• seohunters9

        See all notifications

        Skip to content
        Moz logo Menu open Menu close
        • Products
          • Moz Pro
          • Moz Pro Home
          • Moz Local
          • Moz Local Home
          • STAT
          • Moz API
          • Moz API Home
          • Compare SEO Products
          • Moz Data
        • Free SEO Tools
          • Domain Analysis
          • Keyword Explorer
          • Link Explorer
          • Competitive Research
          • MozBar
          • More Free SEO Tools
        • Learn SEO
          • Beginner's Guide to SEO
          • SEO Learning Center
          • Moz Academy
          • MozCon
          • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
        • Blog
        • Why Moz
          • Digital Marketers
          • Agency Solutions
          • Enterprise Solutions
          • Small Business Solutions
          • The Moz Story
          • New Releases
        • Log in
        • Log out
        • Products
          • Moz Pro

            Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

          • Moz Local

            Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

          • STAT

            SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

          • Moz API

            Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

          • Compare SEO Products

            See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

          • Moz Data

            Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

          Let your business shine with Listings AI
          Moz Local

          Let your business shine with Listings AI

          Learn more
        • Free SEO Tools
          • Domain Analysis

            Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

          • Keyword Explorer

            Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

          • Link Explorer

            Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

          • Competitive Research

            Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

          • MozBar

            See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

          • More Free SEO Tools

            Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

          NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
          Moz Pro

          NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

          Learn more
        • Learn SEO
          • Beginner's Guide to SEO

            The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

          • SEO Learning Center

            Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

          • On-Demand Webinars

            Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

          • How-To Guides

            Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

          • Moz Academy

            Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

          • MozCon

            Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

          Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
          Moz API

          Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

          Find your plan
        • Blog
        • Why Moz
          • Digital Marketers

            Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

          • Small Business Solutions

            Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

          • Agency Solutions

            Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

          • Enterprise Solutions

            Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

          • The Moz Story

            Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

          • New Releases

            Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

          Surface actionable competitive intel
          New Feature

          Surface actionable competitive intel

          Learn More
        • Log in
          • Moz Pro
          • Moz Local
          • Moz Local Dashboard
          • Moz API
          • Moz API Dashboard
          • Moz Academy
        • Avatar
          • Moz Home
          • Notifications
          • Account & Billing
          • Manage Users
          • Community Profile
          • My Q&A
          • My Videos
          • Log Out

        The Moz Q&A Forum

        • Forum
        • Questions
        • My Q&A
        • Users
        • Ask the Community

        Welcome to the Q&A Forum

        Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

        1. Home
        2. SEO Tactics
        3. Technical SEO
        4. Redirection chain and Javascript Redirect

        Moz Q&A is closed.

        After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

        Redirection chain and Javascript Redirect

        Technical SEO
        10
        19
        2287
        Loading More Posts
        • Watching

          Notify me of new replies.
          Show question in unread.

        • Not Watching

          Do not notify me of new replies.
          Show question in unread if category is not ignored.

        • Ignoring

          Do not notify me of new replies.
          Do not show question in unread.

        • Oldest to Newest
        • Newest to Oldest
        • Most Votes
        Reply
        • Reply as question
        Locked
        This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
        • LouisPortier
          LouisPortier Subscriber last edited by

          Hi,

          A redirection chain is usually defined as a page redirecting to another page which itself is another redirection.

          URL1 ---(301/302)---> URL2 ---(301/302)---> URL3

          But what about Javascript redirect? They seem to be a different beast:

          URL1 ---(301/302)---> URL2 ---(200 then Javascript redirect)---> URL3

          From what I know if the javascript redirect is instant Google counts it as a 301 permanent redirection, but I'm still not sure about if this counts as a redirection chain.

          Most of the tools (such as moz) only see the first redirection.

          So is that scenario a redirection chain or no?

          evanmirk vimu786 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • freepointofsales
            freepointofsales last edited by

            It's a delicate balance between efficient routing and ensuring seamless transitions, where every decision shapes the user's path and perception. myvirtualworkplace

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • vimu786
              vimu786 @LouisPortier last edited by

              @LouisPortier said in Redirection chain and Javascript Redirect:

              Hi,

              A redirection chain is usually defined as a page redirecting to another page which itself is another redirection.

