Free HTTP Header Checker
See every HTTP response header of any URL and check the ones that matter for SEO, speed and security: status, X-Robots-Tag, caching, compression, HSTS, CSP and more – with copy-ready fixes.
What is an HTTP Header Checker?
HTTP headers are the hidden lines a server sends before the page itself. They carry the status code, content type, caching rules, compression, X-Robots-Tag directives and security policies. An HTTP header checker shows these headers and explains which ones are missing or wrong.
Headers can noindex a page, slow it down or leave it open to attacks without anything visible on the page. This checker lists all response headers, follows redirects and gives you a ready-to-paste .htaccess block for missing security headers.
What the HTTP Header Checker checks
Every problem comes with plain-English steps to fix it, and every result is added to your downloadable Technical SEO report.
Every header of the final URL in a clean table.
Status code, X-Robots-Tag, Link canonical and Content-Type.
Compression, Cache-Control, ETag and Last-Modified.
HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer- and Permissions-Policy.
X-Powered-By and server version numbers.
Every hop with status code and timing.
How to use the HTTP Header Checker
Click Load Example above to see a real result first.
Enter a URL
Any page, image or file URL works.
Click “Check Headers”
Our server requests the URL and records every response header.
Read the “Fix first” tab
Missing or harmful headers come first with copy-ready code.
Review all headers
Open the “All headers” and “Security” tabs for the full picture.
Common problems and how to fix them
| Problem | Why it matters | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| X-Robots-Tag: noindex | Page is dropped from Google. | Remove the header rule from .htaccess or the plugin. |
| No compression | Slower pages, worse Core Web Vitals. | Enable GZIP/Brotli. |
| No caching headers | Every visit downloads everything again. | Enable page and browser caching. |
| Missing HSTS | Visitors can be downgraded to HTTP. | Add Strict-Transport-Security. |
| X-Powered-By visible | Reveals PHP version to attackers. | Header unset X-Powered-By. |
Frequently asked questions
Do HTTP headers affect SEO?
Yes. The status code, X-Robots-Tag, canonical Link header and caching/compression headers all influence crawling, indexing and page speed.
Are security headers a ranking factor?
Not directly, but HTTPS is, and security headers protect your site and visitors from hacks that can destroy rankings.
Where do I add headers in WordPress?
In the .htaccess file on Apache/LiteSpeed hosting, or with a security plugin. Always add them above the # BEGIN WordPress block.
Why do I see different headers in my browser?
Headers can vary by user agent, cookies, CDN location and cache status. We request the page as a normal visitor without cookies.
What is a good Cache-Control value?
For HTML pages a short cache (or no-cache with ETag) is common. Static files like images, CSS and JS should be cached for a year.
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Built and maintained by the AM Digital Marketing Agency SEO team. Last updated: .
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