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Start in WordPress: open Settings → Permalinks and visit the screen. WordPress flushes its rewrite rules when that screen is loaded; saving is optional for the flush. Test the failed URL again. If it still returns 404, identify whether the site runs on Apache, Nginx, or IIS, then repair that server’s rewrite configuration. Finally, check for a URL that was renamed or moved and isolate plugin or theme conflicts.
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What a WordPress 404 means
A 404 Not Found response means the requested address could not be mapped to content. On a WordPress site, that can happen at two different layers:
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- The web server rejects the request first. Apache, Nginx, or IIS may not be forwarding a “pretty” URL such as
/guides/controller-settings/to WordPress. In that case WordPress may never run. - WordPress receives the request but cannot find content. WordPress then uses the active theme’s 404 template. WordPress’s Codex notes that every theme shipped with WordPress includes a
404.phpfile, although a theme does not have to provide a custom design.
The distinction determines the fix. A broken rewrite rule affects many URLs, while a deleted or deliberately renamed post normally affects one address. A branded 404 page proves only that a 404 response was displayed; it does not prove that the request reached WordPress.
First, measure the scope of the failure
Use a private browser window or clear any page cache, then test four addresses. Record the exact result for each one rather than relying on a single broken link.
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- Homepage: the site’s root address.
- One known post: choose a published article that worked previously.
- One known page: for example, an About or Contact page.
- An administration URL: open
/wp-admin/and, if necessary, the login screen.
| Observed pattern | Most likely area | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage works; nearly every post and page 404s | Pretty-permalink rewrite rules | Visit Settings → Permalinks, then inspect the server branch for Apache, Nginx, or IIS. |
| Only one old or renamed URL 404s | Content address changed, was deleted, or was mistyped | Confirm the current permalink and add a 301 redirect when the move was intentional. |
| Homepage, content, and administration URLs all fail | Domain, document-root, virtual-host, or server configuration | Ask the hosting or server administrator to inspect the request before WordPress. |
| Plain permalinks work, but Post name fails | Rewrite rules are not reaching WordPress | Flush permalinks and repair the web-server rewrite configuration. |
| A WordPress-styled 404 appears only after a plugin or theme change | Plugin or theme routing conflict | Perform the isolation procedure later in this guide. |
If a request fails before the homepage or /wp-admin/ can load, do not begin by installing a redirect plugin. A redirect tool cannot create a missing server rewrite rule.
Flush WordPress rewrite rules
Permalinks tell WordPress how URL paths map to posts, pages, categories, and other content. A change of structure, migration, or plugin activation can leave those rules stale.
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- Sign in to the WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Settings → Permalinks.
- Wait for the Permalink Settings screen to finish loading.
- Open a known post and page in a new tab and test them.
- If the site still fails, return to the screen and click Save Changes once, then test again.
WordPress’s Permalinks documentation, updated June 8, 2024, states that visiting this screen triggers a flush of rewrite rules; there is no need to save solely to perform the flush. Saving can still be useful when you intentionally changed the structure or want to confirm that WordPress can write its rules.
Do not switch permalink structures merely as a trial unless you understand the consequences. Changing a structure changes public URLs and can create additional redirect work. If Plain links work while Post name links do not, that is a strong indication that the request is not being rewritten by the server, rather than evidence that the post itself is missing.
Repair an Apache configuration
Apache commonly uses the mod_rewrite module and a site-root .htaccess file for WordPress permalinks. You need access to the site files and permission to change the Apache configuration, or help from your host.
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Check that mod_rewrite and overrides are available
Ask the server administrator to confirm that Apache’s mod_rewrite module is enabled and that the virtual host permits directory overrides. A correctly written .htaccess cannot work if Apache is configured to ignore it. The exact control panel labels differ by host, so do not assume that a missing file is the only problem.
Inspect the site-root .htaccess file
Back up the existing file before editing. In a standard single-site installation, the WordPress rules resemble the following structure:
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPressThe important behavior is that existing files and directories are allowed through, while other requests are sent to /index.php. Do not blindly replace a file that contains host-specific rules, security directives, or a subdirectory path. If WordPress is installed in a directory rather than the domain root, the base and target path must match that installation.
Use the rules shown in the dashboard when the file is not writable
After you visit Settings → Permalinks, WordPress displays the rules it would write when it cannot modify .htaccess. Copy those rules exactly into the correct site-root file using your host’s file manager, SFTP, or another approved method. Preserve a backup and verify that the file is named .htaccess, including the leading dot; a file named htaccess.txt will not be read as the same file.
File permissions are a separate issue from rewrite syntax. Making a file broadly writable can create a security problem. Prefer a one-time administrator edit or the hosting provider’s documented permission settings.
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Retest after the Apache change
- Save the server change and allow Apache to reload if your host requires it.
- Visit a known post, a page, and the homepage.
- Test with a cache-bypassing request or a private window so an old cached 404 does not mislead you.
- If only one path remains broken, stop changing rewrite rules and investigate that content’s slug, status, or redirect.
Repair an Nginx configuration
Nginx does not provide an .htaccess-type directory configuration. WordPress’s Nginx documentation explains that WordPress cannot automatically modify the server configuration or generate these rules for you. Searching for an .htaccess file is therefore not the primary Nginx fix.