              URL1 ---(301/302)---> URL2 ---(301/302)---> URL3

              But what about Javascript redirect? They seem to be a different beast:

              URL1 ---(301/302)---> URL2 ---(200 then Javascript redirect)---> URL3

              From what I know if the javascript redirect is instant Google counts it as a 301 permanent redirection, but I'm still not sure about if this counts as a redirection chain.

              Most of the tools (such as moz) only see the first redirection.

              So is that scenario a redirection chain or no?

              A JavaScript redirect, on the other hand, is a redirect that occurs using JavaScript code embedded in a webpage. Instead of relying on server-side redirects, JavaScript redirects are triggered when the page loads or when certain conditions are met, and they instruct the browser to navigate to a different URL. They can be used for various purposes, such as redirecting users after a certain amount of time, after a form submission, or based on user interactions.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • freepointofsales
                freepointofsales last edited by

                Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • freepointofsales
                  freepointofsales last edited by

                  Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • freepointofsales
                    freepointofsales last edited by

                    Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • freepointofsales
                      freepointofsales last edited by

                      Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • freepointofsales
                        freepointofsales last edited by

                        Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • freepointofsales
                          freepointofsales last edited by

                          Understanding the intricacies of redirection chains and JavaScript redirects is crucial for optimizing website performance and user experience. Proper implementation ensures smooth navigation and avoids unnecessary delays. Visit more

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • James.Mathew
                            James.Mathew last edited by

                            I appreciate your detailed explanation. To enhance accuracy in tracing redirects, ensure a cohesive sequence. Consider using a unified approach for hash numbers, perhaps generating a unique identifier for each transition. Additionally, refine the code logic to account for different redirection techniques, ensuring a seamless and connected mapping of the entire journey from A to D. If possible, share snippets of your code for more targeted guidance. shopify website design servicee austin

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Heatheranderson
                              Heatheranderson last edited by

                              Thank you for the valuable feedback. While the current code successfully executes, it lacks accuracy in tracing the redirect sequence. The issue stems from the disjointed nature of the captured redirects, as seen in the isolated transitions from A to B, B to C, and C to D, where randomly generated hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2) are utilized. This disrupts the continuity of the redirect chain, resulting in an inaccurate representation of the actual progression from A through D.

                              The objective is to effectively track the entire journey, encompassing transitions from A to B to C to D, across various redirection techniques such as meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP redirects. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on refining the code to maintain the integrity of the redirect sequence, ensuring a connected and sequential mapping of the redirection process. Liteblue

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • Heatheranderson
                                Heatheranderson last edited by

                                Thank you for the valuable feedback. While the current code successfully executes, it lacks accuracy in tracing the redirect sequence. The issue stems from the disjointed nature of the captured redirects, as seen in the isolated transitions from A to B, B to C, and C to D, where randomly generated hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2) are utilized. This disrupts the continuity of the redirect chain, resulting in an inaccurate representation of the actual progression from A through D.

                                The objective is to effectively track the entire journey, encompassing transitions from A to B to C to D, across various redirection techniques such as meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP redirects. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on refining the code to maintain the integrity of the redirect sequence, ensuring a connected and sequential mapping of the redirection process. Liteblue

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • silcename123
                                  silcename123 last edited by

                                  In the scenario you described, where there is a sequence of redirects involving both HTTP redirects (301/302) and a JavaScript redirect, it can be considered a redirection chain. The key point is that each step in the sequence contributes to the final destination of the URL.

                                  In your example:

                                  1. URL1 redirects to URL2 using an HTTP 301/302 status code.
                                  2. URL2, after an HTTP 200 response, triggers a JavaScript redirect to URL3.

                                  From Google's perspective, if the JavaScript redirect is instantaneous and does not introduce a delay, it might treat it similarly to a traditional 301 permanent redirect. However, it's important to note that search engines may interpret JavaScript redirects differently, and their behavior may evolve over time.

                                  Tools like Moz may sometimes focus on the initial HTTP redirect and not delve into subsequent steps, potentially overlooking the complete redirection chain. Therefore, discrepancies in what different tools report could occur.

