Redirect Loop
A redirect loop is when redirects bounce between URLs, preventing bots and users from reaching content. It breaks crawling and indexing.
Definition
A redirect loop happens when redirect rules cause URLs to redirect back and forth (A→B→A). Browsers and bots stop with an error, making the page unreachable and unindexable.
Why it matters
- Bots can’t fetch content, so indexing fails
- Users can’t access the page, hurting conversions
- Often caused by conflicting canonicalization rules (http/https, www, slashes, locales)
How to implement
- Audit redirect rules and define one canonicalization strategy
- Avoid conflicting redirects across app and CDN layers
- After fixing, update sitemaps and internal links to the final URL
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FAQ
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