Redirect error in Google Search Console: causes and step by step fix

This guide walks you through every cause of a redirect error google search console report, how to trace the exact hop that breaks, and how to fix loops and chains on WordPress and other sites. Redirect errors are one of the few Page indexing reasons that almost always need fixing, because the URL cannot be indexed at all.

What causes a redirect error in Search Console?

A redirect error is caused by one of four problems that Google names on its Page indexing report help page: a redirect chain that was too long, a redirect loop, a redirect URL that eventually exceeded the maximum URL length, or a bad or empty URL in the redirect chain.

Google’s crawlers follow up to 10 redirect hops by default, according to its documentation on HTTP status codes. Past that point the chain counts as too long. In practice, any chain longer than one or two hops is worth flattening, because each extra hop is another place for something to break.

This reference table maps each error type to the causes I meet most often in client work:

How do I find which redirect is broken?

You find the broken redirect by following the URL hop by hop and recording the status code and Location header at each step. Do not rely on the browser address bar, because browsers cache redirects and hide the middle steps.

• Run curl -I -L https://example.com/page/ in a terminal to print every hop and status code.
• Or open browser developer tools, tick “Preserve log” on the Network tab and load the URL in a private window.
• In Search Console, inspect the URL and run Test live URL to see what Googlebot gets right now.

Write the chain down: URL, status, next URL. The broken hop is usually obvious once it is on paper.

How do I fix a redirect error step by step?

You fix a redirect error by making every affected URL go to its final destination in a single permanent redirect that ends on a page returning 200. Follow these steps in order.

1. Export the URLs. In Search Console, open Pages, click “Redirect error” and export the examples.
2. Group by pattern. Sort by folder or domain version (http, www, trailing slash). A few rules usually explain hundreds of URLs.
3. Trace one URL per group with curl or developer tools and note every hop.
4. Decide the final URL. It should be HTTPS, your chosen www or non-www version, and return 200.
5. Remove conflicting rules. Check .htaccess or Nginx config, your redirect plugin, your SEO plugin’s redirect module, your host panel and your CDN. Keep each redirect in one place only.
6. Flatten chains. Edit old redirects so they point directly to the final URL instead of to another redirect.
7. Use permanent server-side redirects. Google’s guide to redirects and Google Search recommends a permanent server-side redirect whenever possible, such as 301 or 308.
8. Update internal links and the sitemap so they point at final URLs, not at redirecting ones.
9. Clear caches on the server, plugin and CDN, then trace the URL again to confirm one hop and a 200.

How do I fix a redirect loop in WordPress?

To fix a redirect loop in WordPress, make sure only one layer forces HTTPS and one canonical host, and that the WordPress Address and Site Address settings match that final URL exactly. Most loops I see on WordPress come from two layers each forcing a different version.

• Settings mismatch. In Settings, then General, both addresses should use the same protocol and host, for example https://www.example.com.
• CDN SSL mode. If a CDN connects to your server over HTTP while your server forces HTTPS, each side keeps redirecting the other. Set the CDN to connect over HTTPS with a valid certificate on the server.
• Duplicate redirect tools. A redirect plugin, an SEO plugin redirect module and .htaccess rules can contradict each other. Pick one.
• Trailing slash rules. A server rule removing slashes while WordPress permalinks add them creates a loop on every post.

If you get locked out of the dashboard by a loop, you can set the two addresses with the WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL constants in wp-config.php, then fix the real cause. Redirect planning is the core of my website redesign service, because most loops start during a migration.

How do I validate the fix in Search Console?

You validate by confirming in URL Inspection that the URL now reaches a working page, then clicking Validate fix on the Redirect error reason. Check one URL from every group first, since validation can fail if a single pattern is still broken.

1. Inspect a fixed URL and run Test live URL. The result should report the page fetch as successful.
2. If the old URL now correctly redirects, it may move to the page with redirect status, which is normal for a redirecting URL.
3. Open “Redirect error” in Pages and click Validate fix. Do not click again until it passes or fails.
4. Expect up to about two weeks, sometimes longer, as Google’s help states.
5. If it fails, open See details, trace the failed URLs and start a new validation once they are fixed.

How long does it take Google to recrawl after fixing redirects?

There is no fixed recrawl time; Google revisits URLs at its own pace, and important, well-linked URLs tend to be revisited sooner than deep or orphaned ones. Requesting indexing for key URLs and submitting an updated sitemap helps Google find the change.

Do not panic if old URLs linger in the report for a few weeks. As long as the live trace shows one clean hop to a 200 page, the report will catch up.

What does a fixed redirect chain look like?

If redirects keep breaking after every change, a technical SEO check of your server, CDN and plugin rules will usually find the conflict quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Facts checked against these official pages. Read how I check facts in my editorial policy.

• Google Search Console Help: Page indexing report
• Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search
• Google Search Central: How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers