Meta refresh
Quick winRemove or disable any `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag that automatically redirects or reloads the page in under 20 hours.
What it is
A `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag is a snippet of HTML code that can be placed in the `<head>` of a web page to automatically reload the current page — or send visitors to a different URL — after a set number of seconds. For example, `<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10">` reloads the page every 10 seconds without the visitor doing anything. WCAG Success Criterion 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable) requires that any such automatic time limit can be turned off, adjusted, or extended by the user — and a silent, instantaneous meta-refresh gives users no such control.
Why it matters
Automatic page refreshes are disorienting and actively harmful for users with cognitive disabilities, motor impairments, screen-reader users, and anyone who reads slowly or uses assistive technology — a sudden reload can interrupt a screen reader mid-sentence, lose a user's place on the page, or clear a partially filled form. This violates WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.2.1 at Level A — the most basic conformance tier — creating legal accessibility risk under laws like the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the Equality Act (UK). Beyond accessibility, Google's crawlers and ranking signals also penalise pages that redirect or refresh unexpectedly, which can suppress your organic search rankings. Removing the tag costs nothing and immediately eliminates all of these risks.
How to fix it
- Identify every page on your store that contains a `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag — check your theme's header template, individual page templates, and any third-party scripts or apps that inject HTML into the `<head>`.
- Decide what the refresh was originally doing: (a) periodically reloading the same page, or (b) redirecting to a different URL after a delay.
- If it was reloading the same page (e.g. to update stock counts or prices), replace this behaviour with a server-side or JavaScript-based solution that does not forcibly reload the page for the user — for example, use JavaScript's `fetch()` API to update only the changed content, or remove the auto-reload entirely if it is not business-critical.
- If it was redirecting to another URL, replace it with a proper server-side HTTP 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirect, which is both more accessible and better for SEO.
- Delete or comment out the `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag from every template or file where it appears.
- Verify the fix by loading the affected pages in a browser, waiting longer than the previous refresh interval, and confirming the page no longer reloads automatically; then re-run your accessibility scanner to confirm the axe `meta-refresh` rule passes.
<!-- REMOVE this tag entirely: -->
<!-- <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10"> -->
<!-- <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page"> -->
<!-- For URL redirects, use a server-side HTTP redirect instead.
In Apache (.htaccess): -->
<!-- Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page -->
<!-- In Nginx: -->
<!-- return 301 https://example.com/new-page; -->Fix it on your platform
Pick your platform for the exact steps.
How to fix meta refresh on Shopify
- In your Shopify Admin, go to Online Store → Themes → click the '…' (Actions) menu next to your active theme → Edit code.
- In the file browser, open 'Layout/theme.liquid' — this is the global template that wraps every page.
- Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search for 'http-equiv' or 'refresh' to locate the tag.
- Delete the entire `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` line.
- Check any other layout files (e.g. 'Layout/password.liquid') and section/snippet files for the same tag.
- If a third-party app injected the tag, go to Online Store → Themes → Edit code and look inside 'Snippets/' or 'Sections/' for app-generated files, or disable/uninstall the responsible app from Apps in the Admin.
- Save all changed files and preview your storefront to confirm no automatic reload occurs.
How to fix meta refresh on WooCommerce
- In your WordPress Admin, go to Appearance → Theme File Editor (or use a child theme and edit files via FTP/SFTP).
- Open your active theme's 'header.php' file and search for 'http-equiv' or 'refresh'.
- Delete the `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` tag if found, then save.
- If it is not in 'header.php', check if a plugin is injecting it: go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and deactivate plugins one at a time while retesting, or search plugin files via FTP for the string 'http-equiv=.refresh'.
- If you need a URL redirect instead, install a plugin such as 'Redirection' (free) and create a proper 301/302 server-side redirect there.
- For live content updates (e.g. stock levels), consult your developer about using WooCommerce's REST API with JavaScript polling rather than a full page refresh.
How to fix meta refresh on BigCommerce
- In your BigCommerce Control Panel, go to Storefront → My Themes → click Customize on your active theme → click 'Edit Theme Files' (Advanced).
- Open 'templates/layout/base.html' (the global wrapper) and search for 'http-equiv' or 'refresh'.
- Delete the `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` line, then save.
- Also check 'templates/pages/' subdirectories for page-level templates that may contain the tag.
- If an injected script or third-party app is responsible, go to Storefront → Script Manager and look for scripts that add a meta-refresh; delete or edit those scripts.
