The ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error (also called a redirect loop) occurs when your browser gets stuck in an endless cycle of redirects between URLs. Instead of loading your website, the browser gives up after too many redirect attempts and displays an error message. This frustrating issue prevents visitors from accessing your site and can harm your SEO if left unresolved.

This guide explains what causes redirect loops, how to quickly diagnose the problem, and common fixes. Whether you’re dealing with WordPress issues, SSL misconfigurations, or server problems, you’ll find a clear path to resolving the error and preventing it from happening again.

Understanding the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS Error

A redirect instructs browsers to load a different URL than the one requested. Redirects are normal and useful – they help direct traffic from old URLs to new ones, enforce HTTPS, and manage www vs non-www preferences.

A redirect loop happens when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects back to URL A, creating an infinite cycle. Or the loop might involve multiple URLs: A redirects to B, B redirects to C, and C redirects back to A.

Browsers limit redirect attempts (usually around 20) to prevent infinite loops from freezing the browser. When this limit is reached, they display error messages like:

• Chrome: “ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS” or “This page isn’t working”
• Firefox: “The page isn’t redirecting properly”
• Safari: “Safari Can’t Open the Page – Too many redirects occurred”
• Edge: “This page isn’t working right now”

Different browsers may phrase the error differently, but they all point to the same underlying problem: a redirect loop that prevents the page from loading.

Pro Tip: The error affects everyone trying to access the looping URL, not just you. If you can reproduce the error in incognito/private browsing mode or on different devices, it’s a server-side configuration issue requiring fixes on your end, not a local browser problem.

Common Causes of Redirect Loops

Understanding what causes redirect loops helps you diagnose and fix them faster. The most common culprits include:

• WordPress configuration conflicts
• HTTPS and SSL misconfigurations
• Server and CDN redirect settings
• Cookie and cache issues
• Misconfigured redirect rules
• Domain and URL structure changes

Each cause requires different diagnostic approaches and fixes, which we’ll cover in the following sections and detailed cluster articles.

Quick Diagnostic Steps

Before diving into complex fixes, run these quick diagnostic checks to identify the source of the problem.

1. Check Your Browser

Clear your browser cache and cookies. Old cached redirects are one of the most common causes and the easiest to fix. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data, select “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files,” then clear.

Test in incognito/private browsing mode. This bypasses cache and cookies, helping determine if the issue is browser-specific or server-side.

Try a different browser. If the error appears in Chrome but not Firefox, it suggests a browser-specific cache issue rather than a server configuration problem.

Pro Tip: If clearing cache and cookies in your regular browser fixes the error, but it returns later, you have an intermittent server configuration issue that needs proper diagnosis and fixing rather than repeated cache clearing.

2. Test with Online Tools

Use redirect checker tools to trace the redirect path without relying on your browser. Tools like Redirect Checker, WhereGoes, or HTTPStatus show every redirect in the chain and identify where the loop occurs.

These tools display:

• The original URL requested
• Each redirect in sequence (301, 302, 307, 308)
• The final destination URL
• Where the loop begins if one exists

Online tools provide objective data about server-side redirects, bypassing any local browser or cache issues.

3. Check Your WordPress Site URL Settings

For WordPress sites, verify that your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) in Settings > General match and use the correct protocol (HTTP or HTTPS) and domain format (www or non-www).

Mismatches between these settings commonly cause redirect loops. If your WordPress URL uses HTTPS but your Site URL uses HTTP, you’ll likely encounter redirect issues.

4. Verify SSL/HTTPS Configuration

If the error started after installing an SSL certificate or enabling HTTPS, the issue likely stems from a misconfigured SSL certificate.

Check if your site is accessible via HTTP (http://yoursite.com). If HTTP works but HTTPS produces the redirect error, your SSL configuration has problems.

Conversely, if HTTPS works but HTTP creates a redirect loop, your force HTTPS redirect isn’t configured correctly.

Common Ways To Fix ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS

Redirect loop fixes vary by cause. Here’s a high-level overview of the most common solutions:

1. Fix WordPress Redirect Loops

WordPress redirect loops often stem from plugin conflicts, theme issues, or incorrect WordPress URL settings. Solutions include temporarily disabling plugins to identify conflicts, checking WordPress address settings via the database if you’re locked out, reviewing .htaccess for WordPress-specific redirect rules, and clearing WordPress cache if using caching plugins.

