• majorAlexa

        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
        2309
        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

                                              • aliho

                                                What is the difference between 301 redirects and backlinks?

                                                i have seen some 301 redirects on my site  billsonline, can anyone please explain the difference between backlinks and 301 redirects,  i have read some articles where the writer was stating  that  301 are not good for website.

                                                Technical SEO | | aliho
                                                0
                                              • dhananjay.kumar1

                                                Http to https redirection issue

                                                Hi, i have a website with http but now i moved to https. when i apply 301 redirection from http to https & check in semrush it shows unable to connect with https & similar other tool shows & when i remove redirection all other tools working fine but my https version doesn't get indexed in google. can anybosy help what could be the issue?

                                                Technical SEO | | dhananjay.kumar1
                                                0
                                              • undrdog99

                                                I have multiple URLs that redirect to the same website. Is this an issue?

                                                I have multiple URLs that all lead to the same website. Years ago they were purchased and were sitting dormant. Currently they are 301 redirects and each of the URLs feed to different areas of my website. Should I be worried about losing authority? And if so, is there a better way to do this?

                                                Technical SEO | | undrdog99
                                                0
                                              • Tintanus

                                                Max Number of 301 Redirections?

                                                Hi, We currently made a re-design of a website and we changed all our urls to make them shorter. I made more than 300 permanent redirections but plenty more are needed since WMT is showing some more 404s from old urls that I hadn't seen because they were dynamic. The question is, please, is there a limit? I think we have more than 600 already. We don't want to create a php commando to redirect all the old ones to our home, we are redirecting them to their correspondent url. By the way, Im doing them with the 301 method in .htaccess. Thanks in advance.

                                                Technical SEO | | Tintanus
                                                0
                                              • cbarron

                                                Direct link vs 302 redirect

                                                So we have recently relaunched a site that we manage. As part of this we have changed the domain. The webdesign agency that built the new site have implemented a direct link from the old domain to the new domain. What is best practice a direct link or a 302 redirect? Thanks

                                                Technical SEO | | cbarron
                                                0
                                              • SeaDrive

                                                Redirect root domain to www

                                                I've been having issues with my keyword rankings with MOZ and this is what David at M0Z asked me to do below.   Does anyone have a solution to this?  I'm not 100% sure what to do.  Does it hurt ranking to have a domain at the root or not?  Can I 301 redirect a whole site or do I have to do individual pages. "Your campaign is looking for rankings for the www version of the campaign but the URL resolves as a root domain. This would explain the discrepancy. Since there is no re-direct between the two, you can have brickmarkers.com 301 re-direct to www.site.com  which will prevent you from re-creating your campaign to track the root domain. Once the re-direct is in place it will take a while for Google to show the www version in the results in which your campaign rankings will be accurate." Thanks

                                                Technical SEO | | SeaDrive
                                                0
                                              • NaescentAdam

                                                Index.php and 301 redirect with Joomla

                                                Hi, I'm running Joomla 1.7 with SEF on and I'm trying to do a htaccess redirect which fails. I have approximately 100 in effect so far and all working fine, but I have one snag. Index.php is not working as I need it to when it's redirected to www.myurl.com/ If I turn on index.php redirect to root using this code #index.php to root
                                                RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^myurl.com$ [OR]
                                                RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.myurl.com$
                                                RewriteRule ^index.php$ "http://www.myurl.com/" [R=301,L] And then go to www.myurl.com/test.html I'm redirected to the homepage. I think this is because all pages are index.php in joomla. SEOMOZ and Google both think that index.php and root are duplicate pages. Does anyone have any advice for overcoming this? Thanks, Adam

                                                Technical SEO | | NaescentAdam
                                                0
                                              • Kotkov

                                                302 or 301 redirect to https ?

                                                I am redirecting whole site to https. Is there a difference between 302 or 301 redirect for seo? Site never been indexed. Planning to do that with .htaccess command RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
                                                RewriteRule ^(.*) https://%{SERVER_NAME}/$1 [R,L] There are plenty of ways http://www.askapache.com/htaccess/ssl-example-usage-in-htaccess.html Which way would be the best? Thanks is advance

                                                Technical SEO | | Kotkov
                                                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.