After a website redesign, the first thing I do is check the old important URLs. Do they load, redirect or show an error. Checking them one by one in a browser is slow and easy to get wrong. A bulk status code checker tests a whole list in seconds and gives a clear table.
What is an HTTP status code
Every time a browser or crawler requests a page, the server answers with a three digit status code:
- 2xx success: 200 OK means the page loaded
- 3xx redirect: 301 and 308 are permanent, 302 and 307 are temporary
- 4xx client errors: 404 Not Found, 410 Gone, 403 Forbidden
- 5xx server errors: 500, 502, 503 and 504 mean the server failed
What our checker shows
The HTTP Status Code Checker tests up to 20 URLs at once and shows for each:
- Status code in colour
- The URL
- Status meaning such as OK or Not Found
- Redirect target if there is one
- Response time
How to use it
- Open the HTTP Status Code Checker.
- Paste your URLs, one per line.
- Click Check Status Codes.
- Sort out anything that is not 200 or an intended 301.
When to use a bulk check
- After a migration to confirm old URLs redirect correctly
- Before submitting a sitemap to ensure every URL returns 200
- For affiliate or resource lists to find dead links
- For backlinks pointing to your site, to confirm they land on working pages
- For monitoring your most important pages each week
What to do with each result
- 200: good, nothing to do
- 301 or 308: fine, but update internal links to the final URL
- 302 or 307: change to 301 if the move is permanent
- 404 or 410: restore the page or redirect it to the closest relevant page
- 403: check security settings or firewall rules
- 5xx: contact your hosting provider or developer quickly
Soft 404s
Sometimes a page returns 200 but shows a not found message or an empty template. Search engines call this a soft 404. The status code looks fine but the page has no value. If a URL returns 200 but looks empty, fix the content or return a proper 404.
Follow redirects in detail
This tool checks the first response. To see every hop of a redirect, use the URL Redirect Checker.
A real example
An online shop changed its platform and product URLs. The owner pasted twenty of his best selling old product URLs into the checker. Twelve returned 301 to the right new products, five returned 404 and three redirected to the homepage. He added proper redirects for the eight problem URLs the same day. Those were the pages with the most backlinks and Google traffic, so fixing them early protected a large share of his sales.
Build a small monitoring list
Create a list of your twenty most important URLs, such as the homepage, top products, main services and best articles. Paste them into the checker every Monday. If anything changes from 200, you will know within a week instead of discovering the problem months later when traffic has already dropped.
Status codes and crawl budget
When many of your links point to redirects or errors, search engines waste time on them. Keeping links pointed at clean 200 pages helps crawlers spend their time on your real content.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a working page show 403
Some sites block automated requests. Open it in a browser to confirm.
Can I check more than 20 URLs
Run the list in batches of 20.
Does the checker follow redirects
It shows the first response and the redirect target. Use the redirect checker for the full chain.
Check your URL list now with the free HTTP Status Code Checker.