Location Inspect

Parse and diagnose HTTP headers and routing signals in your browser. No input is sent to a server. Use it for first-pass observation-gap troubleshooting.

Status

Runs in your browser. No input is sent to a server. Use this as a first-pass diagnostic step.

How to use

Paste Location and click “Parse”. It splits URL parts (Location: line, multi-line paste, full headers OK).

Notes (this tool)

  • Relative URLs are resolved against a base URL (current page).

About this page

What does this tool do?

Split Location into scheme/host/path/query and display them clearly.

Useful for diagnosing redirect loops, http↔https flips, and unexpected host changes.

Location basics

  • Location indicates the redirect target in responses.
  • It can be absolute or relative.
  • Interpret it together with status codes (301/302/307/308).

Syntax (how to read)

  • Location: https://example.com/login
  • Location: /login
  • Location: //example.com/login

Glossary (terms used on this page)

  • Absolute URL: full URL with scheme + host + path.
  • Relative URL: URL without host.
  • Protocol-relative: URL like //example.com without scheme.

Why it helps (redirect root causes)

Redirect bugs become obvious once you break down the target URL. Location parsing makes that easy.

  • http→https intended but reversed
  • Host rewritten to a different domain
  • Query dropped or duplicated

Examples (common patterns)

  • HTTPS loop: http→https→http
  • Subdomain jump: app.example.com → example.com
  • Path/query loss: /login?next=... becomes /login

Status codes and Location

Location is used with 3xx responses. 301/302/307/308 differ in semantics, especially around method preservation.

  • 301/302: clients may change POST to GET
  • 307/308: preserve method (keep POST)
  • HTTPS upgrades sometimes use 308 for strict method preservation

Common pitfalls

  • Relative URLs interpreted differently by server/client
  • Location changes due to X-Forwarded-Proto/Host
  • Forgetting to URL-encode Location (query breaks)

How to test (measure)

Redirects should be verified from real responses. Use curl to see status and Location together (replace the URL).

  • Check Location with curl -I https://example.com/
  • Use curl -I -L to follow redirects (useful for loops)

Troubleshooting checklist by symptom

  • HTTPS loop: check if Location flips scheme and verify X-Forwarded-Proto/Host consistency
  • Unexpected domain: check Host/Origin/Forwarded for host rewrites
  • Query lost: suspect URL building/encoding mistakes

Debugging workflow (recommended)

  • Extract Location via Response Headers Parser
  • Split the URL here and compare parts
  • Check consistency with Host/Origin/Forwarded/X-Forwarded-Proto
  • Host/Authority/Origin Inspect
  • X-Forwarded-Proto Inspect
  • Forwarded Inspect
  • Response Headers Parser

What this tool does

  • Parse Location URL components
  • Detect relative / protocol-relative URLs
  • Extract Location from full headers

Operational notes

  • Intermediaries may rewrite headers. Compare captures from equivalent points.
  • Confirm final decisions with server logs and configuration such as trusted proxy and routing.

Referenced specs

  • RFC 9110 (HTTP Semantics)
  • MDN: Location

FAQ

Is Location always absolute?

It can be relative or protocol-relative; clients resolve it.

How to debug redirect loops?

Check if Location flips scheme/host and verify X-Forwarded-Proto/Host consistency.

References

  1. RFC 9110
  2. MDN: Location
  3. MDN: Redirections

These links are generated from site_map rules in recommended diagnostic order.

  1. Redirect Chain Inspect — Analyze redirect chains to detect loops and waste hops
  2. HTTP Status Inspect — Analyze HTTP status codes and suggest handling direction

Redirects

Use status codes and Location chains to isolate redirect issues