                                  For a more comprehensive understanding, you might consider using tools or methods that specifically analyze JavaScript-based redirects or inspect the network requests in a browser's developer tools to see the entire redirection sequence. This way, you can get a clearer picture of how search engines and various tools interpret the entire redirection chain, including both HTTP and JavaScript redirects.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • arron-williams
                                    arron-williams last edited by

                                    Thank you for the insightful feedback. While the current code executes successfully, it falls short in accurately tracing the redirect sequence. The issue lies in the disjoint nature of the captured redirects, exemplified by the isolated transitions A->B, B->C, and C->D, where the hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2) are generated randomly. This disrupts the continuity of the redirect chain, failing to reflect the actual progression from A through D. The goal is to effectively track the entire journey, A->B->C->D, across different redirection techniques such as meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP redirects. Could you provide guidance on how to refine the code to maintain the integrity of the redirect sequence, ensuring a connected and sequential mapping of the redirection process?

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • arron-williams
                                      arron-williams last edited by

                                      Thank you for the insightful feedback. While the current code executes successfully, it falls short in accurately tracing the redirect sequence. The issue lies in the disjoint nature of the captured redirects, exemplified by the isolated transitions A->B, B->C, and C->D, where the hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2) are generated randomly. This disrupts the continuity of the redirect chain, failing to reflect the actual progression from A through D. The goal is to effectively track the entire journey, A->B->C->D, across different redirection techniques such as meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP redirects. Could you provide guidance on how to refine the code to maintain the integrity of the redirect sequence, ensuring a connected and sequential mapping of the redirection process? Liteblue

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • basit11
                                        basit11 last edited by

                                        Thank you for your feedback. While the code is currently functional, it doesn't yield the expected outcome. The recorded redirect chain appears disjointed, capturing transitions like A->B (channel_1 -> channel_2), B->C (channel_1 -> channel_2), and C->D (channel_1 -> channel_2). The issue lies in the randomly generated hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2), preventing the proper linkage of the redirect chain. The goal is to accurately capture sequential events such as A->B->C->D, considering various redirection methods like meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP. How can I modify the code to implement this strategy and ensure the redirection chain is connected as intended?

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • basit11
                                          basit11 last edited by

                                          Thank you for your feedback. Although the code is functional, it does not produce the expected result. Currently, the recorded redirect chain is disjointed, capturing transitions like A->B (channel_1 -> channel_2), B->C (channel_1 -> channel_2), and C->D (channel_1 -> channel_2). In this case, the hash numbers (channel_1 and channel_2) are randomly generated, preventing the proper linking of the redirect chain. The objective is to accurately capture the sequential events of A->B->C->D, considering various redirection methods such as meta-refresh, JavaScript, and HTTP. How can I modify the code to achieve this strategy and ensure the redirection chain is connected as intended? Liteblue

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • liteblue22022
                                            liteblue22022 last edited by

                                            thx, the code works, but not as expected: A->B->C->D (channel_1 -> channel_2 -> channel_3 -> channel_4).

                                            In my case it will record a redirect chain of A->B->C->D like:

                                            A->B (channel_1 -> channel_2), than B->C (channel_1 -> channel_2), C->D (channel_1 -> channel_2); where channel_1 & channel_2 are random hash numbers.

                                            So I can not link the chain together. that would be the strategy to capture the chain of events (while the pages redirect using, meta-refresh, javascript, http...)? Liteblue USPS

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • evanmirk
                                              evanmirk @LouisPortier last edited by

                                              window.location.replace('http://example.com');
                                              

                                              It's better than using window.location.href = 'http://example.com';

                                              Using replace() is better because it does not keep the originating page in the session history, meaning the user won't get stuck in a never-ending back-button fiasco.

                                              If you want to simulate someone clicking on a link, use window.location.href

                                              If you want to simulate an HTTP redirect, use window.location.replace

                                              You can use assign() and replace methods also to javascript redirect to other pages like the following:

                                              location.assign("http://example.com");
                                              

                                              The difference between replace() method and assign() method(), is that replace() removes the URL of the current document from the document history, means it is not possible to use the "back" button to navigate back to the original document. So Use the assign() method if you want to load a new document, andwant to give the option to navigate back to the original document.

