Blog

A redirect loop can make a perfectly good WordPress site look completely broken in seconds.

If your browser shows “too many redirects,” “ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS,” or says the page is not redirecting properly, it means the browser is being bounced between two or more URLs and never reaches the final page.

For example, your site might send visitors from HTTP to HTTPS, then another setting sends them back to HTTP. Or WordPress sends people to the non-www version, while your host or CDN sends them back to www.

The good news: this is usually fixable. The bad news: guessing can make it worse, especially if you start changing WordPress settings, SSL settings, CDN rules, and server redirects all at once.

What “Too Many Redirects” Means

A redirect tells a browser, “This page has moved, go over here instead.” Redirects are normal. They are used for HTTPS, domain changes, old page URLs, trailing slashes, and SEO cleanup.

A redirect loop happens when the redirect rules contradict each other.

Here is a simple version:

1. A visitor opens http://example.ca.
2. The server redirects them to https://example.ca.
3. WordPress or a plugin redirects them back to http://example.ca.
4. The server redirects them to HTTPS again.
5. The browser gives up and shows a too many redirects error.

Browsers stop after a certain number of redirects because endless loops waste time and can hide configuration problems.

Common Causes in WordPress

There are a few usual suspects. Start with these before touching anything complicated.

1. WordPress Address and Site Address Do Not Match

In WordPress, the two key settings are:

• WordPress Address (URL)
• Site Address (URL)

You can normally find them under Settings > General.

If one uses HTTP and the other uses HTTPS, or one uses www and the other does not, WordPress may keep redirecting visitors between versions.

For most small business websites, these two fields should match exactly unless there is a specific reason they do not.

Tip: Pick one canonical version of your domain and stick with it everywhere. For example, choose either https://example.ca or https://www.example.ca, then use that version in WordPress, your redirects, your CDN, and your analytics tools.

2. HTTP and HTTPS Are Fighting Each Other

SSL problems are one of the most common reasons for redirect loops.

You might have an SSL certificate installed, but WordPress still thinks the site is HTTP. Or your host forces HTTPS while a plugin is trying to force HTTP. Or a CDN is connecting to your server using HTTP while visitors connect to the CDN using HTTPS.

If the loop started right after installing SSL, changing hosts, moving to a CDN, or editing HTTPS settings, start there.

For more detail on SSL-related problems, read How to Fix Mixed Content Errors in WordPress After Installing SSL. Mixed content is not the same thing as a redirect loop, but both often show up during HTTPS migrations.

3. www and Non-www Rules Are Conflicting

Your site should normally use either www or non-www, not both.

Problems happen when one layer says “send everything to www” and another says “send everything to non-www.”

Places that may contain www or non-www redirect rules include:

• WordPress settings
• Your hosting control panel
• Your CDN or DNS provider
• Your .htaccess file on Apache or LiteSpeed hosting
• Your web server configuration on Nginx hosting
• SEO or redirection plugins

You only need one clean rule. Multiple competing rules are where the trouble starts.

4. A Redirect Plugin Has a Bad Rule

Plugins like Redirection, SEO plugins, membership plugins, security plugins, multilingual plugins, and migration plugins can all create redirects.

A single bad rule can loop a page back to itself. A plugin can also redirect logged-out users, checkout visitors, old URLs, language versions, or mobile visitors.

If the issue appeared after installing or changing a plugin, that plugin should be high on your list.

5. Caching Is Serving Old Redirects

Redirects can be cached by your browser, your WordPress cache plugin, your server cache, and your CDN.

This is why redirect loops can be frustrating. You might fix the actual setting, but still see the old loop because something cached it.

If you use caching, clear it in this order:

1. Browser cache and cookies for the site
2. WordPress caching plugin cache
3. Server-level cache
4. CDN cache

If caching feels like a black box, WordPress Caching Explained: A Beginner's Guide is a good plain-English starting point.

6. CDN or Proxy SSL Mode Is Wrong

If your site uses a CDN or reverse proxy, the visitor may connect to the CDN with HTTPS while the CDN connects to your server another way.

Some CDN SSL modes are designed for sites that do not have a proper SSL certificate installed at the origin server. That can work in limited cases, but it can also create redirect loops when WordPress or the host forces HTTPS.

As a rule of thumb, your origin server should have a valid SSL certificate, and your CDN should connect to the origin over HTTPS. Check your CDN’s official documentation for the current SSL mode names and recommended setup.

7. Server Redirect Rules Are Duplicated

On Apache or LiteSpeed hosting, redirects are often stored in an .htaccess file. On Nginx hosting, they are usually in the server configuration.

WordPress itself can manage some .htaccess rules, especially permalink rules. Plugins may also write to that file.

