Redirects not working: How to troubleshoot

Misty Flowers

August 18, 2026 13:20

If Redirects created in Composer are not working as expected on your website, this guide can help you identify the cause and set them up correctly. Use the steps below to troubleshoot wildcard errors, verify your redirect rules, confirm the target URLs, and test the results.

💡Quick answers

Why is my Composer redirect not working or looping? This usually occurs when the source URL is entered incorrectly, browser cache is serving an old page, or a conflicting redirect rule is overriding your settings.
What causes "invalid wildcard" or "malformed request" errors? These errors happen when a redirect rule uses incorrect wildcard syntax, invalid characters, or attempts to redirect restricted system paths like authentication, post-logout, or sync routes.
How do I test if a redirect is working correctly? Clear your browser cache and open the original source URL in a private or incognito window to verify it routes to the intended destination.
How do I set up a redirect for faculty pages in Composer? Go to Redirects in Composer, enter the exact source URL pattern (such as /faculty/) and destination URL, then save and publish your changes.
What is the best way to handle redirects for a large group of faculty members? Organize all source and destination URLs in a spreadsheet or redirect map before creating your rules to avoid duplicate rules and redirect chains.

Issue description

This issue occurs when a redirect rule does not send visitors to the correct destination. In some cases, the redirect may not trigger at all, may apply to the wrong pages, or may conflict with another rule on the site.

Signs

Links load the original page instead of the redirected page.
The redirect works for some users but not others.
A different page than expected appears after the redirect.
The redirect loops back to the same page or another redirect.
You encounter an error screen when navigating to or from the page.

⚠️ Troubleshooting malformed an invalid redirect errors

If you see the error message: "We're sorry, your request was malformed or was unable to be completed," it indicates that the system blocked the redirect rule due to improper syntax or path restrictions.

Common error variations and causes:

invalid wildcard redirect request: The rule uses incorrect wildcard syntax (e.g., misplaced asterisks *), trailing slash mismatches, or an overly broad pattern that creates an infinite loop.
invalid post logout redirect / sync redirect: Occurs when a redirect rule targets or intercepts system-level single sign-on (SSO), identity provider, or logout URLs. System routing paths cannot be overridden by custom Composer redirects.
invalid request: The source or destination path contains unsupported special characters, spaces, or an incomplete protocol (e.g., missing https:// for external links).

Basic troubleshooting steps

Confirm the source URL is entered exactly as it appears on your website.
Ensure wildcard rules follow proper formatting and do not target system paths (like login, logout, or sync paths).
Check that the destination URL is correct and publicly accessible.
Review whether another existing redirect rule is overriding the new rule.
Clear your browser cache and test the redirect in a private or incognito window.
Verify that the redirect type matches your intended behavior (such as permanent 301 vs. temporary 302 redirect).

How to set up redirects

Step 1: Identify the URL pattern

Determine the exact URL structure used for the pages you want to redirect. For example, confirm whether the pages use a common path, a profile slug, or a directory name such as /about/, /academics/, or /directory/.

Step 2: Choose the redirect destination

Select the page where visitors should be sent. This may be a new landing page, a department page, or an updated site section.

Step 3: Create the redirect rule

Navigate to Redirects in Composer, and add a new redirect using the source URL and destination URL.

Step 4: Save and publish the change

Save the redirect rule and publish or deploy your website changes so the redirect becomes active.

Step 5: Test the redirect

Open the original URL in a browser and confirm that it sends visitors to the intended destination. Test multiple URLs if you are using a pattern-based or wildcard redirect.

Tips and best practices

Use one redirect rule per unique URL pattern whenever possible.
Avoid redirect chains (redirecting a page to a page that redirects again), which slow down loading times and trigger browser errors.
Do not attempt to redirect authentication, sync, or logout URLs.
Keep a record of all active redirects for future site maintenance.

Next steps

If redirects still do not work after following these steps, review your website platform documentation or contact your website administrator for help. You may also need to check server-level rules, plugin settings, or custom code that affects routing.