What exactly this criterion covers
Here we talk about a criterion that often makes a difference in audits.
**G17 — Non-chained redirects** (Chapter 7 - Technical SEO): Maximum 1 redirect per URL, avoid A>B>C, go direct A>C
G17 — Chapter 7 - Technical SEO
Criterion G17 : Non-chained redirects — guide + checklist
Here we talk about a criterion that often makes a difference in audits.
The **G17 — Non-chained redirects** criterion is part of our SEO checklist (335 criteria). Here, you have a **practical** method to check and fix it — with a concrete example.
Why it matters (SEO + UX)
Why it matters: it is a technical quality factor (crawl, rendering, indexing). When poorly applied, we often observe: ambiguity (wrong associated query), duplication between pages, or performance loss on indexing rate.
On high-volume generated sites, this criterion also acts as a **safeguard**: a stable rule prevents 1,000 errors at once.
How to check (step by step)
Approach: express audit (manual + 1 tool). Recommended tool: **curl (headers)**.
- Crawl (Screaming Frog): 200/301/404 + canonicals + depth.
- Check anchor and target page (intent coherence).
- Verify stability (no useless parameters, no redirect chains).
Tip: first isolate 10 “representative” URLs (top pages + generated pages) before scaling the fix.
How to fix properly
Strategy: fix, re-crawl, and monitor in Search Console.
- Define a stable URL rule (readable slug, no ID/parameters).
- Set canonical/301 if you change URLs.
- Avoid redirect chains and check sitemap.
Then: re-crawl 50–200 URLs, then monitor Search Console over 7–14 days (impressions/CTR/indexing).
Concrete example (illustrative)
Example (illustrative):
- **Context**: product sheet for SEO training in Paris
- **Before**: /service?id=123&city=paris (unreadable URL)
- **After**: /formation-seo/paris/redirections-non-chainees (clean URL)
- **Note**: Goal: stable, understandable URL without duplication.
Checklist to tick
- [ ] Readable
- [ ] Respect: avoid a>b>c
- [ ] Stable
- [ ] Coherent canonical/301
- [ ] No useless parameters
FAQ
Frequently asked questions — G17
What is the most common mistake on “Non-chained redirects”?
Trying to “optimize” by adding too many keywords, which degrades readability and creates repetitions.
What is the fastest tool to check at scale?
For this type of criterion, a crawl (e.g. Screaming Frog) + targeted verification in curl (headers) is generally the fastest combo.
How to prevent this from happening on 10K generated pages?
Freeze an auto-generation rule (title/structure/schema/URLs) + add automatic control (crawl or test) before production import.
Ready to go from theory to action?
Validate this criterion with an audit, then deepen the method in the Academy.