HttpClient(4.3.5) - Redirect Handling

HttpClient handles all types of redirects automatically, except those explicitly prohibited by the HTTP specification as requiring user intervention. See Other (status code 303) redirects on POST and PUT requests are converted to GET requests as required by the HTTP specification. One can use a custom redirect strategy to relaxe restrictions on automatic redirection of POST methods imposed by the HTTP specification.

LaxRedirectStrategy redirectStrategy = new LaxRedirectStrategy();
CloseableHttpClient httpclient = HttpClients.custom()
        .setRedirectStrategy(redirectStrategy)
        .build();

HttpClient often has to rewrite the request message in the process of its execution. Per default HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 generally use relative request URIs. Likewise, original request may get redirected from location to another multiple times. The final interpreted absolute HTTP location can be built using the original request and the context. The utility method URIUtils#resolve can be used to build the interpreted absolute URI used to generate the final request. This method includes the last fragment identifier from the redirect requests or the original request.

CloseableHttpClient httpclient = HttpClients.createDefault();
HttpClientContext context = HttpClientContext.create();
HttpGet httpget = new HttpGet("http://localhost:8080/");
CloseableHttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httpget, context);
try {
    HttpHost target = context.getTargetHost();
    List<URI> redirectLocations = context.getRedirectLocations();
    URI location = URIUtils.resolve(httpget.getURI(), target, redirectLocations);
    System.out.println("Final HTTP location: " + location.toASCIIString());
    // Expected to be an absolute URI
} finally {
    response.close();
}