# Max-Forwards header > A hop counter for TRACE and OPTIONS that limits how many proxies may forward the request, so you can probe a chain one hop at a time. Source: https://apiguide.dev/headers/max-forwards Direction: request Registered: yes Defined in: RFC 9110, Section 7.6.2 Updated: 2026-10-17 ## What is the Max-Forwards header? The `Max-Forwards` request header, defined in Section 7.6.2 of [RFC 9110](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#name-max-forwards), limits how many more times a [`TRACE`](/methods/trace) or [`OPTIONS`](/methods/options) request may be forwarded by proxies. Its value is a non-negative decimal integer. ```http Max-Forwards: 2 ``` Each intermediary that receives a `TRACE` or `OPTIONS` request with `Max-Forwards` MUST check and update it before forwarding: * If the value is `0`, the intermediary MUST NOT forward the request and MUST respond itself, as the final recipient. * If it is greater than zero, the intermediary MUST forward the lesser of the received value minus one and its own maximum supported value. A recipient MAY ignore `Max-Forwards` on any other method. It is a diagnostic tool for finding where in a chain of proxies a request fails or loops. ## API Usage & Best Practices * **Use it to walk a proxy chain.** Sending `OPTIONS` with `Max-Forwards: 0`, then `1`, then `2`, gets a response from each hop in turn, which shows which layer is answering and which one breaks. It only works through intermediaries that implement it. * **Do not expect it on ordinary API calls.** It has no defined effect on [`GET`](/methods/get), [`POST`](/methods/post) or anything other than `TRACE` and `OPTIONS`. For loop detection on normal traffic, proxies use [`Via`](/headers/via). * **Keep `TRACE` disabled at the edge.** `TRACE` reflects the request back, which can leak headers such as cookies and credentials that proxies added. With `TRACE` off, `Max-Forwards` with `TRACE` is a lab tool, and `OPTIONS` is the way to probe production. * **Do not confuse it with TTLs elsewhere.** It counts HTTP-level forwards by proxies, not network hops, and not retries. * **Your origin can ignore it.** An origin server is the final recipient anyway. Only intermediaries have to act on it. ## Examples Probing the first proxy only. With `Max-Forwards: 0` it answers itself instead of forwarding: ```http OPTIONS * HTTP/1.1 Host: api.example.com Max-Forwards: 0 ``` ```http HTTP/1.1 200 OK Allow: GET, HEAD, OPTIONS Content-Length: 0 ``` A request that may pass through one proxy before the next one must answer. The first proxy forwards it with `Max-Forwards: 0`: ```http OPTIONS /v1/orders HTTP/1.1 Host: api.example.com Max-Forwards: 1 ```