How to Fix the WordPress ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS Error (Ultimate 2024 Guide)

Has your WordPress site suddenly become inaccessible with an "ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS" error message? You‘re not alone. This common but frustrating issue affects thousands of WordPress sites every day, causing visitors to bounce and damaging search engine rankings.

Research shows that 75% of users will leave a website that takes longer than 4 seconds to load. Redirect loops can make your site effectively unreachable, leading to a poor user experience and potentially costing you customers or readers.

Fortunately, by understanding what causes the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error and following a methodical troubleshooting process, you can resolve it quickly and get your site functioning normally again. In this ultimate guide, we‘ll dive deep into the underlying issues behind redirect loops and provide expert, step-by-step solutions for fixing the error on your WordPress site.

What Causes the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS Error in WordPress?

The ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS notification in your browser is the result of a redirect loop. This happens when a web page gets stuck in an infinite cycle of redirections without ever reaching a final destination.

For example, if Page A redirects to Page B, which redirects back to Page A, the browser will follow this loop continuously until it reaches the maximum number of redirects allowed (usually around 20-50). At that point, it will display the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS message to prevent the loop from consuming resources indefinitely.

There are a few common scenarios that can cause WordPress redirect loops:

1. Incorrect Site URLs: If your WordPress Address (WP_SITEURL) and Site Address (WP_HOME) settings don‘t match the real URL of your site, WordPress may get stuck trying to redirect between them.

2. HTTPS/SSL Misconfigurations: When switching a site from HTTP to HTTPS, improper configuration of SSL certificates, HTTPS redirects, or hard-coded HTTP URLs can create redirect loops.

3. Plugin Conflicts: Plugins that manage redirects or modify URLs can conflict with each other or with WordPress‘ default settings, causing unintended redirect loops. This is especially common with plugins related to SSL, caching, and security.

4. .htaccess Errors: For sites running on Apache servers, the .htaccess file controls many settings including redirects. Incorrect redirect rules or syntax in .htaccess can break WordPress‘ default routing and create loops.

5. DNS or Multisite Issues: Incorrect DNS records pointing to the wrong server or misconfigurations in WordPress Multisite installs can also result in the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error.

Now that we understand the potential causes, let‘s walk through how to diagnose and fix the issue on your WordPress site, starting with the simplest solutions.

Step 1: Clear Your Browser Data

Before making any changes to your WordPress site, it‘s worth ruling out browser-specific issues as the cause of the redirect loop. Outdated browser cache and cookies can sometimes interfere with proper site loading.

To clear browsing data in Chrome:

1. Click the three-dot icon in the top right corner to open the Chrome menu.
2. Go to More tools > Clear browsing data.
3. Select "All time" as the time range.
4. Check the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files."
5. Click the "Clear data" button.

Repeat this process in any other browsers where you see the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS message. Also try opening your site in an incognito or private browsing window to test for issues with browser extensions or cached data.

If clearing browsing data doesn‘t resolve the error, it‘s time to move on to troubleshooting potential issues with your WordPress site itself.

Step 2: Check Your WordPress Site URL Settings

One of the most common causes of redirect loops is having incorrect values for your WordPress Address (WP_SITEURL) and Site Address (WP_HOME). These settings tell WordPress where to find your site‘s files and which URL to use when linking to your pages.

To check your site URL settings:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard (yoursiteurl.com/wp-admin).
2. Go to Settings > General.
3. Confirm that your "WordPress Address (URL)" and "Site Address (URL)" are set to the correct URL for your site. Be sure to include "https://" at the beginning if you have an SSL certificate installed.

4. If you made any changes, click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page.

If you can‘t access your WordPress dashboard due to the redirect issue, you can override your site URL settings by editing your wp-config.php file:

1. Connect to your site via FTP or your hosting control panel‘s file manager.
2. Download a backup copy of your current wp-config.php file.
3. Open wp-config.php for editing and add the following lines anywhere above the line that says "That‘s all, stop editing! Happy publishing":

define(‘WP_HOME‘,‘https://yoursiteurl.com‘);
define(‘WP_SITEURL‘,‘https://yoursiteurl.com‘);

Replace "yoursiteurl.com" with your actual domain name, including "https://" if using SSL.

4. Save the edited wp-config.php file and re-upload it to your server, overwriting the previous version.

After defining your site URLs either in the WordPress settings or the wp-config file, visit your site and check if the redirect error is resolved. If not, continue to the next troubleshooting step.

Step 3: Examine Your HTTPS and SSL Configuration

If you‘ve recently migrated your WordPress site from HTTP to HTTPS, improper configuration of your SSL certificate or HTTPS redirects could be causing the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS issue.

To troubleshoot SSL/HTTPS issues:

1. Verify that your WordPress site URL settings are using "https://" as shown in the previous step.

2. Check that you have a valid SSL certificate installed and configured on your server. You can use an online tool like SSL Shopper to test your certificate installation.

3. If you‘re using a reverse proxy service like Cloudflare, make sure your SSL settings match on both your server and Cloudflare. For example, using Flexible SSL on Cloudflare with no SSL certificate on your origin server can cause redirect loops.

