If you have a Blogger site and notice Page Redirect Errors in Google Search Console (GSC), you’re not alone. These errors often cause concern, but in most cases, they are not actually an issue—they simply reflect how Blogger handles mobile traffic.
This article explains why these redirect errors occur, how Google processes them, and what actions (if any) you should take.
Why Do Blogger Sites Show Redirect Errors in Search Console?
Blogger uses separate URLs to serve mobile-friendly pages instead of responsive design. When a mobile user visits your blog, Blogger automatically redirects them to a URL with ?m=1 added at the end.
For example:
rubyCopyEdithttps://example.blogspot.com → https://example.blogspot.com/?m=1
This happens on both blogspot.com subdomains and custom domains using Blogger.
Since Google primarily crawls websites as a mobile user, it detects these redirects and logs them in the Page Redirect report in Search Console. While this may look like a problem, it is normal behavior for Blogger and does not impact your site’s ranking or indexing.
Does This Affect My Site’s SEO?
1. No Negative Impact on Search Rankings
Blogger automatically includes:
✔ Correct canonical tags pointing to the desktop version (without ?m=1).
✔ Vary headers and alternate markup to indicate the relationship between mobile and desktop pages.
Google sees these signals and treats the desktop URL as the canonical version—which means your original blog post URL remains the primary indexed version.
2. Why Does Google Search Console Flag This as an Issue?
Even though these redirects are normal, Google logs them in Search Console because, on other websites, redirects could indicate a misconfiguration. The system simply reports what it finds but doesn’t necessarily mean an issue exists.
If you’re seeing redirect errors in GSC related to ?m=1, you can safely ignore them.
What Should You Do About These Redirect Errors?
✅ Nothing—This is Expected Behavior
If your Blogger site is configured correctly, you don’t need to take any action.
- Over time, when Google crawls your site using a desktop user agent, it will recognize the desktop URLs as the canonical versions.
- Even if some
?m=1URLs are indexed, users searching on desktop will be redirected to the correct version.
✅ Use the URL Inspection Tool Correctly
When testing URLs in Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool, use the mobile version (?m=1) since Google predominantly crawls as a mobile user.
What Should You Avoid?
❌ Do Not Block ?m=1 URLs in Robots.txt
Some site owners try to block these URLs using robots.txt, thinking it will prevent indexing issues. However, doing this can break Google’s understanding of mobile/desktop page relationships, leading to:
- Loss of mobile indexing signals.
- Potential ranking issues in mobile search results.
❌ Do Not Use noindex on ?m=1 Pages
Adding a noindex meta tag on ?m=1 pages prevents Google from processing the connection between mobile and desktop versions, which can result in incorrect indexing decisions.
What If the Redirects Are Not for ?m=1?
If you are seeing Page Redirect Errors in Search Console, but the redirects are not related to ?m=1, this could indicate an actual issue.
How to Troubleshoot Non-?m=1 Redirect Errors:
- Check your site’s redirect settings – Ensure no unintended redirections are set in Blogger or domain settings.
- Test affected URLs using GSC’s URL Inspection Tool – Identify where the redirects are pointing.
- Ask for help in Google’s Support Forums – If you’re unsure, open a thread in the Google Search Console Help Community and provide example URLs.
What If “Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag” Appears in GSC?
If your ?m=1 URLs are flagged under “Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag”, it means:
- Google accessed the mobile version (
?m=1) during a crawl. - It correctly recognized the desktop version as the canonical page.
This is not an error—it simply means Google has properly processed the mobile/desktop relationship. No action is needed.
What If ?m=1 URLs Are Getting Indexed?
Occasionally, Google may index ?m=1 versions of your pages instead of the desktop URLs.
Is This a Problem?
Usually, no. This situation often happens temporarily while Google is still processing canonicalization. Over time, Google will typically choose the desktop version as the primary indexed URL.
How to Check if Canonicalization is Working Correctly?
- Use Google’s URL Inspection Tool in GSC to confirm that:
✔ The canonical tag is present and points to the desktop URL.
✔ Google acknowledges the canonical page correctly.
What If the rel=canonical Tag is Missing?
If ?m=1 pages are being indexed more than expected, double-check your site’s settings:
- Ensure the rel=canonical tag is correctly placed on each page.
- If using a custom Blogger template, verify that you haven’t accidentally removed the canonical tag.
Final Thoughts
If you’re seeing Page Redirect Errors in Google Search Console on your Blogger site, it is likely just a reflection of how Blogger handles mobile traffic rather than an actual problem.
Key Takeaways:
✅ The ?m=1 redirects are normal and don’t harm rankings.
✅ Google correctly processes Blogger’s mobile/desktop setup over time.
✅ Use the URL Inspection Tool to verify canonicalization.
✅ Avoid blocking ?m=1 URLs in robots.txt or using noindex.
For most Blogger site owners, the best approach is to do nothing and allow Google to process the pages naturally. However, if you’re seeing redirects that aren’t related to ?m=1, a deeper investigation may be needed.
