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General Website Problems

Website Keeps Redirecting

Intermediate Risk: medium

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Direct answer

When a website keeps redirecting, the browser is following chained 301/302 rules that never settle on a final page — usually conflicting HTTP/HTTPS or www/apex rules, stale cookies, CDN SSL modes, WordPress siteurl/home mismatches, or DNS pointing at an old host — so capture the redirect chain in DevTools before changing plugins at random.

“Keeps redirecting” covers redirect loops, wrong-domain hops, and endless canonicalization — not a single intentional HTTPS upgrade. This general triage guide helps you read the hop sequence, clear cookie-related false leads, and decide whether the fix belongs in DNS, SSL/CDN settings, WordPress URLs, or server rewrite rules. Use the specialized ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS guides when the chain is clearly an SSL or server loop.

Intermediate

What the error means

Every redirect response tells the browser to request another URL. Healthy sites may use one or two redirects to enforce HTTPS or a canonical hostname. Unhealthy sites bounce between http and https, www and apex, trailing slash variants, or an old domain still stored in DNS or the database — sometimes all at once. Cookies from membership, caching, or “force SSL” plugins can reintroduce loops after you fix server rules. CDN “Flexible SSL” modes that speak HTTP to an origin already forcing HTTPS are a classic ping-pong. Unlike a slow site or a 404, redirect problems show up as repeated 301/302 entries in DevTools with no stable 200 document. Triage means writing down the repeating URL pair, then collapsing redirects to a single layer.

Common symptoms

  • Browser message: “redirected you too many times” or ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS
  • Address bar flickers between http/https, www/apex, or an old domain name
  • DevTools Network shows a long chain of 301/302 with no final page load
  • Homepage loops but a direct file URL (CSS, image) still returns 200
  • Private window or cleared cookies behaves differently until you log in again
  • Redirect started after SSL install, CDN proxy, migration, or DNS change
  • Site redirects to wrong page, parking page, or previous hosting provider
  • Only wp-admin loops while the public site loads (or the reverse)

Most likely causes

  1. 01 WordPress siteurl/home options disagree with the URL visitors actually use
  2. 02 Duplicate HTTPS or www canonical rules in host panel, .htaccess, CDN, and plugins
  3. 03 CDN SSL mode (for example Flexible) conflicting with origin Force HTTPS
  4. 04 DNS still pointing at old host that redirects to the new host which redirects back
  5. 05 Stale migration URLs or serialized options still referencing the previous domain
  6. 06 Redirect, SEO, multilingual, or security plugins adding competing rules
  7. 07 Reverse proxy not passing X-Forwarded-Proto so WordPress keeps “upgrading” HTTP
  8. 08 Corrupt or aggressive cookies forcing SSL or login redirects

What changed before the problem started

  • SSL certificate enabled or “Force HTTPS” toggled in multiple places
  • Cloudflare or CDN proxy turned on; SSL/TLS encryption mode changed
  • Domain or hosting migration; DNS A/AAAA or nameserver update
  • WordPress Address / Site Address edited or wp-config URL constants added
  • Redirection, caching, or security plugin installed or updated
  • www ↔ non-www canonical rule added in DNS and server config separately

Troubleshooting steps

  1. 01

    Record the full redirect chain in DevTools

    Open DevTools → Network, disable cache, reload once. List each hop: status code, Location header, scheme, and hostname. Success signal: you can write the repeating pair (for example http→https→http) — that pair is what must be reconciled.

  2. 02

    Clear site cookies and test a private window

    Remove cookies for apex and www hosts, then retry logged out in private mode. If the loop stops until login, a plugin cookie or force-SSL cookie is involved. Success signal: anonymous homepage returns 200 after cookie clear.

  3. 03

    Verify DNS resolves to the intended host

    Run dig or an online DNS checker for A/AAAA/CNAME. If the domain still points at old infrastructure that redirects elsewhere, fix DNS before WordPress. Success signal: public DNS matches the host documented in your migration or SSL email.

