Which scenario could cause a Responder policy to loop, and how is it avoided?

• A. The policy excludes the root URL
• B. The policy incorrectly redirects to itself
• C. The policy uses NEXT but END
• D. The policy never binds to a vServer

Answer: (B)

Responder policies trigger actions like redirects when a request matches their conditions. If the policy issues a redirect to a URL that also matches the same policy, that redirected request will be evaluated again and redirected once more. This cycle repeats endlessly, creating a loop. The scenario described—redirecting to a URL that falls under the same policy—directly causes this infinite looping, so it’s the correct reason why a loop could occur.

To avoid it, ensure the redirect target is not subject to the same policy. Put simply, redirect to a URL outside the policy’s matching criteria or adjust the policy so that the redirected URL doesn’t meet the conditions again. Another safe pattern is to structure policies so that once a redirect is issued, the next request cannot re-enter the same policy (for example by using an END condition or non-overlapping URL matching).