Capture the loop rather than guessing its cause
Trace the repeated redirect destinations first; the conflicting layer may be the panel, application or proxy.
A redirect loop repeats one or more destinations until the browser stops following them. A DirectAdmin “force redirect” setting, application base URL, .htaccess rule and CDN or reverse proxy can each participate. A common pattern is one layer forcing HTTPS while another believes the request was HTTP and redirects again. Do not disable TLS globally to hide the loop. First save the current redirect and application settings so you can revert one change.
This guide assumes the hostname resolves and the server responds. If www alone does not resolve or presents a certificate warning, fix DNS or TLS using the related guide. Ask whoever controls the proxy and application to join if you cannot inspect those layers.
Trace each hostname and scheme
Test http://example.com/, https://example.com/, and the www variants separately. Use your browser’s network view or a bounded command such as curl -sSI --max-redirs 0 https://example.com/ to record status and Location. Follow the next Location manually for a few hops, keeping the host and scheme visible. Use a harmless page path as well as the root if the application has route-specific rules. A repeated pair such as HTTP to HTTPS then HTTPS to HTTP identifies conflicting scheme policy; www to apex and back identifies conflicting canonical-host policy.
Only collect response headers and public URLs. Do not put authentication tokens in the command line or a support ticket. Cache and cookies can affect application redirects; compare a private browser window or clean request before changing server settings.
For example, an HTTP/HTTPS alternation suggests conflicting redirect settings, but a proxy may also change the observed scheme. Capture the full Location sequence before editing either layer.
Find the layer issuing each Location
Inspect DirectAdmin Domain Setup for a configured force redirect or www policy if the account exposes it. DirectAdmin documents www/non-www force-redirect options. Then inspect the application’s canonical URL and any local rewrite rules in the served path. If a proxy or CDN fronts the origin, compare its edge HTTPS mode and forwarding headers with what the application expects. Identify which layer generated each observed Location; the mere presence of .htaccess does not prove it caused the loop.
If the loop began immediately after one setting changed, restore that setting first. If multiple rules express the same policy, choose one authoritative place with the application owner and make the other layers compatible. A shared-host customer should use account-level controls or ask support; editing generated global virtual-host files can be overwritten and affect other sites.
Change one rule and verify all paths
Make one reversible change, then repeat the four URL tests and check that each path reaches a final 200 or expected application response in a bounded number of hops. Confirm the final hostname has a valid certificate and the page works with and without a fresh session. Check canonical links or application-generated URLs if a CMS keeps sending users to the old scheme.
If a change worsens the loop or breaks a page, restore its saved setting. Give support the short redacted sequence of status and Location headers, starting URL, change time and the layers you can access. Avoid broad permission changes, disabling HTTPS or clearing production caches until you understand the cause.
Common questions
Does clearing browser cookies fix a server loop? It may remove a session-specific redirect, but repeated public Location headers require configuration repair.
Is one HTTPS redirect enough? One clear policy is usually easier to reason about; the final configuration depends on the application and proxy.
Why does only www loop? Compare www host policy, certificate and application canonical URL with the apex.
Sources and technical references
Related guides
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