If your .htaccess file contains several blocks forcing HTTPS, forcing www, redirecting old domains, or redirecting all traffic to a subfolder, one of those rules may be causing the loop.

Do not randomly delete server rules unless you have a backup. Some may be needed for WordPress, security, or application routing.

8. A Recent Domain or Hosting Move Was Not Fully Finished

Redirect loops often appear after moving a site to a new domain, new host, new CDN, or new SSL setup.

Common migration mistakes include:

• The database still contains the old domain
• The old host still has redirect rules
• DNS points through a CDN with old settings
• The new host forces HTTPS differently than the old host
• WordPress has hardcoded URLs in configuration files

If you recently moved your domain or hosting, check the migration path carefully before blaming WordPress core.

Start With a Safe Troubleshooting Plan

Do not change five things at once. You will not know which change fixed the issue, and you may create a second problem while chasing the first.

Use this order instead.

Step 1: Make a Backup Before Changing Anything

If you still have access to your hosting panel, create a fresh backup of the site files and database before editing settings.

If you are on a maintenance plan or managed hosting, check whether a recent backup already exists. Ambrite WordPress maintenance plans include daily backups, with backups kept for 90 days, plus monitoring and update handling.

A backup gives you a way back if a redirect fix breaks login, checkout, forms, or other important parts of the site.

Step 2: Clear Browser Cookies for the Site

This sounds too simple, but it is worth doing first.

Browsers can cache redirects and cookies connected to login sessions, language settings, membership rules, or WooCommerce sessions. Clear cookies for the affected domain, then test in a private browsing window.

If the site works in a private window but not your normal browser, the problem may already be fixed and your browser is holding onto old redirect data.

Step 3: Test the Exact Redirect Chain

You need to know where the loop happens.

Test these versions separately:

• http://example.ca
• https://example.ca
• http://www.example.ca
• https://www.example.ca

Replace example.ca with your own domain.

You can use browser developer tools, command-line tools like curl if you are comfortable with them, or a reputable redirect checker. The goal is simple: see which URL redirects to which URL.

If you see the same two URLs repeating, you have found the conflict.

Step 4: Check WordPress URL Settings

If you can access wp-admin, go to Settings > General.

Confirm that the WordPress Address and Site Address use the correct protocol and domain. For example, if your preferred version is HTTPS without www, both should use that exact format.

If you cannot access wp-admin, the same values may be defined in your WordPress configuration file using constants such as WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL. They may also be stored in the database options table, where the table prefix can vary from site to site.

If you are not comfortable editing configuration files or the database, pause here. A typo in either place can take the site further offline.

Step 5: Temporarily Disable Redirect and Security Plugins

If the WordPress URL settings look correct, check plugins next.

Start with plugins that handle:

• Redirects
• SSL or HTTPS enforcement
• Security hardening
• Maintenance mode
• Membership access
• Multilingual URLs
• SEO redirects
• WooCommerce checkout or account access

If you can access wp-admin, deactivate one likely plugin at a time and test after each change.

If you cannot access wp-admin, you may need to disable plugins from the hosting file manager, SFTP, or a command-line tool. Do not delete plugins as your first move. Disable them so you can restore settings later if needed.

Step 6: Review HTTPS Rules at the Host and CDN

Next, check whether HTTPS is being forced in more than one place.

For many sites, it is fine for the host or server to force HTTPS. It is also common for a CDN to enforce HTTPS. But you need the rules to agree.

Look for settings like:

• Always use HTTPS
• Force SSL
• Automatic HTTPS rewrites
• Canonical host redirect
• www to non-www redirect
• Non-www to www redirect

Do not turn everything off permanently. The goal is to identify the conflict, then keep one clean redirect path.

For example, a common clean path is:

1. Visitor requests any version of the domain.
2. Server redirects once to https://example.ca.
3. WordPress loads the site from that same URL.

That is much better than three different systems all trying to correct the URL in different ways.

Step 7: Regenerate Permalinks

If you can access wp-admin, go to Settings > Permalinks and save the settings without changing anything.

This can refresh WordPress rewrite rules, especially on Apache or LiteSpeed hosting.

This will not fix every redirect loop, but it is a safe step after correcting URL settings or disabling a redirect plugin.

Step 8: Clear Every Cache Again

After making changes, clear all caching layers again.

That includes:

• WordPress cache plugin
• Object cache, if your host provides one
• Server cache
• CDN cache
• Browser cache

Then test from a private browser window and, if possible, from a different network.

Special Cases That Need Extra Care

WooCommerce Redirect Loops

WooCommerce sites can have redirect loops that only affect cart, checkout, or account pages.