4. Examine your .htaccess file for any custom HTTPS redirect rules that may be interfering with WordPress‘ default redirects. Here‘s an example of a correctly formatted rule to force HTTPS on Apache servers:

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

Place this above the default WordPress rewrite rules in your .htaccess file.

If you‘re still seeing the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error after verifying your SSL setup, there may be an issue with a plugin or your server configuration.

Step 4: Deactivate and Reactivate Your WordPress Plugins

Plugins are a common source of redirect loops, especially those related to caching, SSL, and site optimization. A plugin may be misconfigured or creating conflicts with your site‘s .htaccess file or wp-config settings.

To determine if a plugin is causing the issue:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
3. Check the box next to "Plugin" to select all of your active plugins.
4. From the "Bulk Actions" dropdown, choose "Deactivate" and click "Apply" to disable all plugins.

5. Check if your site loads without the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error now that all plugins are deactivated.

If deactivating plugins fixes the issue, you‘ll need to find the specific plugin causing the redirect loop:

1. Reactivate your plugins one-by-one, checking your site each time.
2. When the error returns, you‘ve found the culprit.
3. Either keep that plugin deactivated or reach out to the plugin developer for support and troubleshooting.

If you can‘t access your admin area to deactivate plugins, you can do so via FTP instead:

1. Connect to your WordPress site‘s server using an FTP client or your host‘s file manager.
2. Navigate to the /wp-content/ directory.
3. Rename the "plugins" folder to something like "plugins-deactivated".

This will deactivate all plugins and let you log in to investigate further. Remember to rename the folder back to "plugins" once you‘re done troubleshooting.

Step 5: Examine Your .htaccess File for Incorrect Redirects

For WordPress sites running on Apache servers, the .htaccess file is used to manage redirects and rewrite rules. Incorrect directives in your .htaccess file can break WordPress‘ default routing and cause the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error.

To check if a problem in your .htaccess file is creating a redirect loop:

1. Connect to your WordPress site via FTP or your host‘s file manager.
2. Download a backup copy of your current .htaccess file.
3. Delete the .htaccess file from your server (don‘t worry, we‘ll regenerate it).
4. Try loading your WordPress site again.

If deleting your .htaccess file fixes the redirect error, you‘ll need to regenerate a fresh copy of the file with the default WordPress rules:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks.
3. Without making any changes, click the "Save Changes" button to regenerate your .htaccess file.
4. Test your site to make sure you don‘t see the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error anymore.

If you had custom redirects in your .htaccess file before deleting it, you‘ll need to add those back one-by-one to determine if any of them are causing the redirect issue. Be sure to test your site each time you add a new rule.

It‘s also worth noting that some WordPress caching and security plugins add their own rules to your .htaccess file. If regenerating your permalinks doesn‘t resolve the issue, try temporarily deactivating those plugins as described in step 4.

Advanced Troubleshooting for Redirect Loops

If you‘ve followed all the steps above and are still seeing the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error, there are a few more advanced troubleshooting techniques to try:

• Debug Plugin Issues: If you suspect a plugin is causing the redirect loop but can‘t identify which one, add the following line to your wp-config.php file to enable debug logging:

define( ‘WP_DEBUG‘, true );
define( ‘WP_DEBUG_LOG‘, true );

This will create a debug.log file in your /wp-content/ directory that may have clues about the source of the redirect issue.

• Check Your Database: Incorrect values in your WordPress database tables could be creating conflicts with your site settings. Use a tool like phpMyAdmin to examine the wp_options table and make sure there aren‘t any strange values for your home URL or site URL.

• Try a Different Server Configuration: If you have access to your server‘s configuration files, try temporarily changing the PHP version or disabling Apache modules like mod_security that may be interfering with redirects. Be sure to keep detailed notes and backups when editing server configurations.

• Reinstall WordPress Core: As a last resort, you can try reinstalling the WordPress core files to rule out any potential corruption or hacking attempts. Remember to keep your wp-config.php file and wp-content directory intact to avoid losing any data.

Preventing Redirect Loops in WordPress

While knowing how to fix the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error is important, it‘s even better to prevent redirect issues from happening in the first place. Here are some best practices for avoiding redirect loops on your WordPress site:

• Always back up your site before making any major changes, including updating plugins or editing .htaccess.
• When migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, use a professional SSL certificate service and follow their documentation carefully.
• Be cautious about installing multiple plugins that modify redirects or rewrite rules to avoid conflicts.
• If you use a caching plugin, clear your site‘s cache after making any changes to your URLs or redirects.
• Limit the number of redirects on your site and avoid redirect chains longer than 2-3 hops.
• Monitor your site regularly for broken links, 404 errors, and other issues that could affect proper redirects.

By taking a proactive approach and following the troubleshooting steps in this guide, you‘ll be able to resolve the dreaded ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error and keep your WordPress site running smoothly. While redirect issues can be frustrating, they don‘t have to be a permanent roadblock.

With patience, attention to detail, and a solid understanding of how WordPress handles redirects, you‘ll be able to implement the right fix and get back to business. By keeping your visitors happy and your site accessible, you‘ll be well on your way to WordPress success.