Fix the too many redirects error

Solve the “too many redirects” on your site after publishing to your custom domain.

We’re transitioning to a new UI, and are in the process of updating our Webflow University content.

You’ve perfected your design and you’ve just published your site to bestcustomdomain.com. You’re on top of the world! That is, until you visit your site and see an ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error instead of your actual design.

In this lesson, you’ll learn: 

  1. Root domain and subdomain differences
  2. Why the error occurs
  3. How to fix the error
  4. Troubleshooting tips

Root domain and subdomain differences

When you register a website name or domain name, you’re registering a root domain, which does not include www (e.g., bestcustomdomain.com). 

This means you have access to create subdomains all branching from that root domain. One of those subdomains is the www subdomain of your site (e.g., www.bestcustomdomain.com).

Why the error occurs

The “too many redirects” error occurs when your website is set up in a way that keeps redirecting it between different web addresses. When your browser tries to load your site, it goes back and forth between those web addresses in a way that will never complete — a redirect loop.

This is often the result of competing redirects — for instance, between your www subdomain and your root domain (the www and non-www forms of your custom domain URL). 

Your browser protects you from this redirect loop by only allowing a certain number of redirects (usually a maximum of 10) before it gives up and displays the “too many redirects” error message. This message appears differently between Chrome, Safari, and other browsers, but the root cause is the same. 

Google Chrome shows the error: “This page isn’t working. Domain.com redirected you too many times. Try clearing your cookies. ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS”
Google Chrome's error message
Safari shows the error: “Safari can’t open the page. Too many redirects occurred trying to open domain.com. This might occur if you open a page that is redirected to open another page which then is redirected to open the original page.”
Safari's error message

How to fix the error

The default domain on SSL (secure sockets layer) hosting must be served on a domain that has a CNAME record. In most cases, you’ll need to set the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) as the default domain to allow your site to function properly and use SSL.

To fix the too many redirects error and set your www subdomain as your default domain: 

  1. Open Site settings > Publishing tab > Production
  2. Click Make default next to the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) 
  3. Republish your site

If you want to connect only the www subdomain (www.bestcustomdomain.com) or another subdomain to your Webflow site, check out our tutorial on connecting a subdomain.

To redirect traffic to the root domain on SSL hosting, check out our tutorial on setting the root domain as the default

Troubleshooting tips

If you continue to encounter the “too many redirects” error on your site, your browser may be caching an old error message. Try the following when viewing your site:

  1. Clear your browser cache
  2. View your site in incognito mode with browser extensions turned off
  3. View your site on mobile or in a browser you have not yet used to view your site

Please keep in mind that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate in all geolocations as the DNS cache expires, although this typically occurs within a few hours.

If your domain isn’t working correctly after 48 hours, please troubleshoot your DNS settings or contact your domain provider’s help desk. If your DNS settings are correct, but you’re still experiencing issues with your published site, please contact Webflow’s customer support team.

Related articles: 

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