How to Fix WooCommerce Checkout Page Redirecting to Homepage Issue

Introduction

If you run an online store with WooCommerce, the checkout page is one of the most important parts of your business. It’s the final step where customers enter their payment details and confirm their orders. But sometimes, you may run into a frustrating problem: instead of loading properly, the WooCommerce checkout page redirects users back to the homepage.

This issue can cause panic because it directly impacts sales. Customers who can’t check out will likely abandon their carts, costing you revenue and possibly damaging trust in your store. The good news is that this problem is quite common in WordPress and WooCommerce setups, and with the right steps, you can fix it.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through How to Fix WooCommerce Checkout Page Redirecting to Homepage Issue.

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Why Does the WooCommerce Checkout Page Redirect to Homepage?

Before jumping into solutions, it’s important to understand why this happens. A few common culprits include:

• Permalink issues – Incorrect or broken permalink structures in WordPress.
• Outdated WooCommerce or plugins – Compatibility problems between plugins or themes.
• SSL/HTTPS conflicts – Checkout pages usually require secure connections.
• Theme conflicts – A poorly coded or incompatible theme can break checkout functionality.
• Caching problems – Over-aggressive caching or CDN settings might interfere.

Once you know what could be causing the problem, it becomes much easier to apply the right fix.

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Check Your WordPress Permalink Settings

One of the simplest fixes is to reset your permalink structure. WooCommerce relies on clean permalinks to generate the checkout page URL, so broken links can trigger redirection.

Steps to fix this:

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks.
2. Select a structure (like “Post name”) and click Save Changes.
3. Without making changes, hit Save Changes again to refresh the permalink settings.

After this, try reloading your checkout page to see if the issue is resolved.

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Update WooCommerce, Plugins, and Themes

Outdated software often causes conflicts. If your WooCommerce or theme files are not in sync with the latest version, it may result in redirect loops.

• Update WooCommerce to the latest version.
• Update all installed plugins, especially payment gateway ones.
• Update your theme, or switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme like Storefront to see if the problem persists.

If the checkout works with Storefront but not your theme, you’ve found the source of the issue.

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Make Sure SSL and HTTPS Are Configured Correctly

WooCommerce checkout pages require a secure connection. If your SSL certificate isn’t properly configured, customers may be redirected back to the homepage instead of proceeding to checkout.

To fix SSL issues:

• Install and activate the Really Simple SSL plugin.
• Check your site’s WordPress URL under Settings → General and ensure both “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” start with https://.
• Verify that your hosting provider has issued and installed a valid SSL certificate.

This ensures that the checkout process runs smoothly and securely.

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Clear Caching and Disable Conflict Plugins

Sometimes, caching plugins or aggressive CDN settings can interfere with checkout pages. Payment and checkout pages often need to bypass caching.

• Clear your site cache and browser cache.
• Exclude the checkout, cart, and account pages from caching within your caching plugin settings.
• Temporarily disable plugins (except WooCommerce) to check if a plugin conflict is causing the issue.

If the checkout works after disabling a plugin, re-enable them one by one to identify the problematic one.

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Regenerate WooCommerce Pages

If your WooCommerce checkout page is missing or incorrectly set up, it may redirect users to the homepage.

Steps to fix this:

1. Go to WooCommerce → Status → Tools.
2. Find the option Create default WooCommerce pages.
3. Run this tool to regenerate pages like Cart, Checkout, and My Account.
4. Then, go to WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced and check if the correct pages are linked under “Checkout Page.”

This ensures WooCommerce knows where to direct users during the checkout process.

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Test in Debug Mode

If the above fixes don’t work, enable WordPress debug mode to get more insights.

• Add this line to your wp-config.php file: define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
• Reload your checkout page and check for error messages.

These error logs may point you to a missing file, plugin conflict, or theme function that’s breaking the checkout process.

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Conclusion

The WooCommerce checkout page redirecting to homepage issue can be stressful, especially when you’re losing sales because of it. But in most cases, the fix is simple once you identify the cause. Start by checking your permalink settings, updating WooCommerce and plugins, ensuring SSL is properly configured, and clearing cache. If needed, regenerate the checkout page or switch themes to isolate the issue.

By following these steps, you’ll get your checkout process running smoothly again and ensure customers can complete their purchases without interruption. For more troubleshooting tips and WordPress fixes, be sure to explore other helpful guides.