Cloudflare Too Many Redirects Checklist for WordPress
Too many redirects usually means the browser is trapped in a redirect loop. With WordPress and Cloudflare, this often happens when Cloudflare SSL mode, WordPress site URL, Nginx redirects and HTTPS settings conflict with each other.
Common causes
- Cloudflare SSL mode is set incorrectly.
- WordPress Address and Site Address use the wrong scheme.
- Nginx redirects HTTP to HTTPS while Cloudflare also redirects.
- Really Simple SSL or another plugin conflicts with server redirects.
- www and non-www redirects conflict.
Checklist
- Check Cloudflare SSL/TLS mode.
- Prefer Full or Full Strict if origin SSL is installed.
- Check WordPress Address and Site Address.
- Check Nginx redirect rules.
- Check www to non-www or non-www to www redirects.
- Disable duplicate SSL redirect plugin if server handles HTTPS.
- Clear Cloudflare cache.
- Clear WordPress cache.
- Test in incognito browser.
- Check redirect chain with a redirect checker if needed.
Final check
There should be only one clean redirect path. For example, HTTP non-www should redirect to HTTPS non-www once, not loop between Cloudflare, Nginx and WordPress.
Estimated Time
20–45 minutes
Use Case
Use this checklist when a WordPress site behind Cloudflare shows too many redirects or redirect loop errors.
Common Mistakes
- Using Flexible SSL with HTTPS redirect on origin.
- Mixing plugin redirects and Nginx redirects.
- Changing www and HTTPS at the same time.
- Forgetting to clear cache.
- Not checking WordPress Site Address.
Related Commands
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
curl -I http://example.com
curl -I https://example.com