A redirect rule looks correct in isolation but is never reached. A broader rule may match first. Evaluation order is part of the behaviour.
Find the first matching rule
Fictional example: a general rule sends everything under /blog/ to /insights/. A later exception should send /blog/old-series/ to a specific replacement. If the system stops at its first match, the exception never takes effect.
First check the documentation for the actual server or plugin. Rule evaluation differs between systems. Then use an affected URL to establish which rule is producing the response.
Compare a specific old path with a neighbouring path covered only by the broad rule. This helps distinguish an overbroad exception from an ordering problem.
Avoid rearranging every rule immediately
Moving a rule can alter other destinations. Record the intended result for the affected sample paths and verify them in a test environment after the change.
Also check whether the destination matches the same rule again. A correct first redirect can still produce a loop at the next step.
A useful handover includes the source path, matching rule and observed destination. Those details make the evaluation traceable without forcing someone to guess from a long, unsorted configuration file.
Document exceptions clearly
A global redirect can be appropriate while a public archive deliberately remains at its old location. Record the exception’s path, expected behaviour, business reason and responsible person. A review date is not an automatic deletion deadline.
Record which layer implements the exception. A proxy rule cannot help when an upstream platform has already redirected. Check an exception, an ordinary old path and a similarly named path to detect an exception that unintentionally covers a whole directory.
Check the complete mapping for cycles
/old/ → /new/ together with /new/ → /old/ forms a cycle. Follow each destination until no further rule applies. Revisiting an address identifies a loop; impose a fixed step limit on an automated check.
Compare full addresses including hostname, protocol and trailing slash. A cycle-free mapping does not prove cycle-free operation: proxies, frameworks and language logic can add further hops. Check the actual responses in staging as well. Record the smallest circular sequence and first decide which destination should serve content directly.
Related check: Prioritise a redirect mapping.
If rules span several components, the Technology and stack review helps clarify their responsibilities and dependencies.