How to fix err_too_many_redirects in WordPress

If you see the err_too_many_redirects error on your WordPress site, don’t panic! It just means that your website is in an infinite loop of redirection. While this error sounds scary, it’s not that hard to fix. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to do it. Let’s take a look!

What Is err_too_many_redirects?

err_too_many_redirects happens when a browser can’t connect to the correct server of your website. In other words, the browser goes back and forth through URLs and severs, trying to figure out the location of your website and hence, sends it into a loop of redirects.

This error can happen due to quite a few reasons, from the browser itself to misconfiguration in your website settings, or corrupted plugins, it’s almost impossible to know what to do right away when this error pops out.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to try and fix this error, and we’ll cover everything one by one!

How to Fix err_too_many_redirects?

You can try every method below until one fixes the error.

Method 1. Deleting Browser Data

Browser data can sometimes store corrupted or outdated cookies and cache, which may cause the err_too_many_redirects error. So, before making changes to your site, it’s wise to check if it’s not just your browser causing the error by deleting its data history.

To do that, follow these simple steps:

On Chrome, simply go to the three small dots on the upper right menu bar of the brow, press Settings. Scroll down and click on Advanced, then Clear Browsing Data.

On Mozilla, head to the upper right menu button, select Options. Choose Privacy and Security, then Clear Data.

On Safari, locate History in the top menu bar, then select Clear History. Doing this will automatically delete cookies and browsing data.

Method 2. Checking Your URL settings

If clearing your browsing data doesn’t fix the problem, check if your WordPress URL settings are configured correctly.

You can do it through the WordPress dashboard or manually:

Checking and Changing URL settings Manually

When your website is experiencing this error, you probably can’t enter the admin area of your WordPress installation. In that case, you may change the URL settings with the help of your wp-config.php file.

You can edit the file either through your File Manager or an FTP client like FileZilla. In this example, we will show you how to edit the file via Hostinger’s File Manager:

1. Login to hPanel and head to File Manager under Files.
2. In the public_html directory, find your wp-config.php file and right-click to Edit.
3. Add the following lines to the file:

   define('WP_HOME','http://example.com');
   define('WP_SITEURL','http://example.com');

4. Save your changes, and that’s it! Visit your website to check whether the URL change fixed the error.

As an alternative, you can also edit URL settings via your database. You can find a great and easy guide on how to do that here.

Checking and Changing URL Settings via Administrator Dashboard

If you somehow manage to login to your WordPress dashboard, then follow these steps to review and change your URL settings from the admin area:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings.
2. Once the General Settings page appears, check your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL).
3. Make sure the URLs you see are configured correctly.
4. If you edit anything, make sure to your Save Changes, and that’s it!

Method 3. Deleting WordPress Cache

In some cases, the err_too_many_redirects error happens because of the WordPress cache.

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard and head to Plugins -> Add New
2. Search WP Fastest Cache in the search bar and Install Now -> Activate the plugin.
3. Scroll down on the WordPress dashboard and find  WP Fastest Cache under Settings.
4. Pick Delete Cache in the upper menu bar and choose which option suits your needs.
5. And that’s it! If all goes right, you’ll get an “All cache files have been deleted” message at the top of the page.

Method 4. Disabling Corrupted Plugins

Another reason that may cause err_too_many_redirects is a corrupted/outdated plugin. To see if it’s the source of the problem, disable all of your plugins by manually editing its folder.

You can do so through your hosting providers’ File Manager or an FTP client. Follow these steps to disable your plugins manually using FileZilla FTP client.

1. Connect your hosting provider to FileZilla.
2. Login to your FileZilla, and head to Remote Site.
3. Go to wp_content and locate the Plugins folder — right-click to Rename.
4. Rename the folder to plugins_disabled and try to access your website. If the error is gone, then one or more plugins are corrupted/outdated.
5. Rename the folder back to Plugins and remove your plugins one by one to check which one is causing the error. We recommend starting with the most recent one.

If disabling the plugins folder doesn’t fix the problem, you can try a more drastic option below.

Method 5. Disabling .htaccess File

Another possibility is that some setting in your .htaccess file is making your website go into a loop of redirection. If that’s the case, you can disable your .htaccess file to regain access to your site.

1. Access the File Manager via your hosting control panel.
2. Locate your .htaccess file, if you can’t find it, use this tutorial for guidance.
3. Right-click to Rename the file, .htaccess_disabled, for example.
4. Now check if your website loads.

If it works, check the .htaccess file’s configuration by right-clicking on the file and Edit. It should look like the default .htaccess configuration. If it’s not, delete the content from the file and paste these default rules instead:

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

Rename the file back to .htaccess, and that’s it! If misconfigurations in the .htaccess file are causing the error, this method should fix the problem.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you’ve learned five methods to fix the err_too_many_redirects error on your WordPress site. Here’s a quick recap of the methods:

• Deleting browsing data
• Checking and editing URL settings from the WordPress dashboard and manually.
• Deleting WordPress cache with a plugin
• Disabling faulty plugins through an FTP client
• Disabling and editing .htaccess file via File Manager

Pretty easy, right? If you have other methods you want to share, or if you have any questions, do drop us a comment. Good luck!