How to fix the WordPress too many redirects error (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS)

Short answer

The WordPress too many redirects error (your browser usually shows it as ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) happens when your site gets stuck bouncing between two or more addresses: address A sends you to B, B sends you back to A, and the browser never actually reaches the page.

The most common cause is WordPress’s site-address settings not matching your real domain, or HTTPS being enforced at two layers at once, for example a plugin and the server or a CDN both doing it. Worked through in the right order, the WordPress too many redirects error is usually fixed within 10-15 minutes: clear your browser cache first, then rule out the site-address settings, SSL enforcement, and plugin conflicts one at a time.

Why does the WordPress too many redirects error happen?

This error isn’t specific to WordPress, it’s just the standard way a browser says “I can’t get out of this loop.” But on WordPress sites, the list of things that actually cause the WordPress too many redirects error is fairly short in practice:

• The WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) settings not matching your real domain, or a www vs. non-www mismatch
• HTTPS being forced at more than one layer at the same time (a plugin, .htaccess, and a server- or CDN-level rule all redirecting independently)
• A CDN’s SSL/TLS mode, such as Cloudflare’s, not matching your server’s actual certificate state
• An old or corrupted .htaccess file with conflicting redirect rules
• A plugin, especially a security, caching, or “force www” type plugin, repeating a redirect the server is already doing
• A stale redirect record cached by the browser or a server-side cache

What these have in common is that the problem almost always starts right after an SSL certificate setup, a domain change, a hosting migration, or installing a new security plugin. So the first question is still “what changed most recently?” That framing gets you to the fix far faster than changing settings at random.

How to diagnose the redirect loop

Before jumping to fixes, seeing the actual chain the browser follows makes the rest of the work faster. Open your browser’s developer tools (F12), go to the Network tab, and reload the site. You’ll see the 301 or 302 status for each request, and exactly which address it jumps to next. If you have command-line access, you can get the same information with:

curl -I -L https://yoursite.com

If the output flips back and forth between http:// and https://, or between www. and the non-www version, the SSL and site-address steps below are the ones that directly target your problem. If the chain is short and limited to one spot, for example only /wp-admin, the cause is more likely a specific plugin or page rule.

How to fix the WordPress too many redirects error, step by step

Work through the steps below in order, checking the site (ideally in an incognito window) after each one.

1. Clear your browser cookies and cache

Always start here, because browsers aggressively cache redirect responses and especially HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) records. As long as an old redirect record sits in the cache, your browser can send you back into the old loop even after you’ve fixed the problem on the server. Clear cookies and cache, then test in an incognito window or a different device; that separates the real issue from a browser-side false positive.

2. Check your WordPress Address and Site Address settings

This is the single most common cause of the WordPress too many redirects error. If you can reach the dashboard, open Settings → General and confirm that “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” match your real domain exactly, with the same protocol (https://) and no trailing slash. If you can’t reach the dashboard, you can pin the same values in wp-config.php instead:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://yoursite.com' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://yoursite.com' );

When these two values don’t match, WordPress tries to redirect the visitor to the “correct” address, and when the browser sends them back, the loop begins.

3. Make sure HTTPS is only enforced at one layer

A classic cause of the too many redirects error is HTTP-to-HTTPS enforcement happening in more than one place at once: a plugin does it at the PHP level, while .htaccess applies the same rule at the server level, and the two conflict. If you have an “SSL Insecure Content Fixer” or similar plugin, deactivate it temporarily and check your .htaccess file for a block like this:

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Enforcement should happen in exactly one place, either the plugin or the server, never both.

4. Check your SSL mode if you’re behind a CDN or Cloudflare

If your site sits behind a CDN like Cloudflare and the SSL/TLS mode is set to “Flexible,” Cloudflare shows HTTPS to the visitor while connecting to your actual server over plain HTTP. WordPress sees that plain HTTP request and tries to redirect to HTTPS again, and the too many redirects loop never resolves. In the Cloudflare dashboard, switch the SSL/TLS setting to “Full” or, if possible, “Full (strict).” Once you’ve confirmed your server has a valid SSL certificate, this change usually fixes the problem immediately.

5. Regenerate your .htaccess file

If none of the above worked, back up the file and delete it, then open Settings → Permalinks and save without changing anything; WordPress regenerates a standard .htaccess file for you. This is the same step we cover in our WordPress 500 Internal Server Error guide, because both errors frequently trace back to the same corrupted file.

6. Rule out plugin conflicts

Still stuck? Use FTP or a file manager to temporarily rename the wp-content/plugins folder; WordPress treats every plugin as deactivated. If the too many redirects error stops, reactivate plugins one by one, checking the site after each. Whichever plugin brings the loop back is the culprit.

When should you contact your host?

If none of the steps above resolve it, the issue is likely a server-level redirect rule, for example one your hosting panel adds automatically. Write down the exact redirect chain your browser console shows (which address jumps to which) and share it with your hosting provider’s support team; that gets it resolved faster. If you want the basics on how certificates and SSL configuration actually work, our guide on what an SSL certificate is is a good starting point.

Avoiding it next time

The WordPress too many redirects error is largely preventable. Keep SSL enforcement at a single layer, and match your CDN’s SSL mode to your server’s real certificate state if you use one. Double-check the WordPress Address/Site Address settings after any domain or hosting change, and install security plugins one at a time, carefully. For the official reference on how the WordPress Address and Site Address settings actually work, WordPress’s own Changing The Site URL support article is worth bookmarking.

Next step

Worked through in the right order, the WordPress too many redirects error is usually something you can fix yourself with careful changes to your settings. But when the problem keeps coming back at the CDN, SSL certificate, or server configuration level, bringing in professional help is the safer choice for both your time and your data. If you’re weighing up an SSL setup, a hosting migration, or ongoing technical maintenance for a WordPress site, our group company Web Tasarım Ofisi supports WordPress builds and technical troubleshooting.

To talk through your site’s technical setup or a custom software need, take a look at our custom software service or get in touch with Argo Ajans.