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Redirect Errors
Troubleshooting Technical SEO Search Crawling

Redirect Errors

Overview

Redirect errors occur when HTTP redirects send browsers or crawlers to incorrect destinations or cause repeated redirect loops. Redirects are commonly implemented through server rewrite rules or CMS redirect plugins. Incorrect redirect logic prevents crawlers from reaching the intended page.

Common Causes

  • redirect loops created by conflicting rewrite rules
  • redirect chains created during site migrations
  • HTTP → HTTPS redirects combined with CMS canonical redirects
  • outdated redirects pointing to removed pages
  • trailing slash rules conflicting with permalink structure

How the Problem Appears

  • browsers displaying ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS
  • pages continuously reloading without resolving
  • SEO crawlers detecting redirect chains longer than three hops
  • crawl reports showing redirected URLs not resolving

How It Is Diagnosed

  • inspecting HTTP response headers using curl -I
  • tracing redirect chains with an SEO crawler
  • reviewing .htaccess or NGINX rewrite rules
  • auditing CMS redirect plugins

Typical Fix

  • remove redirect loops created by conflicting rules
  • replace redirect chains with a direct 301 redirect
  • correct rewrite rules in server configuration
  • update outdated redirect targets