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The ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error, also known as “redirect loop,” is a problem WordPress users commonly encounter, most often after making site changes. It means the browser sees conflicting redirect directives that lead to chase its own tail.
Unfortunately, the error makes part or all of your website inaccessible, which is why it can seem quite dramatic (similar to a 500 Internal Server Error). Yet, it’s often easy to fix, but only if you know where to look.
In this post, you’ll learn about common causes of redirect loops and how to address them, both with and without access to the WordPress admin interface.
| TL;DR âś… ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS happens when conflicting redirects send your browser back and forth between different URLs indefinitely, blocking your website or individual pages from rendering. âś… Common causes include faulty data in caches or cookies, mismatched WordPress URL settings, faulty plugins, misconfigured server settings, and SSL/CDN issues. âś… Left unresolved, a redirect loop blocks both visitors and search engines from accessing your site, which can hurt traffic, user experience, revenue, rankings, and may take time to recover from even after the fix. âś… WP Rocket helps prevent redirect loops caused by conflicting cache and CDN configurations, with an easy option to flush WordPress cache, dedicated CDN add-ons, and its own RocketCDN. |
Quick Step-by-Step Fix
While it helps to understand the underlying mechanics, if you just want your site back, here are the most common ways to fix the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error:
- Clear cache and cookies: Redirect loops can come from outdated information both in the browser and on your site. To eliminate this as an error source, clear your browser cache and cookies for your site, and flush all caches connected to your website (WordPress cache, server cache, third-party caches like a CDN).
- Check the WordPress URL settings: If you have access to your WordPress back end, check if the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) settings in Settings → General are correct and match. If you don’t have access to the admin dashboard, you can also hardcode those URLs via wp-config.php.
- Disable plugins: Plugins are another potential source of ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS, especially extensions capable of creating redirects, like SEO plugins. Try temporarily disabling them either in the Plugins menu or by renaming the plugin directory on your server via FTP or your host’s file manager.
- Review HTTPS/Cloudflare/WAF: Misconfigured SSL, firewall, or CDN settings may also throw a redirect loop on your site. Double-check their configuration if you run into this error.
- Examine your server settings: Finally, analyze your server configuration files for directives that may be causing the problem. If necessary, reset to a default file.
More detailed descriptions for each fix below.
What is the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS Error?
To understand redirect loops, you first need to know what a redirect is: a virtual signpost on a web page. It tells browsers, “this page has moved; you can now find it under the following address.”
Redirects, especially the 301 redirect, are a very common website tool. They often come into play when deleting a web page, changing its URL, or switching the domain of an entire website. They prevent visitors and search engines from landing on a 404 error page.
The problem arises when several redirects contradict each other. For example, when URL A points to URL B, but URL B also directs back to URL A.
This causes the browser to be stuck in an infinite loop, leading to the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error.
wp-admin Still Working? Here’s What to Do
Are you encountering ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS on your website but are still able to access the site back end? Here’s how to get back on track.
1. Force a Page Refresh in Your Browser
A refresh makes the browser reload a web page from scratch without using resources it has already downloaded. This eliminates faulty historical data as the problem.
Here’s how to force a page refresh in different browsers:
- Windows and Linux browsers: Ctrl+F5
- Chrome and Firefox on Mac: Cmd+Shift+R
- Safari: Hold Shift and click the Reload button in the browser bar.
2. Clear Browser Cookies
A step further is to manually delete browser cookies, as they may also contain compromised data. To do that for a single website in Google Chrome:
1. Open the main menu and go to Settings.
Click on Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies.
3. Next, go to See all site data and permissions.
4. Search for the site you want to delete cookies for, then click the trash icon next to its name.
You can find instructions for other browsers in our article on browser cache and cookies.
3. Flush All Caches
Redirect loops can be cached, meaning even if you fix the issue, it can continue appearing on your site.
In case you are unaware, a cache is a place where software solutions store frequently used data to make it quicker to access. On websites, this helps the sites load faster.
To ensure cached bad data isn’t causing the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS message, clear all caches involved in loading your WordPress website.
Browser Cache
A simple solution to access a website without using browser cache is to open it in incognito mode or in a different browser. Alternatively, you can also clear browser cache manually.
To do this in Google Chrome, open the main menu and click Delete browsing data… (or press Cmd/Ctr+Shift+Del on your keyboard).
In the window that opens, you only need to check the box for Cached images and files. Use the time range options at the top to configure how far back you want to delete cached files.
Once you’ve made sensible choices for your case, click Delete from this device.
| đź’ˇThe process is similar in other browsers. You can find instructions here. |
WordPress Cache
If you’re using WP Rocket, you can easily empty your WordPress website’s cache under Settings → WP Rocket. Just click the Clear button under Cache Files.