  4. 04

    Align WordPress URLs with the public canonical address

    In wp-admin Settings → General, set WordPress Address and Site Address to the same HTTPS URL you want. If admin is trapped, temporarily set WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL in wp-config.php to that URL. Success signal: one canonical URL loads without bouncing.

  5. 05

    Collapse HTTPS and www rules to one layer

    Temporarily disable extra Force SSL plugins. Keep either the host HTTPS redirect or WordPress’s, not both, while testing. Restore default WordPress .htaccess if custom rewrites force scheme changes. Success signal: a single 301 to HTTPS, then 200.

  6. 06

    Check CDN SSL mode and purge redirect caches

    If proxied through Cloudflare or similar, avoid Flexible SSL when the origin already redirects HTTP→HTTPS. Purge CDN and plugin caches after each fix so old 301s are not reused. Success signal: proxied and DNS-only hostnames settle on the same HTTPS URL.

When to stop troubleshooting

Hand off when you cannot edit DNS, CDN SSL mode, wp-config, or server rewrites; when redirect chains still loop after plugin isolation and URL alignment; when checkout or membership flows break under time pressure; or when the domain redirects to a third party you do not control. Provide the redirect chain screenshot, DNS output, and every Force-SSL toggle you changed.

Information to collect before requesting help

  • 01 Exact browser error text or “too many redirects” message
  • 02 DevTools redirect chain in order (scheme, host, path)
  • 03 Whether clearing cookies or private browsing changed behavior
  • 04 Current WordPress siteurl/home or wp-config URL constants
  • 05 DNS A/AAAA/CNAME answers from a public resolver
  • 06 CDN proxy status and SSL/TLS encryption mode
  • 07 Recent SSL, migration, DNS, or redirect-plugin changes
  • 08 Whether wp-admin, homepage, or both loop

How a professional repairs the problem

We capture the redirect chain and DNS context first, eliminate cookie red herrings, then collapse competing HTTPS and www rules across WordPress options, server config, and CDN into one canonical URL. We isolate redirect plugins, correct proxy HTTPS detection when needed, run serialization-safe domain replacements after migrations, purge edge caches, and verify clean 200 responses from both apex and www with an empty cookie jar.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the server ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS guide? +
That guide focuses on the classic browser error and server/proxy loops. This page also covers wrong-domain redirects, DNS pointing at old hosts, and migration leftovers — symptoms users describe as “keeps redirecting” even when the error text varies.
Will clearing cookies permanently fix redirect loops? +
Only if a bad cookie was the sole cause. Conflicting server or WordPress rules will bring the loop back. Use cookie clearing to confirm involvement, then fix URL and redirect configuration.
Why does my site redirect to the old domain after migration? +
Usually DNS still resolves to the old host, or WordPress options and cached redirects still store the previous URL. Fix DNS first, then serialization-safe URL updates and cache purges.
Can DNS alone cause redirect loops? +
Yes, when names point at two different stacks that each redirect toward the other, or when a CNAME chain loops. Confirm authoritative DNS before editing plugins.
Should I disable HTTPS to stop redirects? +
Prefer fixing forward to one correct HTTPS URL. Temporary HTTP tests can help diagnose but should not be the long-term fix — HSTS and browsers may still force HTTPS.
Why does only wp-admin keep redirecting? +
Admin-specific SSL plugins, FORCE_SSL_ADMIN, or login cookies often conflict with front-end rules. Align admin and public URLs and test the WordPress login redirect loop guide.

Repair dispatch

Still Need Help Fixing Your Website?

If you are not comfortable editing website files, changing server settings, repairing a database, or troubleshooting a live website, professional help may prevent additional damage or downtime. We will review the problem before accepting the repair.

  • You will receive a clear explanation of the likely cause.
  • We will tell you if the issue falls outside our repair scope.
  • No additional work will be performed without approval.
  • A backup should be created whenever access and website condition allow it.
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Written by Website Rescue

Last reviewed

Platform note: Full rescue available for WordPress and self-hosted sites. Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Weebly, and similar closed builders have very limited backend access — fixes may not be possible. I will tell you honestly before we start.