In short. Akamai can follow an origin redirect at the edge and serve the final non-redirect response when Chase Redirects is enabled.
Definition: Akamai's Chase Redirects behavior lets an edge server follow a redirect response from the origin and serve the final non-redirect response to the visitor. It is an edge-side fetch step, with a configured limit and an optional 404 response when that limit is reached.
Key facts
- Akamai defines Chase Redirects as the behavior that controls whether the edge server chases redirects served from the origin, according to its Property Manager documentation.
- When enabled, the edge can follow origin redirect responses and serve the final non-redirect response to the user.
Chase Limitsets the maximum number of redirects the edge follows.Serve 404makes the edge serve HTTP 404 (Not Found) instead of the last redirect when the limit is reached.- Akamai says Chase Redirects is incompatible with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Storage, and that the property ignores the behavior's settings when either is used.
What happens before the visitor receives a response?
The origin returns a redirect response, and the Akamai edge can follow that response when Chase Redirects is enabled. Akamai describes the result as serving the final, non-redirect response to the user. The visitor therefore receives the fetched destination response rather than the origin redirect as the response selected by this behavior.
The behavior has an Enable field, a Chase Limit field, and a Serve 404 option. The limit applies to the number of redirects followed. If the limit is reached and Serve 404 is on, the edge serves HTTP 404 (Not Found) instead of the last redirect.
Chase Redirects: Enabled
Chase Limit: maximum number of redirects to follow
Serve 404: On
How is origin chasing different from a redirect sent to the client?
Origin chasing resolves a redirect response at the edge and continues until the edge has a final non-redirect response or reaches the configured limit. A client-facing redirect is a response that tells the visitor to request another URL. Akamai documents that separate case through its Redirect behavior: the behavior can handle specified redirects away from the origin and has a Redirect Status Code field for the HTTP status code used in the redirect response.
The distinction is visible in the configured outcome. Chase Redirects ends with the final non-redirect response when the chain is within the limit. Redirect uses a selected redirect status code, including 301 Moved Permanently, 302 Found, 303 See Other, or 307 Temporary Redirect, for the redirect response.
Which origin configurations need attention?
Akamai's Chase Redirects documentation says the behavior is incompatible with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Storage. It states that a property using either of those authentication methods in the Origin Characteristics behavior ignores settings applied in Chase Redirects.
The same documentation says Chase Redirects is included by default when Akamai NetStorage is used as the Origin Server, to support NetStorage's replication infrastructure. For a property review, inspect the origin type and authentication alongside the Chase Redirects fields. The documented fields are Enable, Chase Limit, and Serve 404.
Related terms
FAQ
Can Akamai return the destination response instead of the origin redirect?
Yes. With Chase Redirects enabled, Akamai says the edge can follow redirect responses from the origin and ultimately serve the final non-redirect response to the user.
What does Akamai do when the chase limit is reached?
With Serve 404 set to On, the edge serves HTTP 404 (Not Found) instead of the last redirect. The Chase Limit field specifies the maximum number of redirects to follow.
Does Chase Redirects work with Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Storage?
Akamai documents the behavior as incompatible with both. It says the property ignores Chase Redirects settings when either authentication method is used in Origin Characteristics.
Sources
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