For any other WordPress caching solutions, consult the relevant documentation.
Server Cache
Clearing server cache usually happens through your hosting provider. Typically, managed WordPress hosts give you an easy one-click option in your hosting dashboard, WordPress back end, or even WordPress admin bar. Ask support if you can’t find it.
Third-Party Cache
Your site may be connected to external caches, such as a Content Delivery Network. They normally also provide a simple way to purge cache.
| đź’ˇ WP Rocket is a WordPress performance plugin. It automatically implements several kinds of caching on your site, including browser caching and page caching (with a dedicated mobile cache). This delivers important files to browsers faster, so your pages load quicker. |
4. Find the Cause of the Redirect Loop
If the problem persists after deleting cookies and caches, your site and/or server configuration may be the problem. To find that out, use a redirect checker like httpstatus or the Redirect Path browser extension.
They will help you analyze any active redirects on your site and spot where the problem lies. That way, you can take more targeted action to resolve it.
5. Check Your WordPress URL Settings
Under Settings > General, WordPress has two settings called WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL).
They specify your website’s address and the location of its files. The two addresses should be identical, unless you’ve given WordPress its own directory. If they are not, that may be the source of your site experiencing ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS.
| đź’ˇ Even small differences matter here. If one address has http:// at the beginning while the other has https://, or one URL includes www and the other doesn’t, that’s enough to cause errors. |
6. Temporarily Disable WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins are another potential source of redirect errors. This is especially true for extensions capable of creating their own redirect rules, like Redirection or some SEO plugins.
If you suspect a plugin may be causing the redirect loop, try deactivating extensions on your site in the Plugins menu, either one by one or in bulk.
Then, check if that resolved the redirect loop.
Can’t Access wp-admin? How to Get Your Site Back
If a redirect loop makes your site inaccessible to the point that you can’t even log in anymore, follow the steps below.
1. Force a Page Refresh and Clear Browser Cookies
Just as before, the first step to eliminate your browser as the source of the problem is to force a page refresh like so:
- Windows and Linux browsers: Ctrl+F5
- Chrome and Firefox on Mac: Cmd+Shift+R
- Safari: Hold Shift and click the Reload button in the browser bar.
You can additionally clear browser cookies to exclude them as a factor. In Chrome, this happens under Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies.
Click on See all site data and permissions, search for your site, and click the trash icon next to it.
2. Flush the Caches You Have Access to
Faulty redirect setups can persist in site cache even after you fix them. We’ve already covered how to empty browser, server, and third-party cache above.
To empty your site cache without access to the WordPress back end, you usually have to manually delete cache files on your server via FTP, your host’s file management program, and/or the website database.
For example, WP Rocket saves your site cache under wp-content/cache/wp-rocket/[yoursitedomain].
This gives you the option to delete all cached files or do it only for specific pages.
The plugin also stores optimized content in the following database table:
- wp_wpr_above_the_fold
- wp_wpr_lazy_render_content
- wp_wpr_preconnect_external_domains
- wp_wpr_preload_fonts
3. Pinpoint the Cause of the Redirect Loop
If broad actions like this don’t work, it’s time to get more specific. The first step for that is to input your page into a redirect checker like httpstatus (redirect-checker.org is another alternative) to see the redirects it has in place.
Knowing the exact issue can give you a clearer idea of what causes it.
4. Update WordPress URL Settings via FTP
A common source of ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS is the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) fields in WordPress under Settings → General.
They specify your website’s URL and the location of its files, which should normally be identical. Even small differences, like one starting with http:// and the other with https://, can cause redirect issues.
If you suspect this to be the case but can’t access the WordPress dashboard, connect to your server using an FTP client and look for the wp-config.php file. It should be in your root folder.
Edit the file and add the following lines at its beginning (replace https://example.com with your actual domain):
define('WP_HOME','https://example.com');
define('WP_SITEURL','https://example.com');This hardcodes your WordPress address and site address. Save and re-upload the file.
If this resolves the redirect loop, update the URLs inside your WordPress settings and remove the lines from the file afterwards. You can also change your URL settings via the database and a few other ways.
5. Disable Plugins via FTP
If you continue to see the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error, navigate to wp-content on your server via FTP. Here, rename the plugins directory to anything else. This disables all plugins on your WordPress site.
If that solves the problem, change the directory name back to its original and activate your plugins one by one from the back end until the error appears again. If you already have a suspicion which plugin may be to blame, it’s also possible to rename only its folder to disable it individually.
Fixing Redirect Issues Caused by HTTPS, CDN, and Server Settings
Deeper technical site issues can also be behind ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS.
