When a URL redirects back to itself or creates an infinite loop, blocking page access.
Ever feel like you are trying to visit a page on a website, but it just keeps loading forever or gives you an error? It is a common problem, and it can be a nightmare for your website. I am here to talk about something called a redirect loop. I have been in this game for 15 years, and I have seen firsthand how much of a problem this can be. I am going to explain exactly what is a redirect loop and give you some simple, actionable tips to fix it. You will walk away with a clear plan to clean up your website and boost your SEO and site speed.
So, what is a redirect loop? It is when a user or a search engine is sent from one URL to another, and then that second URL sends them back to the first one. For example, a person might try to visit page A, which redirects them to page B, which then redirects them back to page A. This creates an endless loop that the browser cannot handle, and it often results in an error message. A redirect loop is a much bigger problem than a redirect chain because it completely breaks the user experience.
A redirect loop is a major SEO problem because it makes your page completely inaccessible to both users and search engines. A search engine will get stuck in the loop and eventually give up, which can lead to a broken link in the search results. This is a very negative signal to Google and can hurt your rankings a lot. The goal is to always have a direct redirect from one URL to another without a loop.
How a Redirect Loop Impacts Different CMS Platforms
The principles of a redirect loop apply to every website, no matter the CMS. Your platform is just the tool you use to create and manage the redirects. I am going to show you how to think about this with some of the most popular platforms. The goal is to make sure you are not creating a loop that can hurt your SEO.
WordPress
WordPress can be a major source of redirect loops, especially if you have been using it for a while and have changed a lot of URLs. I recommend you use a plugin like Redirection or Yoast SEO to manage your redirects. You should always be careful when you are creating a redirect to make sure you are not sending a user back to a page they have already been on.
Shopify
For Shopify, you can get a redirect loop if you change a product’s URL and then change it back. Shopify has a built-in redirect manager, but you need to be careful. You should always redirect the old URL to the final URL, not to a middle page. This is a great way to handle products that are out of stock or that you have changed the URL for.
Wix
Wix makes it easy to set up a redirect in their SEO settings, but you need to be careful not to create a redirect loop. I would recommend you check your site for any broken links and fix them. You should also check your site with a redirect checker to make sure you do not have any redirect loops.
Webflow
Webflow has a very simple and easy-to-use redirect manager. You can set up a redirect from an old page to a new one in a few clicks. I would also recommend you check a page in Google’s Search Console to make sure the redirect is working correctly and that there are no errors.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you have the most control to manage redirects. You can build a system that automatically creates a redirect when you change a page’s URL. I would also recommend you build in a way to easily check for broken links and a way to redirect them to a new, relevant page.
How a Redirect Loop Applies to Different Industries
The concept of a redirect loop is the same for every business, but the way you use it changes depending on what you do. It is all about making sure you are not losing any of your hard-earned SEO power. I am going to show you how to do this for a few key sectors.
Ecommerce
In ecommerce, a redirect loop can happen when you change the URL of a product a few times. You should always redirect the old URL to the new, final URL. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and guide your customers to a new one.
Local Businesses
For a local business, a redirect loop can happen when you change a service page or a location page a few times. You should redirect the old URL to the new, relevant page. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and not lose any of your local traffic.
SaaS
For a SaaS company, a redirect loop can happen when you change the URL of a blog post or a landing page a few times. You should redirect the old URL to the new, relevant page. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and not lose any of your qualified leads.
Blogs
For a blog, a redirect loop is a perfect example of a major SEO problem. I recommend you go back and check all of your old articles for redirect loops and fix them. This will help your site load faster and get more of your old articles ranking again.
FAQ Section
What is the difference between a redirect loop and a redirect chain?
A redirect loop is a series of redirects that sends a user back to a page they have already been on. A redirect chain is a series of redirects from one URL to another, but it does not send the user back to a page they have already been on. Both are bad for SEO, but a redirect loop is even worse as it can lead to an error page.
How can I check my website for redirect loops?
You can use a few simple tools. Ahrefs and Semrush have site audit tools that can find all the redirect loops on your site. You can also use a free online tool to check a URL’s redirect status to see if it is a direct redirect or if it is part of a loop.
What is “crawl budget” and how does a redirect loop impact it?
Crawl budget is the number of pages a search engine will crawl on your website in a given period of time. A redirect loop wastes your crawl budget because the search engine gets stuck in a loop and eventually gives up. This means the search engine might not crawl all of your important pages.
What happens if I do not fix a redirect loop?
If you do not fix a redirect loop, your page will not be accessible to both users and search engines. This can lead to a broken link in the search results, which is a very negative signal to Google and can hurt your rankings a lot. It is a major SEO problem that should be fixed as soon as you find it.
