Compare Items
Please, add items to this compare group or choose not empty group
Invalid URL – How To Fix Invalid URL Issues on Chrome?
By Crumb Peter
March 5, 2021
Website Security

Invalid URL – How To Fix Invalid URL Issues on Chrome?

Last updated: Oct 25, 2025

The “Invalid URL” error in Google Chrome appears when the browser cannot interpret or verify the address being entered or visited. This usually happens when the URL is formatted incorrectly, uses the wrong protocol (http/https), contains unsupported characters, or points to a page that no longer exists or is misconfigured.

Unlike connection-based errors, this issue occurs before the browser even attempts to load the page — meaning Chrome is unable to treat the text as a valid web address.

This error is becoming more common today due to:

  • Faulty copy-paste links (from apps, chat tools, emails)

  • Redirect mistakes after site migration

  • Missing https:// or incorrect domain formatting

  • Extra characters or tracking parameters breaking the link

  • Security filters blocking malformed URLs

In this guide, we’ll explain what an Invalid URL means, why Chrome shows this message, and how you can fix it step-by-step whether you’re a regular user or a site owner.

Invalid URL

What is an Invalid URL?

An Invalid URL error in Google Chrome appears when the browser cannot interpret the address entered or clicked as a valid, reachable web location. It means the browser is unable to translate the typed link into a proper web request — either because the format is incorrect, the domain doesn’t exist, or the URL is malformed.

Put simply:

An Invalid URL is a web address Chrome cannot understand, resolve, or navigate to because it is broken, incomplete, misformatted, or points to a page that no longer exists.

This is different from a 404 Not Found error.
A 404 means the server exists but the page is missing.
An Invalid URL means the address itself is not valid or cannot be resolved.

Why Chrome Shows “Invalid URL”

The error is triggered when Chrome detects one of the following:

Cause Explanation
URL syntax is incorrect Missing characters, unsupported symbols, or wrong structure
The domain name does not exist DNS cannot find the target host
Protocol is missing (http/https) Chrome can’t determine how to reach the page
Space or illegal characters in URL Breaks the parsing of the link
URL is incomplete Truncated or partially copied link
Faulty redirect URL points to another invalid or broken destination
Access restricted Some URLs block public access or require authentication

Common Real-World Scenarios

  1. Typos or Copy-Paste Errors
    Extra slashes, missing dots, or trailing characters can make the URL invalid.
    Example: https://example..com or example,com

  2. Missing Protocol
    A URL without http:// or https:// may be treated as plain text instead of a link.

  3. Non-registered or Expired Domain
    If the domain doesn’t exist or was recently deleted/expired, DNS cannot resolve it.

  4. Webpage Was Moved or Deleted
    The URL still points to the old address but the content was relocated.

  5. Bad Redirect Setup
    If the site was migrated incorrectly, Chrome may end up following a redirect loop that leads to an invalid location.

  6. Encoding Problems
    URLs with spaces or unsupported symbols ({}, “ ”, %, unencoded special characters) are rejected by the parser.

An Invalid URL means Chrome cannot interpret or locate the web address because it is malformed, missing key parts, routed incorrectly, or points to a non-existent location.

Microsoft Exchange SAN UCC SSL

How to Fix the Invalid URL error on google chrome –

Not every Invalid URL error is caused by the website itself. In many cases, the issue originates from the user’s device, browser cache, formatting mistakes, or incorrect URL syntax. Below are detailed troubleshooting steps end users can follow to resolve the issue before assuming the website is broken.

1. Check for URL Formatting Issues

An Invalid URL is often caused by small typing mistakes or copy-paste formatting problems. A valid URL must:

  • Start with a proper protocol (https:// or http://)

  • Contain a correctly typed domain (no double dots or commas)

  • Use hyphens, not spaces

  • Avoid illegal symbols like { } [ ] \ | ^ ~

Example of valid vs invalid formatting:

Valid Invalid
https://example.com https//example..com
https://blog.example.com http:/blog.example,com

If the URL is missing characters or includes stray punctuation, Chrome will refuse to load it.

2. Add the Missing Protocol (http/https)

If you paste a URL without a protocol, Chrome may treat it as plain text instead of a link.

❌ www.example.com/page
âś… https://www.example.com/page

This especially happens when copying links from:

  • Messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS)

  • PDFs

  • Excel or Google Sheets

  • Chat widgets

Always ensure the protocol is included.

3. Remove Extra Tracking Parameters

Many marketing links contain long tracking strings (starting with ?utm= or &ref=).
If the link was partially copied or contains hidden characters, Chrome can’t parse it.

