Too Many Redirects Error
Your site won't load and the browser says "ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS" or "redirected you too many times" — two rules are bouncing visitors back and forth forever.
Common signs of this issue
- The browser shows "This page isn't working — example.com redirected you too many times."
- The error code reads ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS, and no amount of refreshing helps.
- It started right after enabling SSL/HTTPS, changing www settings, moving hosts, or connecting Cloudflare.
- Clearing cookies makes it work briefly, then the error returns.
- Some pages loop while others load, or the site loops only with (or only without) www in front.
- Every visitor sees it — this one is never 'just you.'
Safe checks you can do yourself
None of these require sharing passwords with anyone.
- Try the site in a private/incognito window or after clearing cookies for the site. If it briefly works, a stale cookie is re-triggering the loop — a clue, though not the cure.
- Test all four versions of your address:
http://andhttps://, each with and withoutwww.— and note which ones loop. A loop only on one version localizes the conflicting rule considerably. - Write down what changed just before it started. Redirect loops are almost never spontaneous — an SSL setup, a "force HTTPS" plugin, a www change, a migration, or a new CDN is nearly always the trigger.
- If you use Cloudflare: check the SSL/TLS mode. "Flexible" mode plus a server that forces HTTPS is the single most common redirect loop on the internet — Cloudflare talks to your server over http, your server bounces it to https, forever. "Full" or "Full (strict)" usually ends it (the server needs its own certificate for those).
- On WordPress, confirm Settings → General: the "WordPress Address" and "Site Address" must match exactly — both https, same www choice. A mismatch there loops the whole site.
- List every place a redirect rule could live on your site: an .htaccess file, a redirect or SSL plugin, theme settings, the hosting panel's "force HTTPS" toggle, and the CDN. Loops are two of these disagreeing — knowing the full list is half the fix.
- Run the address through a free redirect checker (search "redirect checker") — it shows the actual chain of hops, so you can see exactly which two addresses are bouncing between each other.
What this usually means
A redirect loop means rule A sends the browser somewhere that rule B sends straight back. After about twenty hops the browser gives up and shows this error. The conflict is almost always between versions of your own address: http vs https, www vs non-www, or a CDN/proxy setting that disagrees with the server behind it.
The durable fix is to pick one canonical address — for most sites, https plus a single www choice — and make every rule, at every layer, point the same direction with no rule pointing back. One layer should own each redirect; when two layers both try to 'help,' you get the loop.
If the loop appeared with no changes at all, suspect the layers changed under you: a host enabling force-HTTPS fleet-wide, a plugin update adding a redirect, or a CDN setting migrating. The redirect-checker chain shows you which layer is emitting each hop.
What not to do
- Don't stack multiple redirect plugins or rules hoping one wins — competing rules are the disease, not the cure.
- Don't edit .htaccess or server config without saving a copy of the original first; a bad edit turns a looping site into a fully down site.
- Don't flip SSL and redirect settings rapidly in different combinations — change one thing, retest in a private window, and keep notes, or you'll lose track of what state anything is in.
- Don't 'fix' it by turning HTTPS off entirely — you'd trade a loop for a "Not Secure" warning and lose the ranking benefit of https.
- Don't clear your cookies repeatedly as a workaround and call it solved — your visitors' browsers still loop.
When to get help
Redirect loops sit at the intersection of hosting, DNS, CDN, and site settings — which is precisely why they're fiddly for owners and quick for people who untangle them weekly. If the Cloudflare-mode and WordPress-address checks above don't clear it, a helper with your list of redirect layers and the redirect-checker chain can usually end the loop in a single short session. The whole site is down to every visitor while this persists, so treat it with outage urgency.
Could your hosting be the problem?
If your host is slow, unreliable, or hard to deal with, moving to a better one can clear up issues like this for good. One we genuinely recommend is Instant Access Internet Services — a smaller, compassionate company with 30 years in the business, known for being one of the fastest, with great management and low pricing. (Just a recommendation — no affiliate link, no kickback.)
Not sure what to do next?
Answer a few short questions and we'll point you to the safest next step — DIY, a freelancer, or a direct review. No passwords required.
Is this a business website? If this issue may be costing you leads, sales, or trust, you may want a direct review instead of trial and error.
Frequently asked questions
Why did this start after I added HTTPS?
The new https redirect is colliding with an existing rule — most often a CDN in 'Flexible' SSL mode, or an old www redirect. Each sends the browser to the other. Aligning all layers on the same final address stops it.
What is ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS in plain English?
The browser followed about twenty redirects, realized it was going in circles, and quit. It's the browser protecting itself from an infinite loop your site's rules created.
Why does clearing cookies fix it for a minute?
Some redirects are set via cookies; clearing them resets the dance one time. The conflicting rules are still there, so the loop rebuilds almost immediately — for you and for every visitor.
Which Cloudflare SSL mode prevents redirect loops?
'Full' or 'Full (strict)' — both talk to your server over https, which stops the classic Flexible-mode loop. Your server needs its own certificate (free on most hosts), and 'Full (strict)' is the more secure choice.
Can a redirect loop hurt my SEO?
While it lasts, Google's crawler is locked out the same as visitors, and extended lockouts can drop pages from the index. Fixed promptly, there's no lasting harm — and ending on one clean canonical address is actually good for SEO.
The loop is only on some pages. What does that mean?
A page-specific rule — often a redirect plugin entry or a page-level setting — is fighting a site-wide rule. The redirect-checker chain on one looping page will show which two addresses are pinballing.