How to fix the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console

The “Page with redirect” error in Google Search Console shows a page on your website is redirected to a different URL when the user or Googlebot attempts to access the URL. 

This means all the pages listed in the report are not showing in search results. 

Nothing new, right?

At first glance, this error in Google Search Console may not seem like the “nectar of the gods.” 

But after reading through 138 questions in the Search Console Help community and seeing that Stack Exchange saw 278 views on a similar question, I realize there are probably many SEO professionals who would leave their entire life fortunes to solve this issue if they could.   

In the name of very serious SEO needs, I had to investigate. 

How do I fix ‘Page with redirect’ in Google Search Console?

1. Manually review all the pages flagged in the report

First, I manually reviewed all the pages flagged in the Google Search Console “Page with redirect” report. 

To access the report, go to Google Search Console > Pages > and look under the section “Why pages aren’t indexed.”

Once in the report, I look for two things: 

• Is the chart rising?
• Was the last crawl date recent?

If you answered yes, I recommend exporting the data to Google Sheets, Excel, or CSV to analyze further. 

2. Determine if redirects are OK

Once you export the redirect file, you must determine if the redirects are OK. 

Redirects are OK in two scenarios:

• Permanent move: If you permanently move a URL to a new destination, a 301 redirect is ideal to maintain its value. 
• Broken links: If you were fixing a broken link to a relevant webpage, this redirect is OK. 

If you audit all the redirects on this list and decide all the redirects listed are accurate and intentional, you can stop reading. You are done. 

I recommend revisiting this report monthly and doing a deep dive every quarter. 

3. Conduct a sampling of URLs using the Inspect tool

If you want to gut-check yourself, choose a sampling of 10-25 URLs from your export list to test in the Inspect URL tool in Google Search Console. 

When inspecting the URLs, you’re looking to see if the status states, “Page is not indexed: Page with redirect.” 

Also, the user-declared canonical tag should be the URL you created the 301 redirect to. 

4. If redirects are a problem 

There are a few scenarios where redirects become a problem. 

• 302 redirects: If your 302 redirects are truly meant to be temporary (meaning less than a month or so), you can keep them. However, eventually, Google treats 302 redirects as 301 permanent redirects. When this happens, it can negatively impact rankings. 
• Too many redirects: If you notice redirect chains or loops, meaning URL A goes to URL B, then URL C, to get to its final destination of URL D, you will want to go back and create redirects for URL A, B, and C to point to the final destination of URL D. 
• Redirecting vital pages: If you accidentally redirected an important page, remove the redirect to avoid losing visibility in the SERPs. 

5. Audit your XML sitemap

Always remember to double-check your XML sitemap. You want to ensure there are no redirects listed in the XML sitemap. 

If redirects are listed in the XML sitemap, remove them. 

Also, make sure the page you redirected the old URL to is listed in the XML sitemap. 

You can filter submitted and unsubmitted pages from your XML sitemap in Google Search Console.

If you filter by submitted pages and see a list of URLs, you’ll want to remove these URLs from your XML sitemap if the redirect is accurate. 

At the core of your “Page with redirect” error in Google Search Console lies a simple solution: taking a more mindful approach to your redirects and canonical tags. That’s it. 

But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

I run quarterly audits to review all canonical tags and redirect pages to ensure I follow proper protocol and the directives act as I want. 

Plus, it’s a good habit. The fact that you’re adjusting canonical tags and implementing redirects is already a win in my book. 

Even with that solid win, you, like many of us SEO professionals, still have room for improvement. 

There’s nothing to fear with the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console

Let’s be real: I’m not running to worship at the Google Gods alter to fix my “Page with redirect” error report in Google Search Console. 

Nine times out of 10, there’s no action I need to take. However, moments of awe-inspiring glory have shed light on a URL that was not meant to be redirected.  

The “Page with redirect” error report in Google Search Console has become a staple in my monthly SEO checklist routine. 

If you have access to Google Search Console, you’re in the know now. You’re part of a community where holistic, clean, and effective SEO work is gospel. 

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