That can happen when:

• Checkout pages are not assigned correctly
• Login or account redirects are misconfigured
• A membership or wholesale plugin controls access
• HTTPS is not consistent on checkout pages
• Cache is applied to cart, checkout, or account pages when it should not be

Do not treat a WooCommerce redirect loop like a normal brochure site issue. A quick plugin disable test can affect payments, tax calculations, shipping rates, subscriptions, or order emails.

If the store is live, use a staging copy where possible. If you need ongoing store support, Ambrite offers WooCommerce maintenance for stores that need plugin, payment, cart, and checkout checks.

Multilingual Website Redirect Loops

Multilingual plugins often redirect visitors based on language, browser settings, URL folders, or cookies.

A loop can happen if the plugin thinks a visitor should be on the French page, while another rule sends that URL back to the English version.

This is especially relevant for Canadian organizations that run bilingual websites. Be careful when combining language redirects with CDN country rules, browser language detection, and manual redirects.

Login Redirect Loops

Sometimes the public website works, but wp-admin does not.

This may be caused by security plugins, cookie settings, HTTPS mismatch, changed login URLs, or membership plugins.

Try clearing cookies first. Then check whether WordPress and the browser agree on HTTPS. WordPress login cookies are sensitive to domain and protocol mismatches.

Redirects After a Malware Infection

Not every redirect loop is a normal configuration mistake.

If visitors are being sent to spam sites, fake security pages, adult content, gambling pages, or domains you do not recognize, treat it as a possible compromise.

Redirect malware can hide in plugins, themes, database content, injected JavaScript, or server files. In that case, simply removing a redirect rule may only remove the symptom.

If you suspect malware, read How to Tell If Your WordPress Site Is Hacked before making major changes. Ambrite also provides WordPress hacked site cleanup when a site needs professional malware removal and hardening.

What Not to Do

Redirect loops make people panic. That is when bad fixes happen.

Avoid these unless you know exactly what you are changing:

• Do not delete your .htaccess file without a backup. It may contain needed WordPress, security, or application rules.
• Do not change DNS randomly. DNS changes can add downtime and make troubleshooting slower.
• Do not turn off SSL permanently. HTTPS matters for trust, forms, checkout, login security, and privacy.
• Do not disable every plugin on a live store without planning. You can break checkout, shipping, taxes, or order emails.
• Do not make changes in multiple places at once. Fix one layer, test, then move to the next.
• Do not assume the browser error tells the whole story. You need the redirect chain to find the real conflict.

When to Use a Staging Site

If the redirect loop affects a simple brochure website, you may be able to fix it directly with a backup ready.

Use a staging site when the website has:

• WooCommerce checkout
• Membership access
• Online booking
• Patient, client, or legal intake forms
• Custom code
• Multilingual routing
• Heavy CDN or caching rules

A staging site lets you test the fix without risking live leads, orders, or form submissions.

If you are new to staging, WordPress Staging Environments Explained covers the basics.

A Practical Fix Checklist

Use this checklist when troubleshooting the too many redirects error:

1. Make a fresh backup of files and database.
2. Clear browser cookies for the domain.
3. Test in a private browser window.
4. Check the redirect chain for HTTP, HTTPS, www, and non-www versions.
5. Confirm WordPress Address and Site Address match your preferred domain.
6. Check whether WP_HOME or WP_SITEURL are defined in the WordPress configuration file.
7. Temporarily disable redirect, SSL, security, membership, and SEO redirect plugins one at a time.
8. Review host-level HTTPS and canonical domain redirects.
9. Review CDN SSL mode and redirect settings.
10. Check .htaccess or server redirect rules if you are comfortable doing so.
11. Save WordPress permalinks again.
12. Clear WordPress, server, CDN, and browser cache.
13. Retest from another browser or network.

When to Ask for Help

Bring in help if you cannot access wp-admin, the loop affects checkout or lead forms, the site handles sensitive information, or you suspect malware.

Also get help if the site has multiple layers involved: WordPress, CDN, hosting redirects, security plugin, multilingual plugin, and custom code. At that point, the issue is less about clicking the right checkbox and more about understanding the whole request path.

Ambrite Web Services is based in Fredericton, New Brunswick and works directly with Canadian WordPress site owners through email and ticket support. If your redirect loop is tied to hosting, SSL, caching, updates, or a recent migration, Ambrite’s Canadian cloud hosting and WordPress maintenance services can help keep the setup cleaner going forward.

The main thing is to slow down. Redirect loops are usually logical problems. Find the two rules arguing with each other, remove the duplicate or conflicting rule, clear the caches, and test the final path carefully.

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Ambrite. Pricing, features, and technical details may change, so always verify with official sources before making decisions.