Where Does It Go?
Paste a link and see where it leads, hop by hop — without clicking it.
The URL you type is visited by the Nexinon server, hop by hop, until the final destination (up to 10 hops) — nothing is stored. Only each response's headers are read; the final response's content (HTML) is only partially read, and only to look for a meta-refresh redirect.
What this tool traces
Paste a link and the Nexinon server visits it, hop by hop (up to 10), reading only each response's headers — it never downloads a page's full content, except for a small read of the final response's HTML, only to detect an automatic meta-refresh redirect. Each hop shows the HTTP status, response time, and what changed along the way: a domain switch (highlighted — that's where the danger of a malicious link lives), added tracking parameters (UTMs), and cookies planted along the way.
Why redirects exist
A site changes address, migrates from HTTP to HTTPS, merges multiple domains into one, or a link shortener needs to point to the real destination — all of that uses HTTP redirects. The difference between codes matters: a 301 ("moved permanently") tells search engines to update their saved link and transfer SEO relevance to the new address; a 302/303/307/308 ("temporary", with variations on whether the HTTP method is preserved) tells them to keep the old link, because the destination might change again.
How link shorteners make money
Most link shorteners don't do anything besides redirect — but the intermediate hop is valuable: every click passes through a domain that can log where it came from, plant a tracking cookie, or (in more aggressive cases) show an ad before the final redirect. A chain with more hops than expected, or with cookies planted along the way, is often that kind of tracking in action — visible here, invisible to anyone who just clicks.
Your IP is never exposed
Whoever visits each hop of the chain is the Nexinon server — never your browser. That means that when you use this tool to investigate a suspicious link before clicking it, your IP address, your browser and your machine are never exposed to the destination site, even if it's malicious. It's real protection, not just information: the link never gets to "see" you.
Frequently asked questions
No, never. Whoever visits the redirect chain is the Nexinon server, not your browser — the destination site never sees your IP, your browser, or anything about you. You find out where the link goes without ever having touched it yourself.
A legitimate redirect chain rarely goes past 3-4 hops (and more than that is already considered bad SEO practice). A limit keeps the tool from getting stuck indefinitely in a misconfigured chain or a loop — once the limit is passed, you still see the entire chain traced up to that point.
It's an older way of redirecting using a tag in the page's own HTML (<meta http-equiv="refresh">), instead of an HTTP header — the browser reloads or navigates elsewhere after a few seconds. This tool detects that kind of redirect by reading only the start of the final page's HTML, without needing a full browser.
No. Following a JavaScript-controlled redirect would require opening the page in a real browser (a much higher cost and complexity) — this was a deliberate scope decision. Once the HTTP chain ends, the tool warns that the final page may still redirect via script.
A common browser User-Agent (current Chrome), not a bot identifier. This is deliberate: many shorteners and trackers treat known bots differently from a real browser (skipping tracking steps, or even blocking access) — sending a browser User-Agent guarantees the chain shown here matches what a real person would see when clicking.
Be wary of shortened links from unknown sources, chains with an unusual number of hops or unexpected domain switches, and final destinations asking for a login or personal data on a domain that doesn't match the expected service (e.g. a link claiming to be from a bank that ends up on some unrelated domain). This tool exists exactly to check that before clicking.
An intermediate hop (often a shortener or a marketing tracking tool) can use the redirect response to plant a cookie in your browser before you even reach the final destination — a common form of cross-click tracking. The per-hop cookie count makes that visible.
Nexinon Principles
Server
Server-side execution — data is sent to Nexinon during processingNo account needed
Use it now, no account or password.Free
No usage limits, no paid plan.Trustworthy content
Full explanation behind every tool, not just the result.