What it is
A chain of redirects, A to B to C, makes crawlers work harder and can dilute or delay how signals pass through. I collapse chains so every old URL points straight at the final one. A→B→C redirect sequences. Each hop adds latency and risk; Google may stop following long chains.
Why does redirect chain (>1 hop) matter for AI search?
Each hop adds latency and risk; Google may stop following long chains.
How do you fix it?
Collapse to a single hop A→C.
How do you find it on your site?
- Crawl the site and look for redirect chains longer than one hop.
- Trace each chain with curl -IL and count the hops.
- Rewrite the redirects so each source points directly at the final destination.
- Re-test to confirm a single hop remains.
Which ranking and citation factors does it touch?
Long chains slow crawling and risk signal loss at each hop. A single, direct redirect preserves the most value.
What is the impact?
Medium; crawl efficiency and signal preservation. Direct.
What is the evidence?
Minimise redirect chains; Google may not follow long ones. Google Search Central, Redirects and Google Search
Frequently asked questions about redirect chain (>1 hop)
What does "Redirect chain (>1 hop)" mean?
A→B→C redirect sequences.
How do you fix redirect chain (>1 hop)?
Collapse to a single hop A→C.