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Free HTTP Header Checker for Any URL

See the HTTP response headers of any URL, for every redirect step. Check as Chrome, iPhone, Googlebot or Bingbot and spot noindex, caching, compression and CDN headers fast.

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AT A GLANCE
  • What it doesShows response headers for each redirect
  • AccuracyExact, real server headers
  • Works withAny public URL, 4 user agents
  • PriceFree, no sign-up, no limit
  • Last reviewed
URL to check
> define

What Is an HTTP Header Checker?

Short answer
An HTTP header checker is a tool that shows the headers a server sends back when a page is requested. Headers are hidden from visitors but tell browsers and search engines important things: the status code, where a redirect goes, how long to cache the page and whether it may be indexed.

Some of the most serious SEO problems hide in headers. An X-Robots-Tag: noindex header can remove a page from Google even when the HTML looks fine. A missing Cache-Control header can slow down repeat visits. This tool shows the headers for every step of a redirect and lets you check as Googlebot, so you see exactly what search engines see.

Quick facts
  • Headers for every step of a redirect chain
  • Check as Chrome, iPhone, Googlebot or Bingbot
  • Flags X-Robots-Tag noindex
  • Explains caching, compression and CDN headers
  • Copy the raw headers
> how --to

How to Use the HTTP Header Checker

Check any URL’s headers in seconds.
01

Enter a URL

Paste the full URL, including http:// or https://.
02

Pick a user agent

Check as Chrome, iPhone, Googlebot or Bingbot.
03

Run the check

The tool requests the URL and follows every redirect.
04

Read the headers

Each step shows its status code and headers, with key headers explained.
05

Copy or compare

Copy the raw headers, or switch user agent to compare.

Headers to check for SEO

  • Status code: pages you want indexed should return 200.
  • X-Robots-Tag: noindex here removes the page from Google.
  • Link rel=canonical: used for PDFs and other non-HTML files.
  • Cache-Control: sets how long browsers keep the file.
  • Content-Encoding: gzip or br means the file is compressed.
Ready to try it? It is free and takes less than a minute.
Check headers now
> ls ./guide

Common HTTP Headers Explained

The headers the checker highlights.
HeaderWhat it tells you
LocationWhere a redirect goes
X-Robots-TagIndexing rules, like noindex or nofollow
LinkCan hold a canonical URL or hreflang
Cache-ControlHow long browsers and CDNs may cache the file
Content-EncodingCompression, like gzip or br
Content-TypeThe type of file, like text/html
Server, CF-Ray, X-CacheServer software and CDN, like Cloudflare or CloudFront
> cat methodology.md

How the HTTP Header Checker Works

Here is how the checker requests a URL and reads the headers.
  1. 01

    A user agent is chosen

    The request uses the user agent string of Chrome, iPhone, Googlebot or Bingbot.

    Our server
  2. 02

    The URL is requested

    Our server sends the request without following redirects automatically.

    Our server
  3. 03

    Redirects are followed

    Each Location header is followed step by step, and every step's headers are saved.

    Our server
  4. 04

    Key headers are flagged

    Indexing, caching, compression, CDN and canonical headers are explained.

    In your browser
  5. 05

    Raw headers are shown

    You can copy every header exactly as the server sent it.

    In your browser

What We Flag

The checks the tool runs on the headers.
  • noindex in X-Robots-Tag: Google will not index the URL.
  • No Cache-Control: browsers may not cache the file well.
  • No compression on text files: pages load slower.
  • 302 instead of 301 for a permanent move.
  • Server version shown: hiding it shares less about your setup.
> test --report

Is the HTTP Header Checker Accurate?

Yes. The tool shows the exact headers the server sent for each request, at the moment of the check.
Exact
accuracy level
raw server headers
Live check
what results are based on
per redirect step
Monthly
full re-test
against known answers
24/7
bug reports open
fixed as high priority
What we test every month
  • Headers match a direct request exactly
  • Every redirect step is shown
  • User agents are sent correctly
  • X-Robots-Tag noindex is flagged
  • CDNs like Cloudflare are detected

Accuracy in plain words

Headers come from our server’s location. Sites that change answers by country, cookie or IP may send different headers to you. Real Googlebot also comes from Google’s own IPs, which some sites treat differently.

