Fix Blogger 403 & Redirect Errors: 4 A-Records & 5 SEO Steps
Writer: Exponect.com Team
Introduction: Beyond the
Basics
You
followed the tutorials, added your CNAMEs, and your dashboard says your site is
"live." But a week later, your traffic is still at zero. You open your website (or blog) to check Google
Search Console (GSC) and see frustrating messages like "Redirect
Error" or "Fetch Forbidden (403)."
The
Problem:
Most
guides focus only on the initial setup. They don't guide you through the
"Post-Setup" technical maintenance. This 5-point health check ensures
your blog is not just live, but truly search-ready for 2026.
2. Point
#1: The
Foundation (4 A-Records & Root Redirection)
The most common reason for a 403 Forbidden error or a Redirect Error is a broken connection between your "Root" domain (e.g., exponect.com) and Google’s servers. If you only added 2 CNAMEs, your site only exists for users who type www. If they type your name without it, they hit a dead end.
The Fix:
You must
log into your Domain Registrar (Hostinger, GoDaddy, Namecheap etc.) and add
these 4 Mandatory A-Records pointing to Google’s IPs:
IP 1:
216.239.32.21
IP 2:
216.239.34.21
IP 3:
216.239.36.21
IP 4:
216.239.38.21
You can Verify these
IPs on the official page of Google given below with
reference.
Reference:
Set up a
custom domain - Blogger Help
Direct Link of Reference:
https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/1233387
Pro Tip:
Use @ or
leave the Host field blank for these records. Once added, go to your Blogger
Settings and turn on "Redirect domain" so that exponect.com
automatically sends users to www.exponect.com.
The Fix:
You must
point your domain to Google’s 4 specific IP addresses.
3. Point
#2: The HTTPS "Availability" Sync
Many
bloggers rush to turn on HTTPS Redirect immediately after adding a domain.
The
Technical Trap:
When you
add a custom domain, Google needs time to generate an SSL certificate. If you
toggle "HTTPS Redirect" while the status is still
"Pending," you create an infinite redirect loop. The browser keeps
looking for a secure certificate that hasn't been issued yet, making your site
appear "Down."
Technical Note:
Google explains how faulty redirects block their crawlers from indexing
your content here: Google Search Central: Fix Redirect Errors."
Source:
Ask
Google to Recrawl Your Website | Google Search Central |
Documentation | Google for Developers
The Fix:
Go to
Settings > HTTPS. Verify that HTTPS Availability says "Available."
Only then should you toggle HTTPS Redirect to ON.
4. Point
#3: The Robots.txt "Crawl-Block" Mystery
Have you
seen "Discovered - currently not indexed" in your GSC? Your
robots.txt might be the criminal.
The
Technical Trap:
Many
outdated SEO tutorials tell you to copy-paste a custom code that includes
Disallow: /search/. On Blogger, your Labels and Mobile views often live under
this path. By blocking it, you accidentally tell Google to ignore 40% of your
website.
The Fix:
Blogger’s
default robots.txt is already optimized. Unless you are an expert, go to
Settings > Crawlers and indexing and turn off "Enable custom
robots.txt." Let Google crawl your labels—they help your internal linking!
5. Point
#4: The Core Web Vitals (Image Format Trap)
Google’s
ranking algorithm now focuses heavily on Core Web Vitals, specifically the
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
The
Technical Trap:
Standard
PNG and JPG files are too heavy for mobile users. A single 2MB image can
destroy your rankings even if your writing is perfect.
The Fix:
1.
Convert all images to WebP format (it’s 30% smaller than JPG). 2. Ensure Lazy
Loading is active in your theme HTML so images only load as the user scrolls
down.
6. Point
#5: The Mobile Duplicate Content (?m=1) Fix
Blogger
automatically creates two versions of every post: one for desktop and one for
mobile (which ends in ?m=1).
The
Technical Trap:
Without
a Canonical Tag, Google sees these as two identical articles. This is flagged
as "Duplicate Content," and Google may refuse to index your post
because it doesn't know which version is the "original."
The Fix:
Check
your theme's HTML. Ensure the following tag exists within the <head>
section: <link rel='canonical' expr:href='data:blog.url'/> This tells
Google: "These two URLs are the same post, please index the main
one."
Final
Word: Closing the Technical Gap
Many
tutorials focus only on the easiest path to get you started quickly. However, a
stable blog requires addressing these post-setup requirements. This guide
exists to fill those technical gaps that often go unaddressed, so beginners can
build stable, search-ready blogs without falling into the "Zero
Traffic" trap.
Success
isn't just about writing; it's about ensuring Google can actually reach what
you've written.
Conclusion:
Achieving Long-Term Search Visibility
Fixing
the Blogger 403 Forbidden and Redirect Errors is more than just a technical
chore; it is the heartbeat of a website’s SEO strategy. By implementing the 4 A-Records and the 5
SEO steps outlined in this guide, you have moved beyond the "beginner
traps" that stop most bloggers before they even start.
Why this
matters for SEO:
Stability:
Your
site is now accessible to 100% of users, whether they type www or not.
Speed:
By
optimizing images and fixing redirect loops, you are meeting Google’s strict
Core Web Vitals requirements.
Indexing:
By
resetting your robots.txt and adding Canonical tags, you have cleared the path
for Googlebot to crawl and index your content without confusion.
Don't
let technical oversights hold back your creative work. A stable, fast, and
error-free foundation is the only way to turn your writing into ranking.
What’s
your status? Did these steps fix your "Redirect Error" in Search
Console? If you’re still seeing a "Pending" status on your HTTPS,
leave a comment below with your domain provider name, and I’ll help you troubleshoot
the sync time!