Setting up the right URL structure is one of the primary steps when launching a new website. Deciding whether to include "www" in your site's URL might seem trivial, but it can have implications for SEO and brand consistency. For WordPress sites, establishing "www" as your default URL can enhance user experience and contribute to your online presence's uniformity.
WordPress Settings
In the WordPress admin area, under General Settings, there are two crucial fields: WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL). Ensure both are set to use "www." This consistency guarantees that your site is always accessed with "www," which is vital for maintaining consistency and for search engine indexing.
Editing the wp-config.php File
If you cannot access the WordPress admin area for some reason, you can set these values directly in the wp-config.php file, located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Right before the comment that says "/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */", add the following lines:
define('WP_HOME','https://www.yourdomain.com');
define('WP_SITEURL','https://www.yourdomain.com');This forces WordPress to use the "www" version of your URL.
Simplifying the .htaccess File
The .htaccess file is an Apache configuration file commonly used to implement redirection rules in WordPress. Ensure there are no conflicting rules and simplify your .htaccess with the following basic redirect rules:
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^$
RewriteRule ^ https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>These rules redirect all non-www traffic to the www version and all HTTP traffic to HTTPS without causing a redirect loop.
Checking for Plugin Conflicts
Security or redirection plugins might create additional redirects that conflict with your .htaccess file. If you encounter issues, try disabling all plugins to see if that resolves the problem. If it does, reactivate them one by one to identify the offender.
Contacting Your Hosting Provider
If you're still facing issues after trying the steps above, reach out to your hosting provider. There might be settings in the hosting configuration that are causing the redirect loop.
Try Accessing with Different Devices
Sometimes, the redirect loop might be cached by your local network, or the issue could be isolated to your device. Try accessing the site from a different device or network to see if the issue persists.
Carefully apply these steps, and after each change, check to see if the issue has been resolved. If not, proceed to the next step. Always ensure you back up your .htaccess file before making changes so you can revert to the previous state if necessary.