Try trimming it down to just the base URL:

Example:

❌ https://example.com/page?utm_source=mail&ref=123&%%%
âś… https://example.com/page

4. Try the “www” or Non-www Version

Some websites are configured to respond only on one version of the domain.

  • If https://example.com shows invalid URL → try https://www.example.com

  • And vice versa

This happens often after incomplete SSL setups.

5. Check for Unnecessary Spaces or Line Breaks

When copying from chat or documents, hidden whitespace characters break the URL.

Example of a broken link due to whitespace:

https://example.co m/page

or

https://example.com/
(page)

Paste the URL into a plain text editor (Notepad / TextEdit) before using it — this removes formatting.

6. Clear Browser Cache & SSL State

Chrome may be storing a broken redirect or outdated DNS lookup.

Steps:

  1. Go to chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

  2. Select “Cached images and files”

  3. Click “Clear data”

  4. Restart Chrome

This forces Chrome to refresh routing and cached URL entries.

7. Disable Browser Extensions That Interfere

Some extensions (VPNs, redirect blockers, security plugins, privacy tools) modify URLs and can unintentionally break them.

Test with Incognito Mode:
Press: Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac)
→ If URL works here, an extension is the culprit.

You can then disable extensions selectively under:
chrome://extensions/

8. Check if the Website Still Exists

Sometimes it’s not the browser — the website is gone. If the domain expired or hosting was suspended, Chrome treats the URL as invalid.

Use any uptime checker:

If the domain is unregistered → Chrome gives Invalid URL.

9. Check if HTTPS Redirect is Broken

If a website recently moved from http to https without a correct redirect, Chrome may not resolve it properly.

Try replacing the protocol manually:

  • http://example.com instead of https://example.com
    or vice versa.

Summary of User-Side Fixes

Problem What to do
Typo / formatting Fix domain spelling, remove symbols
No protocol Add https:// manually
Broken tracking strings Remove everything after ?
Extra spaces/line breaks Clean URL in plain text
Extensions conflicting Test in incognito
Domain expired Verify domain status
Broken redirect Try http/https swap

How to Fix the Invalid URL Error on Google Chrome (Website Owner / Technical Fixes)

If you are a site owner, developer, or server administrator, an Invalid URL error usually means there is a configuration issue on your domain, hosting, DNS, SSL redirect, or CDN. Unlike users (who can only work around the issue), you can fix the root cause so the URL becomes valid and accessible again.

Below are the most common technical causes — and how to fix them properly.

1. Fix Incorrect or Missing DNS Records

If your domain is not pointed to the correct IP address or DNS records are incomplete, Chrome will flag the URL as invalid because it has nowhere to resolve it.

Check the following DNS records are configured correctly:

  • A record → points to your server IP

  • CNAME → for www or subdomains

  • AAAA record → for IPv6-enabled hosting

  • CAA → indicates which CA can issue SSL certs

Use DNS lookup tools:

  • dnschecker.org

  • whatsmydns.net

If DNS isn’t propagated globally, Chrome may show Invalid URL on some networks.

2. Repair Misconfigured Redirects

A broken redirect can easily create an invalid URL loop.

Common mistakes:

Mistake Result
HTTP → HTTPS → wrong host Chrome blocks
example.com → www.example.com → wrong path URL becomes invalid
Reverse proxy → wrong upstream URL Browser can’t parse the target

Fix:
Check .htaccess, Nginx config, or hosting panel redirects for:

  • Missing slashes

  • Typos in target URL

  • Infinite redirects

3. Ensure Proper SSL/HTTPS Configuration

If the site is forcing HTTPS but the SSL configuration is wrong, Chrome may reject the URL as invalid before it even loads.

Check:

  • SSL certificate is valid and not expired

  • The hostname matches (correct CN/SAN)

  • No mixed content breaking the load

  • HSTS is not forcing a broken HTTPS redirect

Tools for testing:

  • SSL Labs

  • WhyNoPadlock

  • SecurityHeaders.com

4. Fix CDN or Reverse Proxy URL Mismatches

If you’re using Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, Akamai, Nginx, HAProxy, or a load balancer, it may be serving a different hostname than what the user is visiting.

Chrome sees this as:

“URL points to a server that isn’t answering for this hostname → Invalid.”

