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ToolsMeta Refresh Test
SEO AnalysisFree Tool

Meta Refresh Test

Check if your page uses meta refresh redirects, which can hurt SEO and user experience.

Check Page

What Is Meta Refresh?

Meta refresh is an HTML tag placed in the <head> section that tells the browser to reload the page or redirect to a different URL after a specified delay. While it served a purpose in early web development, it's now considered an anti-pattern for SEO.

  • Page Reload: <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5"> — refreshes the page every 5 seconds.
  • Redirect: <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=..."> — redirects instantly to another URL.

Server-Side Redirects vs Meta Refresh

Server-side redirects (301, 302) are always preferred over meta refresh for SEO and user experience.

Server-side 301 redirects pass nearly 100% of link equity to the target URL. Meta refresh may not pass link equity at all, resulting in lost SEO value.
301
Permanent Redirect
Best for SEO - passes full link equity
302
Temporary Redirect
Use for temporary changes
307
Temporary (Keep Method)
Preserves HTTP method (GET/POST)
308
Permanent (Keep Method)
Permanent redirect that preserves method

How to Use This Tool

Enter a URL and click "Check Page". We'll fetch the HTML source and scan for any meta refresh tags. If found, we'll show the delay time, redirect URL, and specific SEO issues — along with server-side alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Meta refresh is an HTML tag that causes a page to automatically redirect to another URL after a specified time. While sometimes useful, it
Search engines prefer server-side 301 redirects because they clearly pass link equity. Meta refresh can confuse crawlers, provide a poor user experience, and may not fully transfer ranking signals.
Use HTTP 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirects configured on your server. These are faster, more reliable, and better understood by search engines.
Meta refresh might be acceptable for countdown timers, auto-refreshing dashboards, or situations where you don

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