If your WordPress site is not loading, and you see an error stating that your domain has “Redirected you too many times” or is trying to complete “Too Many Redirects”, you are caught in a redirect loop. Below, we’re going to talk about how this might have happened and ways to fix it.
HTTPS Redirection
If you’ve installed an SSL on your site, you can only use it correctly by redirecting your site traffic to the secure “https” protocol:
This URL:
http://example.com
Becomes this URL:
https://example.com
This redirect can be added to the .htaccess file, or you can use a plugin to achieve the same effect.
However, the https redirect can cause a loop if it conflicts with other redirects. Below, we’ve highlighted few ways you can fix that.
Edit the URL in Your Configuration File
It’s possible that your site does not have an SSL installed and is falsely pointing to the https protocol. While we recommend you have an SSL installed, you will need to fix this issue first.
You can change the site url by adding some code to the wp-config.php file.
You will need access to your server to edit this file. The easiest way to get there is to use the cPanel File Manager as demonstrated below:
- Log into cPanel
- Select File Manager under Files
- Go to the document root of your WordPress site
- Select the wp-config.php file and click Edit at the top of the page
- Add this code to the top of the file:
define('WP_HOME','https://example.com'); define('WP_SITEURL','https://example.com');
(Making sure to replace “example.com” with your domain name)
- Save the file
Now your site will be using the http protocol. Make sure to refresh the page.
Editing the URL in the Database
For more advanced users, you may not be willing to change your configuration. In this case, you can also perform the same procedure above in your database.
- Log into cPanel
- Select phpMyAdmin under Databases
- Edit the wp_options table
- Change the values for siteurl and home
Now, we should have achieved the same effect as above, in which your site is using the URL specified in the database.
Disable Plugins
It’s also possible that a plugin is causing the redirect loop. Plugins like Easy HTTPS Redirection and Redirection create redirects for you. However, possible edits made in the .htaccess file can cause conflicts. In this case, you can easily rename or delete plugins from the back end of your site.
- Log into cPanel
- Select File Manager under Files
- Go to the document root of your WordPress site
- Open the wp-content directory
- Rename the plugins directory or open it to find and delete a problematic plugin (if you know which plugin was causing the problem)
Now, you should notice that the redirect error has stopped showing. This means one of your plugins was causing the error. Go through all of the plugins you’re currently using and make sure they are all needed and working properly. It’s always wise to do this kind of “plugin review” on a regular basis.
If Problems Persist…
You can always contact our Live Support team 24/7. They can go through some steps with you to make sure everything on the server is normal and your domain is solid.
This article is too opaque for an ordinary non-technical user. For instance the first step just starts off talking about SSL without giving any insight about what it is. Googling it just takes you to commercials, not tutorials. As a result I had to skip that step. I went on to the other two and accomplished them only with difficulty, as a result of which afterwards I not only could not visit my staging website, I now also could not use Boldgrid because I got redirects there too. This stuff has to be made simpler for ordinary people.