---
title: ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: causes and how to fix it
description: When a page keeps redirecting to itself, the browser gives up with 'too many redirects'. Here's why redirect loops happen and the usual culprits behind them.
canonical: https://watchfor.io/blog/too-many-redirects
---

[All posts](/blog) [Performance](/blog/category/performance) Feb 28, 2026 · 3 min read · WatchFor Team

# ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: causes and how to fix it

When a page keeps redirecting to itself, the browser gives up with 'too many redirects'. Here's why redirect loops happen and the usual culprits behind them.

The page won't load. Instead: "This page isn't working — ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS." Your site was fine yesterday, and now it's stuck in some invisible loop. What happened?

You've got a redirect loop — page A sends visitors to B, and B sends them right back to A, forever. After a handful of hops, the browser throws its hands up and stops. Let's find the cycle.

## What's happening

A [redirect](/blog/301-vs-302-redirects) tells the browser "go here instead." A redirect loop is when those instructions form a circle:

A → B → A → B → A → … (browser gives up)

Browsers follow only so many redirects (usually ~20) before bailing with this error, to avoid looping endlessly. So the message really means: "I kept getting redirected and never arrived anywhere."

## The usual culprits

Cause The loop it creates

HTTP ↔ HTTPS misconfig http→https at one layer, https→http at another

WWW ↔ non-WWW example.com → www and www → example.com

Trailing slash rules /page → /page/ and /page/ → /page

CDN + origin both redirecting Each forces a rule the other undoes

Bad app/CMS redirect rule A redirect pointing (directly or indirectly) at itself

Login/auth loop "Not logged in → login → not logged in"

The classic is the HTTPS or WWW one: two layers (say your CDN and your app) each "fix" the URL in opposite directions, bouncing the visitor back and forth.

## How to diagnose it

- Open the network tab. Watch the chain of 301/302s — you'll literally see it ping-pong between two URLs. That's your loop.

- Check each redirect layer. CDN, load balancer, web server, and app can each add redirects. Two of them disagreeing is the usual cause.

- Look at recent changes. A new HTTPS rule, a CDN setting, or a CMS plugin often starts it.

- Check cookies. Auth loops can be cookie-related — a stale or blocked cookie that never lets login "stick."

## How to fix it

- Pick one canonical form and enforce it once. Decide on https + (www or non-www) + a trailing-slash rule, and apply each redirect in one place only — not at every layer.

- Make sure the destination doesn't redirect back. The end of a redirect should return a [200](/blog/http-status-codes-explained), not another redirect.

- Coordinate CDN and origin. If your CDN forces HTTPS, your origin shouldn't also be redirecting in a way that conflicts.

The core fix: redirect loops come from two rules fighting . Find the two layers disagreeing, and let only one of them own the redirect.

## Catch it before users do

A redirect loop takes a page completely offline, and it often appears after an innocuous config change. Because it sits right at the entrance, monitoring your key URLs — and confirming they end on a 200, not an endless redirect — turns a silent, total outage into an instant alert.

## The bottom line

In one line

What A redirect cycle the browser refuses to keep following.

Usual cause Two layers (HTTPS/WWW/slash) redirecting against each other.

Find it The network tab shows the ping-pong chain.

Fix One canonical rule, enforced in one place.

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS looks scary but it's almost always two well-meaning rules in a tug-of-war. Pick one canonical URL form, enforce it once, and make sure the finish line is a real page.

More on redirects: [301 vs 302](/blog/301-vs-302-redirects); watch your URLs with [web monitoring](/docs/monitors/web).

[#web](/blog/tag/web)[#debugging](/blog/tag/debugging)[#seo](/blog/tag/seo)

## Monitor your website & APIs

Continuous HTTP/HTTPS checks with status-code, latency and content assertions — plus instant alerts when something breaks.

[Learn more](/http-monitoring)[Start free](/auth/sign-up)

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Canonical page: https://watchfor.io/blog/too-many-redirects · Site guide: https://watchfor.io/llms.txt