Google Search Console: “Page with redirect” Error Fix

Understanding the Error

You’re seeing “Page with redirect” errors in Google Search Console for https://tserre.github.io/. This is happening because:

1. Your site is correctly configured with custom domain thomas-serre.com
2. GitHub Pages automatically redirects tserre.github.io → thomas-serre.com
3. Google Search Console tracks both domains and flags the redirects as “errors”

Why This Happens

When you set up a custom domain (thomas-serre.com) on GitHub Pages:

• GitHub Pages automatically redirects all tserre.github.io URLs to thomas-serre.com
• These are 301 (permanent) redirects - the correct type for domain migrations
• Google Search Console sees these redirects and reports them as issues
• This is expected behavior - the redirects are intentional and correct!

The Solution

Option 1: Remove tserre.github.io Property (Recommended)

Since you’re using thomas-serre.com as your primary domain, you should focus on that property only:

1. Go to Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console
2. Verify thomas-serre.com is your primary property:
   • Make sure thomas-serre.com is verified and active
   • Check that you’ve submitted the sitemap: https://thomas-serre.com/sitemap.xml
3. Remove or ignore the tserre.github.io property:
   • You can either:
     • Remove it entirely (if you have access)
     • Simply ignore it and focus on thomas-serre.com only

Option 2: Acknowledge Redirects as Intentional

If you want to keep both properties:

1. In Google Search Console, go to the tserre.github.io property
2. For the “Page with redirect” errors:
   • Click on the error
   • Review the affected URLs
   • Understand that these redirects are expected and correct
3. You can dismiss/acknowledge these as intentional redirects
4. Google will eventually understand the redirects are permanent (301) and pass SEO value

Current Configuration Status

All settings are correctly configured:

• _config.yml: url: https://thomas-serre.com
• CNAME file: Points to thomas-serre.com
• Canonical tags: Using https://thomas-serre.com/GOOGLE_SEARCH_CONSOLE_REDIRECT_GUIDE.html → thomas-serre.com
• Sitemap: Lists only thomas-serre.com URLs
• Robots.txt: References thomas-serre.com/sitemap.xml

What You Should Do

Immediate Actions:

1. Focus on thomas-serre.com property in Google Search Console
   • This should be your primary property
   • Submit sitemap: https://thomas-serre.com/sitemap.xml
   • Monitor indexing status for thomas-serre.com
2. Ignore redirect errors for tserre.github.io
   • These redirects are automatic and cannot be disabled
   • They’re the correct 301 redirects for SEO
   • Google will eventually understand they’re intentional
3. Optional: Remove tserre.github.io property
   • If you don’t need to track it separately
   • Simplifies your Search Console dashboard
   • Focus all monitoring on thomas-serre.com

Why Redirects Are Good:

• SEO Value: 301 redirects pass link equity from old domain to new domain
• User Experience: Old bookmarks and links still work
• Domain Authority: Consolidates all traffic and authority to one domain
• Professional: Redirects show proper domain migration

Expected Timeline

• Now: Redirects are working correctly
• 1-2 weeks: Google will recrawl and understand the redirects are intentional
• Ongoing: thomas-serre.com will be indexed and ranked
• Long-term: tserre.github.io redirects will be acknowledged as permanent

Verification Checklist

• thomas-serre.com is verified in Google Search Console
• Sitemap submitted: https://thomas-serre.com/sitemap.xml
• All pages use thomas-serre.com in canonical tags
• Primary property in Search Console is thomas-serre.com
• Understanding that tserre.github.io redirects are expected

Summary

The redirect errors are not actual problems - they’re Google Search Console reporting on expected behavior. Your site is correctly configured. The redirects from tserre.github.io to thomas-serre.com are automatic (GitHub Pages), correct (301 permanent redirects), intentional (custom domain setup), and SEO-friendly (pass link equity).

Focus on monitoring thomas-serre.com in Google Search Console and either remove or ignore the tserre.github.io property. The redirect errors will resolve as Google understands the redirects are permanent and intentional.