                                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                              • 1 / 1
                                              • First post
                                                Last post

                                              Browse Questions

                                              Explore more categories

                                              • Moz Tools

                                                Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

                                              • SEO Tactics

                                                Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

                                              • Community

                                                Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

                                              • Digital Marketing

                                                Chat about tactics outside of SEO

                                              • Research & Trends

                                                Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

                                              • Support

                                                Connect on product support and feature requests.

                                              • See all categories

                                              Related Questions

                                              • rwat

                                                Redirect and ranking issue

                                                Hi there - was wondering whether someone might be able to help. For a period of a day and a half, all the traffic to our website's blog articles were mistakenly being redirected to our homepage. A number of these articles ranked in the top 5 in Google worldwide for their targeted keywords, so this was a considerable amount of organic traffic that was instantly being redirected. It was a strange site glitch and our web team rectified the error, but now all these articles have disappeared from Google rankings (not visible anywhere in the first five pages). I'm presuming this must be linked to this redirect issue - we've been advised to wait and see whether Google restores these rankings, but I'm still concerned as to whether this represents a more serious problem? We have re-indexed the pages we are most concerned about, but am not sure whether there is anything else obvious we should think to do. If anyone has any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them!

                                                Technical SEO | | rwat
                                                0
                                              • thinkLukeSEO

                                                Backlinks that go to a redirected URL

                                                Hey guys, just wondering, my client has 3 websites, 2 of 3 will be closed down and the domains will be permanently redirected to the 1 primary domain - however they have some high quality backlinks pointing the domains that will be redirected. How does this effective SEO? Domain One (primary - getting redesign and rebuilt) - not many backlinks
                                                Domain Two (will redirect to Domain One) - has quality backlinks
                                                Domain Three (will redirect to Domain One) - has quality backlinks When the new website is launched on Domain One I will contact the backlink providers and request they update their URL - i assume that would be the best.

                                                Technical SEO | | thinkLukeSEO
                                                0
                                              • richdan

                                                How do I redirect the Author archive page in Wordpress?

                                                If you do a search for my name on Google, the first result is the author archive page of my Wordpress blog. I would like to redirect the author page to my  "about me" page but cannot add a 301 as the author page is created dynamically in Wordpress. Anyone know how I can do this?

                                                Technical SEO | | richdan
                                                0
                                              • ztalk112

                                                301 redirect: canonical or non canonical?

                                                Hi, Newbie alert! I need to set up 301 redirects for changed URLs on a database driven site that is to be redeveloped shortly. The current site uses canonical header tags. The new site will also use canonical tags. Should the 301 redirects map the canonical URL on the old site to the corresponding canonical for the new design . . . or should they map the non canonical database URLs old and new? Given that the purpose of canonicals is to indicate our preferred URL, then my guess is that's what I should use. However, how can I be sure that Google (for example) has indexed the canonical in every case? Thx in anticipation.

                                                Technical SEO | | ztalk112
                                                0
                                              • Therealmattyd

                                                301 Redirects in subfolders

                                                Hi, we're making our site into a static site but I would like to transfer the Google juice. Most of the links and database exist on subfolders though. Could I simply do 301 redirects on the subfolders and retain the value or does it have to be on the full domain?

                                                Technical SEO | | Therealmattyd
                                                0
                                              • Houdoe

                                                CNAME vs 301 redirect

                                                Hi all, Recently I created a website for a new client and my next job is trying to get them higher in Google. I added them in OSE and noticed some strange backlinks. To my surprise the client has about 20 domain names. All automatically poiting to (showing) the same new mainsite now. www.maindomain.nl www.maindomain.be
                                                www.maindomain.eu
                                                www.maindomain.com
                                                www.otherdomain.nl
                                                www.otherdomain.com
                                                ... Some of these domains have backlinks too (but not so much). I suggested to 301 redirect them all to the main site. Just to avoid duplicate content. But now the webhoster comes into play: "It's a problem, client has only 1 hosting account, blablabla...". They told me they could CNAME the 20 domains to the main domain. Or A-record them to an IP address. This is too technical stuff for me. So my concrete questions are: Is it smart to do anything at all or am I just harming my client? The main site is ranking pretty well now. And some backlinks are from their copy sites (probably because everywhere the logo links to the full mainsite url). Does the CNAME or A-record solution has the same effect as a 301 redirect, from SEO perspective? Many thanks,
                                                Hans

