The ‘Too Many Redirects’ error is a common issue in WordPress that can arise from plugin conflicts or incorrect settings. Many WordPress users, including our readers, frequently encounter this error.
This error can prevent you from accessing your website, making it challenging to resolve. Fortunately, we have successfully addressed the ‘Too Many Redirects’ issue numerous times, so we have the expertise to guide you through the solution.
In this article, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions to easily resolve the ‘Too Many Redirects’ error in WordPress. We will also explain how to regain access to your site and troubleshoot the underlying causes of the error.
What Causes the ‘Too Many Redirects’ Error in WordPress?
The ‘Too Many Redirects’ error typically results from a misconfigured redirection setup in WordPress.
As you may know, WordPress features an SEO-friendly URL structure that utilizes redirection. Many popular WordPress plugins also leverage this functionality to create temporary redirects, establish permanent 301 redirects, and resolve 404 errors.
If you are using a plugin to address SSL insecure content issues or a caching plugin, it might interfere with redirects and lead to the ‘Too Many Redirects’ error.
This is what the ‘ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS’ message looks like in Google Chrome.
This error does not specify the source of the conflict that is causing the redirect loop in WordPress.
In Firefox, this error appears with the message ‘The page isn’t redirecting properly’.
Now, let’s explore how to resolve the ‘too many redirects’ error in WordPress.
We will guide you through a step-by-step troubleshooting process, how to access your WordPress site, and ways to prevent this error from recurring.
- Clear Your Browser Cookies and Cache
- Deactivate All WordPress Plugins
- Correct WordPress URLs
- Reset Your WordPress .htaccess File
- Preventing the ‘Too Many Redirects’ Error in WordPress
- Video Tutorial
1. Clear Your Browser Cookies and Cache
One common reason for this error could be the cookies stored in your web browser. Try accessing your website using a different browser, such as Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Microsoft Edge.
If you can access your website normally in a different browser, you should clear the cookies and cache in your primary browser.
We have a comprehensive guide on how to clear your browser cache across all major browsers to assist you.
If switching browsers does not resolve the issue, you can proceed to the next step.
2. Disable All WordPress Plugins
The most frequent reason for encountering redirect loops or the ‘ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS’ error in WordPress is a conflict between plugins. A plugin attempting to create a redirect that clashes with the default WordPress redirects can trigger this error.
To resolve this issue, you need to disable all WordPress plugins on your website. Typically, you can do this by navigating to thePlugins » All Pluginspage within the WordPress admin dashboard and deactivating the plugins from there.
However, if you’re facing the redirect error, you might not be able to access the WordPress admin dashboard.
In this scenario, you will need to disable WordPress plugins using an FTP client such as FileZilla or the File Manager available in your WordPress hosting control panel.
Connect to your website using an FTP client and navigate to the/wp-content/directory.
Inside, you will find thepluginsfolder, which you should rename to ‘plugins.deactivate’.
This action will deactivate all WordPress plugins on your site.
Essentially, WordPress searches for a folder namedpluginsto load the plugin files. If it cannot locate the folder, it automatically disables the active plugins stored in the database.
Now, try accessing your WordPress website. If you can log in to the WordPress admin area, it indicates that one of the plugins was responsible for the error.
To identify the problematic plugin, return to your FTP client or File Manager app and rename your plugins.deactivate folder back to ‘plugins’.
Next, navigate to the WordPress admin area of your website and go to the Plugins » All Plugins page. Here, you can activate your plugins one at a time and check your website to see if the error reoccurs.
Once you identify the plugin causing the issue, you can look for an alternative or report the problem in the plugin’s WordPress support forum.
3. Correct WordPress URLs
Another common reason for this error is a misconfiguration in the WordPress URL settings. Typically, you can find these options under the Settings » General page.
For most websites, the URLs in the ‘WordPress Address’ and ‘Site Address’ fields should match. However, some users may mistakenly use ‘www’ in one URL and a non-www version in the other.
If you cannot access the WordPress admin area, you may need to update the WordPress URLs using an FTP client or the File Manager application.
Connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client and navigate to /wp-content/themes/your-theme-folder/.
Locate the functions.php file and open it with a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit.
Next, add the following code at the end of the file:
update_option( 'siteurl', 'https://example.com' );
update_option( 'home', 'https://example.com' );
Make sure to replace ‘https://example.com’ with your actual site URLs. Afterward, save your changes and upload the file back to your website.
Then, visit your website to check if the error has been resolved.
For additional methods, refer to our tutorial on how to easily change WordPress URLs.
4. Reset the WordPress .htaccess File
The .htaccess file is a crucial file used by the web server to handle redirects and other server configurations. WordPress utilizes this file for SEO-friendly URLs and various redirects.
WordPress plugins can sometimes modify your website’s .htaccess file, leading to the ‘Too Many Redirects’ error. Even if you deactivate a plugin, those changes may still remain in your .htaccess file.
In this situation, you will need to manually reset your WordPress .htaccess file.
To do this, access your website using an FTP client or the File Manager tool in your hosting dashboard. Once connected, you will find the .htaccess file located in the root directory of your website.
Important:If you cannot locate your .htaccess file, refer to our guide on how to find the .htaccess file in WordPress.
First, download a copy of your .htaccess file to your computer as a backup. After that, you can safely delete the file from your website.
Now, try visiting your WordPress blog again. If everything functions properly, it indicates that the .htaccess file was responsible for the redirect error.
Since we have deleted the .htaccess file, you will need to recreate it. Typically, your WordPress site can regenerate it automatically. To ensure this happens, navigate toSettings » Permalinksand click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the page.
5. How to Prevent the ‘Too Many Redirects’ Error in WordPress
We hope the steps we’ve provided have resolved the redirect issue on your website. If the problem persists, it may be necessary to reach out to your WordPress hosting provider to check for any server-related issues.
Once the issue is resolved, you should be able to identify its cause.
If a plugin was responsible for the error, please report the issue to the plugin’s support forum. Refer to our guide on how to seek WordPress support. If you’re unable to get assistance, consider finding an alternative plugin that offers similar functionality.
If the error stemmed from a misconfiguration within your WordPress site, take note of it and ensure that your site settings are correctly configured.
For additional tips, check out our comprehensive tutorial on troubleshooting WordPress issues independently like a true WordPress expert.
We hope this article has assisted you in resolving the ‘too many redirects’ error on your website. You may also want to bookmark our ultimate guide to common WordPress errors and learn how to contact WordPress support.
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