Myth: Extra redirect hops don't matter, they're milliseconds

Myth: Extra redirect hops don't matter, they're milliseconds

The assumption: one more 302 in the chain costs nothing.

The correction: each hop adds a DNS lookup, a TLS handshake, and a bounce risk. On 3G mobile, four hops can add 1.5–3 seconds — and every hop is a place a click can drop, get stripped of parameters, or hit an in-app webview block.

SOP — redirect chain audit:

— Step 1: Trace the full chain for each offer (curl -IL or a redirect checker).
— Step 2: Count hops from click to landing page. Target 2 or fewer.
— Step 3: Confirm click-ID and sub parameters survive every hop.
— Step 4: Remove any hop that only logs — log server-side instead.

Checklist:
☐ Chain length 2 hops or fewer
☐ Tracking params intact at the landing page
☐ No redirect-only logging hops

Re-trace chains weekly and after any offer change.