---
title: "508 Loop Detected — what it means and how to fix it"
description: "The server stopped an operation because it was going round in circles. What causes an HTTP 508, what to try as a visitor, and what to check if it is your own site."
url: https://atoneplace.net/error/508/
site: "At One Place"
---

# HTTP 508 — Loop Detected

**HTTP 508: Loop Detected**

The server stopped an operation because it was going round in circles.

## What 508 actually means

A WebDAV code for infinite recursion. While walking a collection tree the server found a cycle — a folder that ultimately contains itself through a chain of bindings — and aborted rather than looping forever. It is also occasionally used outside WebDAV for redirect loops and recursive include chains, though those more commonly produce a browser-level error instead.

## Common causes

- A WebDAV collection with a binding cycle, found during a `Depth: infinity` traversal
- A symlink loop inside a served directory tree
- Recursive includes or a self-referential configuration
- A redirect loop detected server-side rather than by the browser

## If you're just trying to view the page

1. Nothing — the server detected and stopped a loop in its own data
2. Report it to the site or service owner

## If it's your site

1. Find the cycle: look for symlinks pointing at their own ancestors, or WebDAV bindings forming a loop
2. Track visited resources during traversal and bound the depth as a backstop
3. For redirect loops, map out the rules and look for two that undo each other, such as a www rule and an HTTPS rule fighting

## Reference

- **Status code:** 508
- **Reason phrase:** Loop Detected
- **Category:** 5xx — Server Error
- **Cacheable by default:** No
- **Defined in:** RFC 5842 §7.2

## Common questions

### What does HTTP 508 mean?

The server stopped an operation because it was going round in circles. A WebDAV code for infinite recursion. While walking a collection tree the server found a cycle — a folder that ultimately contains itself through a chain of bindings — and aborted rather than looping forever.

### How do I fix a 508 error?

Nothing — the server detected and stopped a loop in its own data

### Is 508 a client error or a server error?

508 is in the 5xx range, which means server error. The request was acceptable but the server could not fulfil it, so retrying later can succeed.

## Related pages

- [500 Internal Server Error](https://atoneplace.net/error/500/)
- [502 Bad Gateway](https://atoneplace.net/error/502/)
- [503 Service Unavailable](https://atoneplace.net/error/503/)
- [504 Gateway Timeout](https://atoneplace.net/error/504/)
- [524 A Timeout Occurred](https://atoneplace.net/error/524/)
- [521 Web Server Is Down](https://atoneplace.net/error/521/)
- [522 Connection Timed Out](https://atoneplace.net/error/522/)
- [520 Web Server Returned an Unknown Error](https://atoneplace.net/error/520/)
- [525 SSL Handshake Failed](https://atoneplace.net/error/525/)
- [526 Invalid SSL Certificate](https://atoneplace.net/error/526/)
- [530 Origin DNS Error](https://atoneplace.net/error/530/)
- [501 Not Implemented](https://atoneplace.net/error/501/)

## Sources

- Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Status Code Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/http-status-codes/)
- RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics — IETF (https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html)