How can I resolve the "page with redirect" error and eliminate alternative versions of my homepage URL in Google Search Console for my Webflow website?
TL;DR
- Use Google Search Console to test homepage URL variants and confirm they 301 redirect to your preferred version.
- In Webflow, set
www.example.comas the default domain under Hosting settings. - Ensure the canonical tag on your homepage matches the preferred URL.
- Avoid mixed internal links—use relative paths or consistent URLs.
- Let Webflow handle redirects by setting the default domain.
- Request reindexing of outdated URLs in Google Search Console.
- Monitor Search Console to confirm the issue resolves over time.
The “Page with redirect” error in Google Search Console typically appears when multiple versions of your homepage URL redirect to each other or to a canonical version. This can hurt your SEO through duplicate content signals and wasted crawl budget.
1. Identify Alternate Versions
- Use Google Search Console's URL Inspection Tool to test possible homepage variants:
- http://example.com
- http://www.example.com
- https://example.com
- https://www.example.com
- Check if they all 301 redirect to a single preferred version.
2. Set Your Webflow Domain Preferences
- Go to your Webflow Project Settings > Hosting tab.
- Under Custom Domains, make sure:
- You have both
www.example.comandexample.comadded. - You set the
wwwversion as the default domain (highly recommended by Webflow for stability and SSL). - Click the "Make default" button next to your preferred domain.
3. Check Canonical Tag
- Webflow automatically adds a canonical tag to each page.
- View your homepage source (in browser, right-click > View Page Source) and search for:
<link rel="canonical" href="...">- Make sure it points to your preferred URL (e.g.,
https://www.example.com/).
4. Eliminate Unlinked Variants
- Make sure you're not internally linking to both
wwwand non-wwwversions in navigation or elsewhere. - Use relative paths (e.g.,
/) instead of full URLs unless absolutely necessary.
5. Force Redirect Using Webflow Settings
- Webflow automatically handles non-www to www redirects when you set the
wwwversion as default. - Check under Project Settings > Hosting to confirm the redirect is active.
6. Request Reindexing in Search Console
- After consolidating to a single domain and fixing redirects:
- Use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console.
- Enter the non-preferred URLs and click Request Indexing to prompt Google to re-crawl and re-evaluate the redirect.
7. Monitor Search Console Over Time
- Within a few weeks, the alternate URLs should drop from the "Page with redirect" section as Google reprocesses your sitemap and crawls.
- Use the Coverage and Page indexing reports to verify progress.
Summary
To resolve the “Page with redirect” error in Webflow, set a canonical homepage version (usually www), ensure all other versions 301 redirect to it using Webflow’s default domain setting, use consistent internal links, and confirm the correct canonical tag. After making changes, reindex in Google Search Console and monitor for clean-up.