Fix WordPress Redirect Loop

“ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS” means your site is redirecting in a circle. The browser gives up after about 20 redirects. This almost always comes down to conflicting HTTPS rules or mismatched WordPress URLs.

Step 1: Clear Your Browser link

Before debugging, rule out a stale cookie problem:

1. Clear cookies for your domain (or use an incognito/private window)
2. Try loading the site again

If it works in incognito, clear your browser’s cookies and cache for the site.

Step 2: Check WordPress URL Settings link

WordPress stores two URLs in the database:

• WordPress Address (URL) - where WordPress files live
• Site Address (URL) - what visitors see

If these don’t match, or if one uses http:// while the other uses https://, you get a redirect loop.

Since you can’t access wp-admin, fix it directly in wp-config.php:

  define('WP_HOME', 'https://yourdomain.com');
define('WP_SITEURL', 'https://yourdomain.com');
  

Add these lines before the “stop editing” comment. Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain.

Step 3: Check .htaccess link

Conflicting redirect rules in .htaccess cause loops. Common scenario: you have an HTTPS redirect in .htaccess AND the cPanel “Force HTTPS” toggle is on. Both try to redirect, creating a loop.

Test by renaming .htaccess:

  mv ~/public_html/.htaccess ~/public_html/.htaccess.bak
  

If the site loads, rebuild .htaccess:

1. Log into wp-admin
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks
3. Click Save Changes (this regenerates .htaccess)

Pick one HTTPS redirect method and stick with it:

• Option A: cPanel toggle (Domains > Force HTTPS Redirect)
• Option B: .htaccess rule
• Not both

Step 4: Check for Plugin Conflicts link

Redirect-related plugins can conflict with each other or with server-level redirects:

• Redirection plugin
• SSL plugins (Really Simple SSL, WP Force SSL)
• Caching plugins with HTTPS settings

Deactivate all plugins via File Manager:

  mv ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins.disabled
  

If the loop stops, rename the folder back and test plugins one by one.

Step 5: Cloudflare or CDN Conflict link

If you’re using Cloudflare in front of GoZen Host:

1. Log into Cloudflare
2. Go to SSL/TLS
3. Set the mode to Full (strict), not Flexible

Flexible SSL means Cloudflare connects to your server over HTTP, but your server redirects HTTP to HTTPS, and Cloudflare redirects back. Infinite loop.

Full (strict) uses HTTPS end-to-end and breaks the loop.

Step 6: Fix via Database (Last Resort) link

If nothing else works, update the URLs directly in the database:

1. Go to cPanel > phpMyAdmin
2. Select your WordPress database
3. Open the wp_options table
4. Find the rows where option_name is siteurl and home
5. Change both option_value fields to https://yourdomain.com
6. Save

What to Do Next link

• Fix SSL Mixed Content - if you see HTTPS warnings after fixing the loop
• SSL Certificates - make sure your SSL setup is clean
• LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress - purge the cache after fixing redirects
• Contact GoZen Support - persistent redirect loops may need server-side investigation