Check the redirect for the home page
Find several working methods
Methodology: This check follows wSEO methodology 1.1. How the assessment works
Response code plus content comparison
Check whether a technical URL duplicates the home page
The name /index does not prove an error. Inspect the server response first, then compare any URL returning 200 with the primary home page.
- 404/410 — no duplicate;
- 301/308 to home — a good result;
- 200 with the same home page — a confirmed duplicate.
Addresses to check
/index.php /index.html /index.htm /index /index/ /home /home/ /main /main/ /index.php?route=common/home /?route=common/home
Add the full domain and test only variants relevant to the CMS in use.
How to read the response
| Code | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 404/410 | The URL does not exist | Nothing to repair. |
| 301/308 | Permanent redirect | Confirm that Location points home. |
| 302/303/307 | Temporary redirect | Usually replace with permanent. |
| 200 | The page opens | Compare its content with home. |
httpstatus.io
- Open httpstatus.io.
- Enter the full candidate URL.
- Inspect the first code and Location.
- Save the result link or screenshot.
Terminal
curl -I https://example.com/index.php curl -IL https://example.com/index.php
Expected response:
HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently Location: https://example.com/
Decision for a 200 response
Open home and the candidate side by side. Matching primary content means a duplicate. A canonical pointing home reduces risk, but a permanent redirect is stronger. A self-referencing canonical on /index.php is wrong. Do not redirect a page with different content.
Save both page screenshots and the result showing the code and Location as evidence.