Keep in mind
Headers show how a server answers. Check the page content too with our Meta Tags Analyzer.
> features

Features of the HTTP Header Checker

Everything you need to read server responses.

Redirect steps

Headers for every hop in the chain.

4 user agents

Chrome, iPhone, Googlebot and Bingbot.

Noindex finder

Spots X-Robots-Tag noindex fast.

Cache and compression

Explains Cache-Control and gzip or br.

CDN detection

Spots Cloudflare, CloudFront and more.

Raw copy

Copy all headers for your developer.

> limits --honest

Limitations of This Tool

No tool does everything. Here is what this one does not do, and what you should do yourself.
What the tool cannot do
  • It cannot use Google's real IP addresses
  • It does not show page content, only headers
  • It cannot check pages behind a login
  • Results can differ by country or cookie
What you should do
  • Remove noindex from pages you want indexed
  • Use 301 for permanent redirects
  • Turn on compression and caching
  • Check security headers with our Security Headers Checker
> whoami

Who Can Use This HTTP Header Checker?

Anyone who needs to see how a server answers.

SEO specialists

Find hidden noindex and redirect problems.

Developers

Debug caching, CDN and redirect rules.

Site admins

Check server setup after changes.

Site owners

See why a page is missing from Google.

> git log

Updates, Bug Fixes and Reviews

We test this tool every month and fix reported bugs as a high priority. Every change is listed here.
Oct 2026

HTTP Header Checker launched

First release with redirect step headers, 4 user agents, noindex, cache, compression and CDN checks, and raw copy.

Launch
Every month

Full re-test and rules review

We run the tool against our test cases again and check HTTP standards and Google's robots and canonical docs for changes.

Monthly

Tool page last reviewed on .

Found a bug or a wrong result?

Tell us what you entered, what happened and what you expected. Our developer checks every report, fixes confirmed bugs as a high priority and tests the fix before it goes live.

Report a bug
> git blame

Who Built and Reviewed This Tool

The SpellMistake team built this tool from our own daily SEO work and official rules.
H
Built and tested by

Hassan

Senior Web Developer, 4+ years
Built the header request, redirect follower and header checks.
MA
Reviewed by

Muhammad Ahtesham

SEO Strategist and Founder, 4+ years
Checked the SEO flags against Google’s X-Robots-Tag and canonical docs.
A
Guide and help text

Afza

Marketing Expert and Co-founder, 4+ years
Made the labels, tips and this guide simple and easy to follow.

Sources we follow

Our standards

This page follows our Editorial Policy and Methodology. If something here is wrong, our Corrections Policy explains how we fix it. Learn more about the SpellMistake team.

> rate --tool

Ratings From Real Users

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How useful was the HTTP Header Checker for you?

Ratings come from real visitors. One rating per person. We never add, edit or remove ratings.

> faq

HTTP Header Checker FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people ask most about this tool.

What are HTTP headers?

HTTP headers are extra lines of information a server sends with every response. They tell browsers and search engines about the status, caching, redirects and indexing of a page.

Is this HTTP header checker free?

Yes. It is 100% free, with no sign-up.

What is X-Robots-Tag?

It is a header that works like the robots meta tag. X-Robots-Tag: noindex tells Google not to index the URL. It also works for PDFs and images.

Why check headers as Googlebot?

Some sites send different answers to bots. Checking as Googlebot shows you what search engines are likely to see.

How do I see headers in my browser?

Open developer tools, go to the Network tab, reload and click the page. This tool is faster and shows every redirect step.

What does Content-Encoding br mean?

It means the file is compressed with Brotli, which is usually smaller than gzip. Both make pages load faster.

Can headers affect SEO?

Yes. Status codes, redirects, X-Robots-Tag and canonical headers directly affect crawling and indexing.

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