Server Header Checker
Inspect HTTP response headers, status codes, redirect chains, and security headers for any URL. Test how your site responds to Googlebot, GPTBot, mobile browsers, and more.
Status codes
Confirm a page returns 200 OK, a clean 301 to the final URL, or 404/410 when removed. Avoid soft 404s and redirect loops that waste crawl budget.
Redirect chains
Every extra hop slows users and dilutes link equity. Collapse multi-step chains into a single 301 to the canonical destination.
Security & caching
Verify HSTS, CSP, cache-control, and content-type headers. Proper caching improves Core Web Vitals; security headers protect users and trust signals.
Frequently asked questions
What is a server header checker?
A server header checker sends an HTTP request to a URL and shows the raw response headers, status code, and any redirects in the chain. SEOs use it to verify status codes, canonical and robots directives, caching policy, and security headers.
Why do redirect chains hurt SEO?
Each extra hop wastes crawl budget, dilutes link signals, and slows the user experience. A 301 should ideally redirect once to the final canonical URL. 302 redirects pass weaker signals and should only be used for true temporary moves.
Which HTTP status codes matter for SEO?
200 means OK and indexable. 301 is a permanent redirect and passes equity. 302 and 307 are temporary. 404 is not found and 410 is gone — use 410 when content is permanently removed. 5xx errors signal server problems Google will eventually drop from the index.
What security headers should every site send?
At minimum: Strict-Transport-Security, X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff, Referrer-Policy, and a Content-Security-Policy. Adding Permissions-Policy and X-Frame-Options further hardens the site against common attacks.