2. Fix SSL and HTTPS Redirect Conflicts

HTTPS redirect loops typically involve conflicting force-SSL settings at multiple levels. Fixes include ensuring SSL is properly installed and active on your server, checking that force HTTPS redirects exist in only one location (not duplicated in .htaccess, nginx config, CDN settings, and WordPress simultaneously), verifying that your WordPress site URLs use HTTPS, not HTTP, and reviewing CDN SSL settings if using services like Cloudflare.

3. Fix Server and CDN Redirect Conflicts

Server and CDN redirect conflicts happen when redirect rules exist at multiple levels that contradict each other. Solutions include reviewing .htaccess or nginx.conf redirect rules, checking CDN redirect settings (like Cloudflare’s Always Use HTTPS), ensuring server redirects align with CDN settings, and verifying that www/non-www redirects match across all configurations.

4. Clear Cached Redirects and Cookies

Cached redirects or corrupted cookies can cause persistent redirect loops even after fixing server configurations. Solutions include clearing browser cache and cookies, purging server-side cache (PHP OPcache, Redis, Memcached), clearing CDN cache if using a CDN, and deleting WordPress object cache if applicable.

5. Fix Conflicting Redirect Rules

Misconfigured .htaccess, nginx.conf, or web.config redirect rules commonly create loops. Fixes include reviewing redirect rules for circular patterns, ensuring www/non-www redirects don’t conflict with other rules, verifying that HTTP to HTTPS redirects are configured correctly, and testing redirect rules in isolation to identify problematic ones.

Pro Tip: When troubleshooting, change one thing at a time and test after each change. Making multiple changes at once makes it impossible to know which fix resolved the issue and can introduce new problems.

How to Prevent ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS in the Future

Once you’ve fixed the current redirect loop, take steps to prevent it from recurring.

Document Your Redirect Configuration

Maintain documentation of all redirect rules across your infrastructure, including .htaccess or web server config redirects, CDN redirect settings, WordPress plugins handling redirects, and any application-level redirect rules.

When issues arise, documentation helps you quickly spot conflicting settings instead of searching through multiple configuration files.

Implement Redirects at One Level

Avoid implementing the same redirect at multiple levels. If your CDN forces HTTPS, don’t also add HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects in .htaccess and WordPress. Redundant redirects increase the chance of conflicts and loops.

Choose the most appropriate level for each redirect type (CDN for HTTPS, server config for www/non-www, WordPress plugins for page-specific redirects) and implement them exclusively.

Test Changes in Staging

Test any redirect configuration changes in a staging environment before deploying to production. This catches redirect loops before they affect the live site and visitors.

Use redirect testing tools to verify changes work correctly and don’t create loops before pushing to production.

Monitor Your Site

Set up uptime monitoring that checks your site regularly and alerts you if it goes down. Services like UptimeRobot, Pingdom, or StatusCake can detect redirect loop issues and notify you immediately.

Early detection minimizes the time your site is inaccessible due to redirect errors.

For reliable performance and quick troubleshooting when redirect issues arise, quality hosting infrastructure with good support can help you identify and resolve server-side configuration problems faster, minimizing downtime.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you have tried the common fixes and the redirect loop persists, the problem may be a more complex configuration issue that needs a closer look. This is especially true when the error affects only certain pages or URL patterns, since conflicting redirect rules may interact in ways that are hard to identify.

In some cases, fixing the issue may also require changes to server configuration files such as nginx.conf or web.config. If you are not comfortable editing these files, involve your hosting provider or a developer to avoid causing additional problems.

You should also seek professional help if the redirect error appears alongside other technical issues, such as SSL errors, database problems, or broader hosting configuration issues. In that situation, the redirect loop may be only one part of a larger problem that needs to be diagnosed together.

Get Your Site Back Online

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS errors are frustrating but fixable. Start with simple diagnostic steps like clearing browser cache and using redirect checker tools to identify where the loop occurs. Most redirect loops stem from WordPress configuration issues, SSL misconfigurations, or conflicting redirect rules between your server and CDN.

Follow a systematic troubleshooting approach: check one potential cause at a time, test after each change, and document what you’ve tried. The detailed cluster guides covering specific scenarios provide step-by-step fixes for WordPress issues, HTTPS problems, server configurations, and more.

Once resolved, prevent future redirect loops by maintaining clear documentation of your redirect configuration, avoiding redundant redirects at multiple levels, and testing changes in staging environments. With proper configuration and monitoring, you can keep your site accessible and redirect-loop-free for visitors.

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS FAQs