The invention generally relates to a process for the continuous preparation of a water absorbent polymer particle product comprising the process steps of (i) preparing an aqueous monomer solution (ii) optionally adding fine particles of a water absorbent polymer to the aqueous monomer solution (iii) adding a polymerization initiator or a at least one component of a polymerization initiator system (iv) optionally decreasing the oxygen content of the aqueous monomer solution (v) charging the aqueous monomer solution into a polymerization reactor (vi) polymerizing in the polymerization reactor thereby obtaining a polymer gel (vii) discharging the polymer gel out of the polymerization reactor and optionally comminuting the polymer gel (viii) drying the polymer gel in a first drying device (ix) grinding the dried polymer gel in a first grinding device thereby obtaining water absorbent polymer particles (x) sizing in a first sizing device (xi) contacting with a crosslinking composition (xii) drying in a further drying device (xiii) sizing in a further sizing device thereby obtaining a first fraction and a further fraction (xiv) further grinding at least a part of the first fraction in a further grinding device thereby obtaining a further ground first fraction wherein in process step (xii) the further ground first fraction is recycled into the further drying device wherein the further fraction comprises the water absorbent polymer particle product.