                                                Technical SEO | | Houdoe
                                                0
                                              • jfmonfette

                                                Dynamically changing a title with javascript

                                                Hi, I asked our IT team to be able to write custom page titles in our CMS and they came up with a solution that writes the title dynamically with javascript. When I look on the page, I see the title in the browser, but when I look in the source code, I see the original page title. I am thinking that Google won't see the new javascript title, so it will not be indexed and have no impact on SEO. Am I right ?

                                                Technical SEO | | jfmonfette
                                                0
                                              • CarsProduction

                                                Do search engines treat 307 redirects differently from 302 redirects?

                                                We will need to send our users to an alternate version of our homepage for a few hours for a certain event. The SEO task at hand is to minimize the chance of the special homepage getting crawled and cached in the search engines in place of our normal homepage. (This has happened in the past so the concern is not imaginary.) Among other options, 302 and 307 redirects are being discussed. IE, redirecting www.domain.com to www.domain.com/specialpage. Having used 302s and 301s in the past, I am well aware of how search engines treat them. A 302 effectively says "Hey, Google! Please get rid of the old content on www.domain.com and replace it with the content on /specialpage!" Which is exactly what we don't want. My question is: do the search engines handle 307s any differently? I am hearing that the 307 does NOT result in the content of the second page being cached with the first URL. But I don't see that in the definition below (from w3.org). Then again, why differentiate it from the 302? 307 Temporary Redirect The requested resource resides temporarily under a different URI. Since the redirection MAY be altered on occasion, the client SHOULD continue to use the Request-URI for future requests. This response is only cacheable if indicated by a Cache-Control or Expires header field. The temporary URI SHOULD be given by the Location field in the response. Unless the request method was HEAD, the entity of the response SHOULD contain a short hypertext note with a hyperlink to the new URI(s) , since many pre-HTTP/1.1 user agents do not understand the 307 status. Therefore, the note SHOULD contain the information necessary for a user to repeat the original request on the new URI. If the 307 status code is received in response to a request other than GET or HEAD, the user agent MUST NOT automatically redirect the request unless it can be confirmed by the user, since this might change the conditions under which the request was issued.

                                                Technical SEO | | CarsProduction
                                                0

                                              Get started with Moz Pro!

                                              Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

                                              Start my free trial
                                              Products
                                              • Moz Pro
                                              • Moz Local
                                              • Moz API
                                              • Moz Data
                                              • STAT
                                              • Product Updates
                                              Moz Solutions
                                              • SMB Solutions
                                              • Agency Solutions
                                              • Enterprise Solutions
                                              • Digital Marketers
                                              Free SEO Tools
                                              • Domain Authority Checker
                                              • Link Explorer
                                              • Keyword Explorer
                                              • Competitive Research
                                              • Brand Authority Checker
                                              • Local Citation Checker
                                              • MozBar Extension
                                              • MozCast
                                              Resources
                                              • Blog
                                              • SEO Learning Center
                                              • Help Hub
                                              • Beginner's Guide to SEO
                                              • How-to Guides
                                              • Moz Academy
                                              • API Docs
                                              About Moz
                                              • About
                                              • Team
                                              • Careers
                                              • Contact
                                              Why Moz
                                              • Case Studies
                                              • Testimonials
                                              Get Involved
                                              • Become an Affiliate
                                              • MozCon
                                              • Webinars
                                              • Practical Marketer Series
                                              • MozPod
                                              Connect with us

                                              Contact the Help team

                                              Join our newsletter
                                              Moz logo
                                              © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
                                              • Accessibility
                                              • Terms of Use
                                              • Privacy

                                              Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.