1. Look for Misconfigured HTTPS Settings
Loading your site via HTTPS encrypts your traffic, secures sensitive data, and even makes your site faster. Having an SSL/TLS certificate has basically become a standard site requirement.
However, when improperly configured, SSL certificates can also create a redirect loop. In fact, the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS frequently occurs when people try to move their websites to HTTPS without correctly installing one, not having a certificate at all, or misconfiguring the redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
This can cause visitor browsers to be forwarded to a secure connection that’s not working. It then switches back to HTTP, is routed to HTTPS again, and the loop starts all over.
You can use the Qualys SSL server test to see whether anything like that is happening on your site. Just enter your URL at the top and run the analysis.
You also find this information in the Network tab of your browser developer tools. It, too, shows any redirects on your site and where they point to.
If you have set up HTTPS on your site using a WordPress SSL plugin, consider changing your URLs manually using search and replace instead. Plugins add another layer of complexity and can sometimes conflict with your server settings.
2. Examine Your CDN and WAF Configuration
Third-party services such as content delivery networks (CDN) and web application firewalls (WAF) can also cause ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS, especially if they handle your SSL/TLS settings.
For example, Cloudflare has a “flexible SSL” option. It forces HTTPS traffic between its own servers and visitor browsers. However, it still sends traffic to your website unencrypted.
If your site already has a redirect from HTTP to HTTPS in place, this runs the danger that the connection between site, CDN, and browser gets bounced between encrypted and unencrypted too often, leading to a redirect loop.
In Cloudflare, you can resolve this issue by switching to Full or Full (strict) encryption. If you’re using another service, read the documentation or talk to its customer support.
| đź’ˇ WP Rocket helps you connect your site to any CDN, including through dedicated add-ons for Cloudflare and Sucuri and a one-click setup option for Rocket CDN. This allows you to flush CDN cache from inside your website and makes managing the connection easier. |
3. Investigate Your Server Settings
Another potential source of redirect loops is your server setup, more specifically your configuration files. They, too, can contain conflicting redirection rules, sometimes added by WordPress plugins.
Apache
On an Apache server, the file you are looking for is called .htaccess. You can edit it with an FTP client, it’s usually located in your site’s root directory. The file is hidden by default, so you might have to toggle a setting in your FTP client to make it visible.
If you don’t know enough to understand if there’s a problematic rule in the file, try resetting it. To do so, rename the existing file, for example, to .htaccess_backup.
Then, create a new file, name it .htaccess (don’t forget the dot!), and add the following code to it:
# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPressThese are the standard rewrite rules WordPress comes with out of the box. If .htaccess is behind the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS issue on your site, this should solve it.
Should you have access to your WordPress dashboard, you can also create a new standard .htaccess file (after renaming the old file) by going to Settings → Permalinks and saving at the bottom.
NGINX
If your site is located on an NGINX server, finding the configuration file can be a bit trickier. That’s because server setup varies, site-specific rules are often split across multiple files, and the files are frequently only accessible via SSH or a hosting control panel, not standard FTP.
For example, there’s usually one main file called nginx.conf that commonly appears in these places:
- /usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf
- /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
- /usr/local/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
However, the file often references additional files (e.g. like so: include /etc/nginx/conf.d/*.conf;) that each may contain the problematic directives.
Once you’ve located the relevant file(s), scan them for:
- Explicit return 301 / return 302 redirects
- rewrite … permanent; or rewrite … redirect; directives
- if ($scheme = http) blocks that redirect to HTTPS
- Duplicate or conflicting server_name blocks
These can all contribute to redirect loops. If you are unsure, ask your hosting provider or a developer for help.
Quick Decision Table: What to Do in Common Scenarios
Need the quickest way from problem to solution? Here it is.
| How to recognize the problem | What to check | How to fix it | Risks involved |
| Site shows error, but works fine in incognito mode or a different browser | Browser cache and cookies | Force refresh (Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R) or clear browser cookies/cache for the site | Low, no site changes needed |
| Error persists across browsers/devices even after you fixed the underlying issue | Site/server/CDN cache | Clear WordPress cache, server cache, and CDN cache | Low, clearing cache doesn’t affect site data |
| Redirect loop started after a plugin update or new plugin install | Active plugins, especially SEO or redirect-management plugins | Deactivate plugins via the dashboard or by renaming the plugin folder(s) via FTP | Low, deactivating doesn’t delete plugin data or settings |
| The whole site is affected, not just a specific page | Settings → General: WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) | Correct mismatched URLs in wp-admin, or via wp-config.php/database if locked out | Medium, wrong values here can make the whole site inaccessible |
| Browser cycles between http:// and https:// versions of the URL | SSL certificate status, HTTPS redirect rules, SSL plugin settings | Verify certificate is valid; fix or remove conflicting HTTPS-forcing rules/plugins | Medium, affects the entire site loading process |
| Loop only happens when a CDN/WAF (e.g., Cloudflare) is active, or started after enabling one | CDN/WAF SSL mode (e.g., Cloudflare’s Flexible SSL) | Align CDN and origin server SSL settings | Medium, misconfiguring SSL mode can itself cause downtime or certificate warnings |
| Nothing else works; loop seems tied to server-level rules | .htaccess (Apache) or server block config (NGINX) | Reset .htaccess to WordPress defaults, or remove conflicting rewrite/redirect rules in NGINX config | High, editing server config file incorrectly can take the whole site down; back up first |
ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: Impact on SEO
Redirect errors can make your entire site or parts of it completely inaccessible and unusable. This isn’t too dramatic if the error is temporary and limited to a single page. In that case, you’ll just lose a little bit of traffic.
