How to Fix Redirect Errors in Google Search Console (Complete SEO Guide 2025)

How to Fix Redirect Errors in Google Search Console (Complete Guide)

If you're managing a website, encountering a Redirect Error in Google Search Console can be frustrating. Not only can it prevent your pages from being indexed properly, but it can also negatively impact your SEO rankings. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into:

• What is a Redirect Error?
• Why Google Search Console shows Redirect Errors
• Common Causes of Redirect Errors
• How to Diagnose and Fix Redirect Errors
• Best Practices to Avoid Future Redirect Issues

What is a Redirect Error?

A Redirect Error occurs when Googlebot tries to crawl your page but is unable to reach the final destination due to problems in the redirection chain. Instead of smoothly redirecting, the process either loops, gets stuck, or exceeds Googlebot’s limits.

Types of Redirect Errors

• Too many redirects (redirect loop)
• Redirect chain too long
• Invalid or broken redirect
• Blocked by robots.txt or noindex tag after redirection
• HTTP to HTTPS misconfiguration

Why Does Google Search Console Show Redirect Errors?

When you submit a URL in Google Search Console, Googlebot attempts to crawl the page. If it encounters redirection problems, Search Console flags it as a redirect error under the "Page Indexing" report. This means Google cannot index the page, and you lose organic visibility for that URL.

Impact of Redirect Errors on SEO

• Loss of organic traffic
• Pages may be excluded from Google’s index
• Lower domain authority if multiple redirects exist
• User experience is impacted (slow load times, 404 errors)

Common Causes of Redirect Errors

Understanding the root causes can help you fix the problem effectively:

1. Misconfigured Server Settings: .htaccess, NGINX or server rules improperly set.
2. Multiple Redirect Chains: Redirecting multiple times (A → B → C → D).
3. Redirect Loops: A redirects to B, but B redirects back to A.
4. Mixed Protocol Issues: HTTP and HTTPS redirection conflicts.
5. Mobile vs Desktop: Device-specific redirects causing loop issues.
6. Expired or Removed URLs: Redirecting to non-existent pages.

How to Diagnose Redirect Errors

Follow these steps to investigate:

1. Check Search Console report: Indexing → Pages → Redirect Error.
2. Use HTTP Status Code Checker to trace redirects.
3. Test using Google's URL Inspection Tool.
4. Check server logs for repeated redirect requests.
5. Use browser dev tools: Inspect → Network tab → Observe redirect chains.

How to Fix Redirect Errors

Depending on the cause, here are the most effective fixes:

1. Simplify Redirect Chains

Ensure that you redirect directly to the final destination without multiple hops.

2. Avoid Redirect Loops

Double-check your server rules, CMS settings, and plugins to ensure that the redirection isn’t sending Googlebot in a loop.

3. Correct HTTP to HTTPS Redirection

Verify your SSL settings to ensure HTTP correctly redirects to HTTPS without conflicts.

4. Server Configuration

Review your .htaccess (Apache), nginx.conf (NGINX), or CDN settings for any conflicting rules.

5. Fix Broken Redirect Targets

Ensure that redirected URLs are active and valid (not 404 or soft 404 pages).

6. Robots.txt and Meta Noindex

Make sure the final redirected page isn't blocked by robots.txt or marked noindex by meta tags.

Best Practices to Avoid Redirect Errors

• Use server-side 301 permanent redirects.
• Keep redirect chains short (preferably one step).
• Monitor Search Console regularly.
• Test new redirects before deployment.
• Use canonical tags correctly.
• Update internal and external links to point to the final URL directly.

Redirect Errors on Blogger Platform

Blogger users can face redirect issues due to:

• Custom domain settings not properly configured.
• Mixed content (HTTP to HTTPS).
• Third-party templates adding conflicting redirect codes.

Make sure your custom domain is correctly connected to Blogger with full HTTPS enabled in Settings → HTTPS → Enable HTTPS Redirect.

Conclusion

Redirect errors in Google Search Console are serious but fixable. A clean redirection structure not only helps Google index your pages properly but also improves user experience and SEO rankings. Use the above methods to audit, fix, and prevent redirect issues permanently.

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