Redirect
A redirect is a technical handoff from one URL to another — an ad click almost never lands directly on the final page, it passes through one or more intermediate stops first. Each stop is called a hop, and it typically carries tracking parameters like a click ID or subid along with it.
What a redirect chain looks like
A typical chain runs: ad click, tracker (logs parameters and decides where to send the user next), cloaking if needed (splits reviewers from real users), then the prelander or the PWA itself. Every hop carries the risk of dropping a tracking parameter if it isn't passed along correctly.
Redirects and speed in PWA arbitrage
Every extra hop adds load delay, and on a slow mobile connection that's exactly where users close the page before the next step even loads. APEX custom domains with one-click rotation let a PWA serve directly from the working domain, trimming the chain down to the minimum instead of stacking unnecessary intermediate steps.
FAQ
- How many redirect hops is normal?
- There's no universal number, but shorter is better for load performance — usually a tracker and, if needed, one cloaking check ahead of the final page is enough. Every extra hop should serve a specific technical purpose, not get added just in case.
- Why does a redirect sometimes eat into traffic volume?
- If one of the intermediate stops is slow or goes down, the user never reaches the final page and counts as a lost click. Traffic also gets lost when a tracking parameter drops out along the chain, making the eventual conversion impossible to attribute.
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