If you've landed on this screen:

"Please wait while your request is being verified and then redirected…"

…and nothing happens — just a stuck screen in an endless loop — you're not alone.

I ran into this exact issue on my own site. At first, I had no idea what triggered it. But after fixing it, I did some searching and found out a lot of people have faced the same thing… and most are left guessing.

So here's exactly what worked for me, what caused it in my case, and a full checklist in case you're still troubleshooting.

Quick fix (what worked for me)

Let's jump right into the steps that fixed it for me instantly.

Step 1: Purge Cloudflare Cache

Go to your Cloudflare dashboard:
Caching → Configuration → Purge Everything
This clears cached versions of scripts, HTML, redirects — basically anything that might be stuck in a loop.

Step 2: Hard reload in your browser

In Chrome:

• Press F12 or right-click and choose Inspect to open DevTools
• Right-click the browser's reload button
• Click "Empty Cache and Hard Reload"

This forces your browser to grab fresh content from the server instead of using outdated cached files.

Result: The issue was gone

As soon as I did this, the verification screen disappeared and the site loaded normally.

What caused it (in my case)

Earlier, I had created a redirect rule in Cloudflare — but I made a mistake in how it was set up. I noticed the issue almost immediately and removed the rule within minutes.

But here's what I didn't realize: someone (maybe even me) landed on the site during that brief window when the bad rule was active. And Cloudflare cached that broken redirect + verification challenge combo.

So even after fixing the rule, Cloudflare kept serving the cached version — which triggered the stuck "please wait" screen every time the page loaded.

I ran into it, solved it — Then realized it's a common problem

After resolving the issue, I searched around out of curiosity — and came across threads like this one on the Cloudflare Community.

Turns out, a lot of people have run into this exact same situation. But in most cases, there's no clear fix offered. That's why I wanted to share what actually worked in my case — in case it helps someone else skip hours of guesswork.

Full troubleshooting checklist

If the two quick steps above don't do the trick, try walking through this list:

Cache & Reload

• Purge all files from Cloudflare's cache
• Use Empty Cache and Hard Reload in your browser
• Test in Incognito Mode or a different browser/device

Check Redirect Rules

• Make sure there are no infinite redirect loops or bad redirect rules
• If you recently removed or fixed a rule, purge cache immediately
• Avoid redirects that point back to the same path or loop between pages

Cloudflare Security Settings

• Disable Bot Fight Mode temporarily under Security → Bots
• Lower the Security Level to "Essentially Off" while testing
• Enable Development Mode to bypass Cloudflare caching during debugging

Deeper Debugging

• Use Chrome DevTools → Network tab to inspect redirects and script loads
• Look for signs of looping requests or failed challenges
• Enable "Disable cache" in DevTools while testing

Bypass Cloudflare for Testing

• Temporarily Pause Cloudflare via Overview → Advanced → Pause Site
• Or edit your system's hosts file to map the domain to your origin IP

Tips to prevent it from happening again

• Be careful with live redirect rules — test in a safe subpath when possible
• After removing any rule, purge the cache immediately
• Avoid testing risky changes on your main domain during peak traffic
• Keep Development Mode on while you experiment, to avoid caching headaches

Final Thoughts

It's wild how something as simple as a redirect rule — even one that only exists for a minute — can lead to a persistent issue like this.

In my case, it was all about timing: someone hit the site while the broken rule was live, and that version got cached. That's what caused the stuck verification screen.

But once I cleared the cache and hard-reloaded the browser, the issue was completely resolved.

If this helped you out, feel free to share or comment — and if you've got other ways you've solved similar issues, I'd love to hear those too.