301 Redirect Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

Few things are more frustrating than setting up a 301 redirect—only to find it doesn’t work. Whether you’re migrating a site, restructuring URLs, or fixing broken links, a failed redirect can hurt SEO, break user experience, and waste traffic.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

✅ Why 301 redirects fail (and how to fix them)
✅ Common mistakes in .htaccess, WordPress, and server configs
✅ How to test redirects properly
✅ Best practices to avoid future issues

What Is a 301 Redirect & Why Does It Matter?

A 301 redirect is a permanent URL redirect that tells search engines and browsers:

🔹 “This page has moved permanently—send traffic to the new location.”

Why It’s Critical for SEO & UX

✔ Preserves SEO rankings (passes ~90% of link equity)
✔ Prevents 404 errors (users land on the right page)
✔ Maintains backlink value (avoids broken links)

But when 301 redirects fail, you risk:
❌ Lost rankings (Google drops the old URL)
❌ Broken user journeys (visitors hit dead ends)
❌ Wasted crawl budget (search engines waste time on dead pages)

7 Reasons Why 301 Redirects Fail (And How to Fix Them)

1️⃣ Incorrect Syntax in .htaccess or Server Config

Problem: A tiny typo can break everything.

Common mistakes:

• Missing http:// or https://
• Wrong path (/old-page vs. /old-page/)
• Using Redirect instead of RedirectMatch

✅ Fix:

apache

# Correct .htaccess syntax (Apache)  
Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page  

# For regex matching:  
RedirectMatch 301 ^/old-path/(.*)$ https://example.com/new-path/$1  

Check:

• Test in incognito mode (bypasses cache)
• Use curl -I http://example.com/old-page to verify HTTP status

2️⃣ Browser or CDN Caching Issues

Problem: Your redirect works—but you can’t see it because of caching.

✅ Fix:
✔ Clear browser cache (or use incognito)
✔ Purge CDN cache (Cloudflare, Varnish, etc.)
✔ Restart web server (if using Nginx/Apache)

Pro Tip:
Use curl or Redirect Checker tools to bypass local caching.

3️⃣ Redirect Loops (A → B → A)

Problem: Infinite loops trigger “Too Many Redirects” errors.

✅ Fix:

1. Audit all redirects (Screaming Frog, Sitebulb)
2. Remove intermediate hops (point directly to final URL)
3. Check WordPress settings (Site Address vs. WordPress Address)

Example:
❌ Bad: /old → /temp → /new
✅ Good: /old → /new

4️⃣ Conflicting Rules in .htaccess

Problem: Multiple rules override each other.

✅ Fix:

• Order matters! Specific rules before general ones.
• Comment out old rules with #
• Test one rule at a time

Example:

apache

# Specific rule first  
Redirect 301 /products/old-product https://example.com/new-product  

# General rule last  
RedirectMatch 301 ^/blog/(.*)$ https://example.com/news/$1  

5️⃣ WordPress or Plugin Conflicts

Problem: Plugins (Yoast, Redirection) override server rules.

✅ Fix:

1. Disable all redirect plugins
2. Check wp-config.php for hardcoded redirects
3. Use server-level redirects if plugins conflict

Pro Tip:
Avoid mixing plugin-based and .htaccess redirects—pick one method.

6️⃣ HTTP/HTTPS or WWW/Non-WWW Conflicts

Problem: Redirect works on http:// but not https://.

✅ Fix:

1. Standardize your domain (pick https://www or https://non-www)
2. Add canonical redirects:

apache

# Force HTTPS + WWW  
RewriteEngine On  
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]  
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC]  
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.example.com/$1 [L,R=301]  

7️⃣ File Permissions or Server Misconfig

Problem: .htaccess is ignored.

✅ Fix:
✔ Check permissions (chmod 644 .htaccess)
✔ Enable mod_rewrite (Apache)
✔ Verify AllowOverride All in Apache config

For Nginx:

nginx

server {  
    listen 80;  
    server_name example.com;  
    return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;  
}  

Best Practices for Bulletproof Redirects

🔹 Test before deploying (use curl, Screaming Frog)
🔹 Avoid long chains (A → B → C → D → Final)
🔹 Update internal links (don’t rely on redirects forever)
🔹 Document changes (keep a redirect log)
🔹 Monitor 404s (Google Search Console)

FAQs: Troubleshooting 301 Redirects

1. Why isn’t my 301 redirect working at all?

• Check syntax errors
• Disable caching (browser, CDN, server)
• Verify server supports .htaccess

2. How do I test a 301 redirect?

bash

curl -I http://example.com/old-url

Look for HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently.

3. Will 301 redirects hurt SEO?

No—if done correctly, they preserve rankings. Avoid chains & loops.

4. Should I use 301 or 302 redirects?

• 301 = Permanent (SEO-safe)
• 302 = Temporary (no SEO value)

Final Thoughts

Most 301 redirect failures come down to:
🔸 Typos in .htaccess
🔸 Caching issues
🔸 Conflicting rules

By testing thoroughly and following best practices, you’ll ensure smooth, SEO-friendly redirects every time.