requested and the final destination URL. For example, URL A redirects to URL B, which in turn redirects to URL C.
User Cases
Redirect chains often arise during website migrations or when implementing HTTPS, as webmasters may forget to update existing redirects. They can also occur due to oversights when multiple redirects are set without awareness of existing ones.
Why It Matters for SEO
Redirect chains negatively impact SEO by delaying crawling, consuming crawl budget, and potentially causing indexing issues. They also result in lost link equity, as not all authority is passed through each redirect, and increased page load times, affecting user experience and search engine efficiency.
Related Concepts
Related concepts include URL redirection, domain forwarding, and HTTP status codes. Understanding these can help in effectively managing redirects and avoiding issues like redirect chains.