Why does the "too many redirects" error show up on my site?

You open your website and instead of a page you get a blunt message: "This page isn't working — it redirected too many times," or ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS. Panic is understandable, especially if everything worked yesterday. The good news: in nearly every case you haven't lost anything. The site is there — the browser just refuses to load it.

The error means one thing: somewhere behind the scenes there's a redirect loop. Address A sends you to B, and B sends you back to A, forever. The browser notices it's going in circles and stops so it doesn't hang. In this article I'll explain where the loop comes from, how to find it, and how to fix it without breaking the rest of your site.

What a redirect loop actually is

A redirect is an instruction: "don't stay here, go somewhere else." That's normal and useful — for example, forcing all traffic from HTTP to HTTPS, or from the non-www version to the www one.

The trouble starts when two rules contradict each other. Picture it: one rule says "always send from www to non-www," while another says "always send from non-www to www." The browser gets stuck on a carousel it can't get off, so it gives up.

Worth remembering: this isn't a server failure or a "hacked" site. It's a rule conflict. That's why it almost always gets fixed in the settings, not by reinstalling the site. Once you identify the two rules fighting each other, the fix is simple.

The number one cause: the HTTPS and www conflict

The most common culprit is the combination of your SSL certificate and your domain rules. It shows up especially after you move a site, add a CDN like Cloudflare, or install a new certificate.

The classic Cloudflare scenario: you set SSL mode to "Flexible," but your server also forces HTTPS. Cloudflare sees an HTTP request, forwards it to the server, the server replies "go to HTTPS," Cloudflare turns it back into HTTP toward the server... and on it goes. The perfect loop.

• Check your SSL mode in Cloudflare: for most modern sites the correct one is "Full" or "Full (strict)," not "Flexible."
• Make sure only one source forces HTTPS, not three at once (server + CDN + plugin).
• Pick a single canonical version: either with www or without. Don't rely on both to redirect to each other.

On WordPress: the wrong address and dueling plugins

On WordPress a very common cause is the "WordPress Address" and "Site Address" pair under Settings → General. If one has www and the other doesn't, or one is HTTP and the other HTTPS, the site sends itself in circles right from load.

The second frequent source is plugins. A security or cache plugin forcing HTTPS, plus a redirect plugin, plus the server rule — three masters for the same decision.

• If you can't reach the admin, edit wp-config.php and temporarily add the lines that pin WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL to the correct, complete address (with https:// and the final form of the domain).
• Disable the cache, security, and redirect plugins one at a time. When the error disappears, you've found the culprit.
• Clear the cache (plugin, server, and browser) after every change — otherwise you'll keep seeing the old loop you already fixed.

How to diagnose quickly, without guessing

Instead of changing things at random, look at where the site actually sends you.

• Open the site in an incognito window. Extensions and your everyday browser's cache can mask or fake the problem.
• Test all four versions of the address: with/without www, on http:// and https://. Usually only one falls into the loop — that tells you exactly which rule is wrong.
• Delete the cookies for that domain. An old session cookie can trigger a redirect that no longer makes sense.
• If you're comfortable with the technical side, an online "redirect checker" shows you the full chain: A → B → C → A. You see in black and white where the circle closes.

Only once you know the exact chain do you touch the configuration. That way you fix it on the first try, without introducing new problems.

How we prevent this on the sites we build

At MPO Web Studio we deliver websites for local businesses across the country, remotely. We prevent redirect loops through discipline, not luck: a single source deciding HTTPS and www, one clear canonical address, and the certificate set up correctly from the start, before launch.

We work with a ready-made demo you see before you pay anything, and we handle the technical settings — SSL, redirects, domain — properly, so you don't wake up to that blank screen one morning. Transparent pricing, no surprises.

If you're stuck with ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS right now and don't want to fight the settings alone, message us on WhatsApp. We'll look together at where the circle closes and tell you honestly whether it's a few-minute fix or something more serious.