# Redirect chains

Canonical HTML: /atlas/redirects
Atlas version: atlas-2026-07-28-v1
Category: HTTP behavior and efficiency

## Definition

Redirects tell clients that a resource is available at another URL.

## How it works

Permanent and temporary status codes carry different cache and method-preservation semantics. Every additional hop consumes time and crawl capacity.

## How to validate it

Measure each location, status, and latency; keep internal links and sitemap entries pointed at the final canonical destination.

## Common failure

Long chains, loops, and redirects to irrelevant destinations obscure migrations and may cause crawlers to abandon the path.

## Related topics

- [HTTP status semantics](/atlas/http-status)
- [Canonical links](/atlas/canonical-links)