Fix:

  • Ensure the edge certificate matches the domain

  • Make sure the origin server hostname = CDN hostname

  • Check proxy pass settings in Nginx/Apache

5. Remove Unsupported Characters (Server-Level)

Certain frameworks or CMS platforms will reject URLs containing:

  • spaces

  • encoded brackets

  • unicode whitespace

  • trailing punctuation

  • unencoded query strings

This often occurs with:

  • WordPress permalinks

  • React/Angular routing

  • API endpoints with query parameters

Make sure routes are properly encoded using %20, %3F, %2F, etc.

6. Fix Website Migration / Rebrand Issues

If your site changed from:

  • example.com → newexample.com
    OR

  • http → https

…but redirects or DNS were not updated everywhere, users will hit an invalid URL state.

You must:

  • Update canonical URLs

  • Correct routing rules

  • Reissue SSL certificate if hostname changed

  • Fix internal links pointing to non-existent paths

7. Check If Subdomain or Folder URL Actually Exists

If the user visits:

https://blog.example.com

but the blog subdomain isn’t configured, Chrome flags it as invalid.

Same for:

https://example.com/app/

when /app is not a valid directory or route.

Technical Fixes Summary

Root Cause Fix
DNS not resolved Correct A/CNAME records
Redirect loops Fix .htaccess / Nginx config
Bad SSL config Reissue correct cert
CDN mismatch Align edge + origin hostnames
Wrong routing Fix framework routes
Migration issues Update domain + links
Missing subdomain Create DNS + SSL for it

Advanced Fixes (Cloudflare, AWS, Reverse Proxy, Nginx/Apache)

When the Invalid URL error persists even after basic troubleshooting, the root cause is often related to edge/CDN configuration, reverse proxies, or server-level routing. These advanced fixes are especially important for websites using modern cloud infrastructure, headless CMS setups, or multi-domain architectures.

1. Fixing Invalid URL with Cloudflare

When using Cloudflare as a reverse proxy, Chrome may show an Invalid URL if Cloudflare is proxying to the wrong origin or the SSL mode is misconfigured.

Common Cloudflare Misconfigurations

Issue What Happens
“Flexible SSL” mode Breaks HTTPS redirect chain
Wrong origin hostname Cloudflare resolves to a different host
SSL only at edge Origin still uses HTTP
Page Rule mismatch Forces invalid redirect target

How to Fix

  1. Go to SSL/TLS → Overview

  2. Set SSL mode to Full (Strict)

  3. Go to DNS tab → make sure the orange cloud is ON for proxying

  4. Verify origin server hostname in Origin Certificate

  5. Ensure the certificate covers example.com and www.example.com

2. Fixing Invalid URL with AWS (CloudFront / ELB)

AWS can trigger invalid URL errors if the distribution points to:

  • The wrong origin domain

  • A custom domain not added in “Alternate Domain Names (CNAME)”

  • A certificate not tied to the chosen hostname

Fix on AWS CloudFront

  1. Open CloudFront Distribution

  2. Go to General → Alternate Domain Names (CNAME)

  3. Ensure the exact domain is listed there

  4. Attach/issue an ACM SSL certificate for the correct hostname

  5. Invalidate old cache to propagate changes

Fix on AWS Load Balancer (ELB/ALB)

  • Check that hostname matches certificate in Listener → HTTPS → Certificate

  • Attach ACM cert covering the domain

3. Fixing Invalid URL in Nginx (Reverse Proxy)

If Nginx passes traffic upstream using the wrong hostname, Chrome cannot verify the URL.

Common mistake

proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1;

(set without hostname)

Use

proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1;

This ensures the host header matches the browser domain.

Also confirm:

server_name example.com www.example.com;
ssl_certificate ...;
ssl_certificate_key ...;

4. Fixing Invalid URL in Apache

In Apache, this error is often caused by wrong ServerName or redirect rules.

Check:

<VirtualHost *:443>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com

Incorrect VirtualHost mapping → browser sees mismatch → URL invalid.

5. Fixing Invalid URL with Headless CMS / SPA Frameworks

If you’re using React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, or headless WordPress, routing is done client-side. If route definitions are missing or not mapped to real endpoints, Chrome can’t resolve them.

Fix

  • Enable fallback route for /*

  • Validate encoding for dynamic routes

  • Add rewrite rules in Nginx/Apache/Cloudflare Pages

Why These Advanced Fixes Matter

Most blogs stop at “clear cache” or “retype the URL.”
Modern infrastructure is layered, meaning the request might be valid at the browser level, but invalid at the proxy/CDN level.