- For URL redirects, use Storefront → 301 Redirects (native BigCommerce feature) instead of meta-refresh.
How to fix meta refresh on Wix
- Wix does not expose direct access to the HTML `<head>` of standard pages, but custom code can be injected via Settings → Custom Code (Wix Business & eCommerce plans) or via Wix Velo.
- Go to Settings → Custom Code and review all code snippets placed in the 'Head' section on any page or site-wide — delete any snippet containing 'http-equiv="refresh"'.
- If you use Wix Velo (Dev Mode), open the code panel and check masterPage.js and any page-specific .js files for programmatic meta-injection; remove or replace any `document.head` manipulation that adds a refresh tag.
- For URL redirects, use Settings → SEO → 301 Redirects (Wix native feature) instead.
- Note: Wix itself does not insert meta-refresh tags; if found, it was added through Custom Code or a third-party Wix App — check Wix App Market installs and review their settings.
How to fix meta refresh on Squarespace
- Squarespace does not allow direct editing of `<head>` HTML on a per-template basis, but custom code can be injected via Website → Pages → (select a page) → Page Settings → Advanced → Page Header Code Injection, or site-wide via Website → Website Tools → Code Injection → Header.
- Check both the site-wide Header injection field and the per-page Advanced Header Code Injection field on every page for any `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` tag and delete it.
- Also review any Developer Mode custom files if your site was built with Squarespace Developer Platform — check the 'site.region' file for head-section meta tags.
- For redirects, use Website → Not Linked → URL Mappings (Squarespace native 301/302 redirect feature) instead of meta-refresh.
How to fix meta refresh on Webflow
- In the Webflow Designer, open your Project Settings (the gear icon or Site Settings in the dashboard).
- Go to the Custom Code tab and check the 'Head Code' field for any `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` tag — delete it if present, then Save.
- Also select individual pages in the Pages panel → click the settings gear next to each page → check the 'Custom Code' → 'Head Code' field for that page.
- If the tag was added to a component or embed element, select that element on the canvas, open its settings panel, and remove it from the HTML Embed code.
- For URL redirects, go to Project Settings → Hosting → 301 Redirects and add a proper redirect there instead.
How to fix meta refresh on Adobe Commerce (Magento)
- Connect to your server via SSH or SFTP and search your active theme directory (app/design/frontend/<Vendor>/<theme>/) for the string 'http-equiv' using: `grep -r 'http-equiv' app/design/frontend/`
- Also search the base Magento layout files: `grep -r 'http-equiv' vendor/magento/` to confirm whether the tag originates from core, a module, or your theme.
- If found in a theme file such as 'Magento_Theme/layout/default_head_blocks.xml' or a '.phtml' template, edit that file to remove the `<meta http-equiv="refresh" ...>` block.
- If a third-party extension is responsible, identify it from the grep results and either configure it to disable the meta-refresh or remove the extension.
- For URL redirects, use Admin → Marketing → SEO & Search → URL Rewrites to create a proper 301 redirect instead.
- After making changes, flush the Magento cache: Admin → System → Cache Management → Flush Magento Cache, then verify the page no longer auto-refreshes.
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Scan my site freeFrequently asked questions
What is Meta refresh?
A `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag is a snippet of HTML code that can be placed in the `<head>` of a web page to automatically reload the current page — or send visitors to a different URL — after a set number of seconds. For example, `<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10">` reloads the page every 10 seconds without the visitor doing anything. WCAG Success Criterion 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable) requires that any such automatic time limit can be turned off, adjusted, or extended by the user — and a silent, instantaneous meta-refresh gives users no such control.
Why does meta refresh matter?
Automatic page refreshes are disorienting and actively harmful for users with cognitive disabilities, motor impairments, screen-reader users, and anyone who reads slowly or uses assistive technology — a sudden reload can interrupt a screen reader mid-sentence, lose a user's place on the page, or clear a partially filled form. This violates WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.2.1 at Level A — the most basic conformance tier — creating legal accessibility risk under laws like the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the Equality Act (UK). Beyond accessibility, Google's crawlers and ranking signals also penalise pages that redirect or refresh unexpectedly, which can suppress your organic search rankings. Removing the tag costs nothing and immediately eliminates all of these risks.
How do I fix meta refresh?
Remove or disable any `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tag that automatically redirects or reloads the page in under 20 hours.
Authoritative references
- How to fix this specific rule — Deque/axe (rule reference)
- WCAG 2 overview — W3C WAI