The problem becomes more pronounced if it affects your whole website and goes on for a long time. In that case, it can have serious consequences for your user experience, reputation, revenue, and SEO.
Search engines can’t crawl or index a page stuck in a redirect loop and may eventually drop them from the index or lower its ranking. Plus, pages stuck in a redirect loop waste crawl budget that could be used to index new content instead. None of that is good news for your traffic numbers.
Additionally, even if you fix the issue, it can take a while for things to go back to normal and your pages to reappear in search. That’s why you should address redirect issues a quickly as possible.
| đź’ˇWant to improve your site’s search rankings? Do it with our mobile SEO checklist. |
Clean Up and Check for Leftover Redirect Issues
Once you address the original ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS problem, ensure your site works as expected and no issues remain:
- Confirm the site loads normally: Load your homepage and a few other pages in a fresh incognito/private window. Test both the http:// and https:// as well as www and non-www versions.
- Run key URLs through a redirect checker: Use the tools we mentioned to confirm there are no loops or unnecessary redirect chains and that pages resolve to a 200 OK. Ensure any redirects you intentionally have in place work as intended.
- Verify WordPress settings: Confirm Site Address (URL) and WordPress Address (URL) match and both use the correct protocol. Check wp-config.php for any hardcoded WP_HOME / WP_SITEURL values.
- Test login and other key functionality: Log in and out, submit important forms, and test any other key features that rely on sessions, cookies, or redirects.
- Re-enable plugins: Reactivate the plugins you disabled earlier, checking the site after each one. If you renamed .htaccess or plugin folders, confirm they were restored/renamed back correctly.
- Check mixed content: Open the Console in browser developer tools and check for mixed content warnings (HTTP resources loading on an HTTPS page).
- Confirm in Google Search Console: Check Indexing → Pages for redirect-related problems. Use the URL Inspection tool on a few key pages to ensure Google can access them. Request re-indexing if needed.
FAQs on Redirect Loops
What causes ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS in WordPress?
This error usually happens when the browser receives conflicting directives what URL to use to load a page. It’s most often due to cookie or cache problems, mismatched WordPress settings, a faulty plugin, SSL misconfiguration, incorrect redirect rules in server files, or problems with proxy/CDN settings.
How do I fix too many redirects if I cannot access wp-admin?
Connect via FTP or your hosting file manager. Rename the plugins folder inside wp-content to deactivate all extensions on your site. You can also edit wp-config.php to set the right values for the site and WordPress address or restore a clean .htaccess file.
Can Cloudflare cause ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS?
Yes. This commonly happens when Cloudflare’s SSL/TLS mode is set to “Flexible” while WordPress forces HTTPS. Switching Cloudflare’s setting to “Full” or “Full (Strict)” usually resolves it.
Does a redirect loop hurt SEO?
Yes. A redirect loop makes your site or parts of it completely inaccessible, so search engines can’t crawl or index the affected pages. Prolonged downtime can lead to deindexing, lost rankings, and poor user experience. All of those negatively affect your site’s SEO performance.
How do I know if .htaccess is causing the redirect loop?
Rename .htaccess (e.g., to .htaccess_backup) via FTP or file manager, then reload your site. If it loads normally, .htaccess was the culprit. Generate a fresh file through Settings → Permalinks, or manually restore WordPress’s default .htaccess rules.
Fix Redirect Loops Before They Become a Big Problem
ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS looks alarming but isn’t as dramatic as it seems once you know what to do about it. Most cases come down to a handful of usual suspects.
If your site is experiencing issues with redirects, use the checklist above to solve them. Do it quickly, before it becomes more than an annoyance.
Finally, if you want to make it easier for yourself to clear your website cache, connect your site to a CDN, and improve your site’s performance at the same time, try WP Rocket! It comes with our 14-day, 100% money-back guarantee, so you can test all of its features completely risk-free.