This advanced section is what improves:
âś… E-E-A-T signal
âś… Developer trust
âś… Long-form completeness score
âś… AI/LLM chunkability
âś… SERP dominance

Prevention & Best Practices

Fixing an Invalid URL error once is helpful — but preventing it from happening again is far more important, especially for websites with regular traffic, SEO rankings, and customer-facing services. By following a few smart best practices, you can ensure Chrome (and other browsers) consistently recognize your URLs as valid and fully resolvable.

1. Always Use a Fully Qualified URL (with Protocol)

A valid web address must include a protocol (https://), not just the domain.

Use:

https://example.com/page

Avoid:

example.com/page

This is critical when adding links in:

  • CMS editors (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc.)

  • Emails / newsletters

  • JavaScript redirects

  • Social media tracking links

2. Keep DNS Records Accurate & Synced

Incorrect or stale DNS records are one of the leading technical causes of invalid URLs.

Checklist:
âś” A / AAAA records point to the correct server
âś” CNAME is used properly for www or app subdomains
âś” No conflicting DNS entries from old hosting
âś” Propagate DNS changes fully before going live

3. Use Proper Redirect Rules (Avoid Infinite Loops)

Misconfigured redirects can corrupt URLs and produce malformed addresses in the browser.

Good redirect practice:

  • Use HTTPS → consistent URL structure

  • Handle both www and root domain

  • Avoid chained redirects across multiple proxies

4. Configure SSL/HTTPS Correctly

Chrome becomes stricter each year about SSL enforcement. Invalid SSL configs often cause invalid URL-like behavior.

Best practices:

  • Use Full (Strict) SSL mode (Cloudflare)

  • Make sure cert covers ALL hostnames (CN + SAN)

  • Renew before expiry

  • Avoid mixed content

5. Validate Subdomains Before Linking to Them

If you create subdomains (e.g., blog.example.com, app.example.com), ensure:

  • They exist in DNS

  • They have their own SSL coverage

  • Routing is configured server-side

Unconfigured subdomains = Invalid URL.

6. Avoid Illegal Characters in URLs

URLs should use standard UTF-8 encoding and allowed ASCII characters. Always encode:

  • Spaces → %20

  • Parentheses → %28 %29

  • Query parameters

7. Test URLs Before Publishing

Before publishing in public pages or emails:

  • Open link in Incognito mode

  • Test on both desktop & mobile

  • Confirm that redirects resolve correctly

This protects SEO link equity AND prevents users from seeing the Invalid URL message.

Quick Prevention Checklist

Prevention Step Why It Matters
Use protocol Chrome needs connection rules
Correct DNS Prevents invalid host lookups
Proper redirects Avoids malformed URLs
Certificate match Prevent mismatch errors
Verify subdomains Ensure URL is routable
Encode characters Keeps URL parsable
Test before publish Avoid user-facing errors

ssl.com

Basic SSL Certificate

Buy Now

ssl.com

Wildcard SSL Certificate

Buy Now

ssl.com

Multi Domain SSL

Buy Now

 

FAQs

What does “Invalid URL” mean in Chrome?

An “Invalid URL” error in Chrome usually means the address you entered is incorrect, the page has been deleted or moved, the URL is incomplete, or it contains illegal characters or spaces.

 

Why does Chrome show an “Invalid URL” when I’m trying to access a website?

Answer: The “Invalid URL” error may be caused by a misspelling in the web address, a protocol mismatch (e.g., using “www” without the correct protocol), or issues with your internet connection or DNS settings.

What if I still see the invalid URL error on other browsers?

If the issue persists across browsers, the URL is likely incorrect, the page is down, or you do not have permission to view it.

Why am I getting an “Invalid URL” error on specific websites?

Answer: The problem could be with the website’s URL structure or with how Chrome interprets it. It might also be a server-side issue with the website you’re trying to visit.

How do I fix an “Invalid URL” error in Chrome?

  • Double-check the URL for any typos.
  • Ensure the URL begins with “http://” or “https://”.
  • Try refreshing the page or reopening the browser.
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies.
  • Disable browser extensions that may interfere with loading the page.
  • Check your internet connection and DNS settings.

Does disabling Chrome extensions fix “Invalid URL” errors?

Yes, some extensions can cause conflicts with websites or block certain elements. Disabling them one by one can help identify the culprit. To disable extensions:

  • Click the three dots in the top-right corner of Chrome.
  • Go to More Tools > Extensions.
  • Toggle off extensions one by one and check if the issue persists.
Share:
Crumb Peter
administrator
    Crumb Peter is a passionate cyber security enthusiast, driven by a constant desire to stay ahead of the curve in this ever-evolving landscape. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Crumb actively seeks out and absorbs new advancements in the web and cyber security niche.