Use a server-level try_files rule
The administrator normally adds a rule in the relevant Nginx server block. The Learn WordPress example is:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}This tells Nginx to serve a real file or directory when one exists and pass other paths to WordPress’s front controller while preserving query arguments. The location block must be placed in the correct virtual host and must coexist with the site’s PHP-FPM configuration. A syntactically valid rule in the wrong server block will not fix the domain you are testing.
Apply and test safely
- Have the server administrator validate the Nginx configuration before reloading it.
- Reload Nginx using the host’s normal deployment procedure.
- Retest a known post and page, not only the homepage.
- Check the Nginx error log if the response is still 404 or changes to a 403/502 error.
On managed hosting, you may not have access to the server block or logs. Give support the failing URL, the working homepage URL, the result of the /wp-admin/ test, and whether Plain permalinks work. That information lets them distinguish a rewrite problem from a missing file or upstream failure.
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Sites hosted on Microsoft IIS use web.config for rewrite configuration. WordPress’s directory-installation documentation identifies web.config as the IIS counterpart to Apache’s .htaccess.
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Confirm that the IIS URL Rewrite feature is installed and that the site’s web.config contains the WordPress rewrite configuration appropriate to the installation path. Do not paste Apache directives into web.config; the syntax and server module are different. If you do not administer IIS, ask the host to verify the site binding, document root, URL Rewrite module, and rewrite rule together.
After the administrator applies the change, repeat the four-scope test. If the homepage loads but only one moved URL fails, IIS is no longer the first suspect.
Fix URLs changed by a migration, rename, or move
A domain or path migration can leave WordPress generating links for the old address. A post can also have a new slug after an editor renames it. In either case, a 404 may be correct for the old address unless you deliberately preserve it.
After a domain or directory migration
- Confirm the site’s intended domain and installation path with the person who controls DNS and hosting.
- Update WordPress’s site URL settings to the new address using the method appropriate to the installation.
- Visit Settings → Permalinks to refresh rewrite rules after the path change.
- Test the homepage, a post, a page, media links, and
/wp-admin/.
Mixed old and new addresses can also come from stored content, cached redirects, or a proxy. Change one layer at a time and keep a record of the old value so you can reverse an incorrect edit. If you cannot reach the dashboard after the migration, the host or site administrator must correct the URL configuration through the available server or database procedure.
After intentionally renaming or moving content
Open the item in the editor and confirm its current permalink and publication status. If the old address should continue to work, create a permanent 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. A redirect-management plugin can be appropriate for this content-level task, provided the server already sends requests to WordPress. It cannot repair a missing Apache, Nginx, or IIS rewrite rule.
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Do not redirect every unknown URL to the homepage. That hides broken links, confuses visitors, and makes it harder to tell whether a URL was mistyped, deleted, or blocked before WordPress.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Isolate a plugin or theme conflict
Once server rules and permalink settings are correct, a plugin or theme can still alter routing, register a conflicting rewrite, or generate an invalid link. Isolate the cause without changing several variables at once.
Disable plugins one at a time
- Make a current backup and ensure you can regain dashboard access.
- Open Plugins → Installed Plugins.
- Deactivate one plugin, then test the same known URL.
- If the 404 disappears, reactivate other plugins individually to confirm which one is involved.
- Update, reconfigure, replace, or remove the confirmed conflict according to its documentation.
Do not deactivate all plugins and then reactivate them in a batch; that loses the evidence about which change affected the request. If the dashboard itself is inaccessible, use the host’s approved file or recovery method to disable plugins, then restore them one at a time.
Temporarily switch to a default theme
If plugins are not responsible, switch briefly to a current default WordPress theme and retest. A theme may contain custom rewrite logic, a malformed template, or a custom 404 handler. If the problem vanishes, document the result and ask the theme developer or site maintainer to inspect its routing code. Restore the original theme after testing if the site’s design must remain live.
A theme’s 404 template controls the page visitors see after WordPress decides content is missing; it does not fix a request that the web server rejected before WordPress ran.
Use the failure pattern to choose the right fix
| Failure scope | Control you have | Best first remedy | When to escalate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pretty URLs fail, Plain works | Dashboard only | Visit Settings → Permalinks, then send the server type and test results to hosting support. | Immediately, because Apache, Nginx, or IIS configuration is outside the dashboard. |
| All pretty URLs fail, server files available | Apache, Nginx, or IIS administration | Repair the appropriate rewrite configuration and reload or save it safely. | If logs show a different virtual host, document-root, permission, or PHP error. |
| One renamed URL fails | WordPress editor | Confirm the new slug and add a 301 from the old address when required. | If the new URL also fails, return to rewrite and plugin checks. |
| Only URLs introduced by one feature fail | Dashboard and plugin settings | Deactivate that plugin, retest, and inspect its rewrite or endpoint settings. | If the conflict remains after deactivation, test the theme and server logs. |
| Everything, including administration, fails | No server access | Contact the host with exact URLs, timestamps, and the scope test. | Always; the failure may precede WordPress. |
Common mistakes that prolong a 404
- Regenerating only the theme’s 404 page: a template changes appearance, not server routing.
- Looking for .htaccess on Nginx: Nginx requires a server-level configuration such as
try_files. - Installing a redirect tool for every 404: redirects address moved content, not a missing rewrite rule.
- Changing the permalink structure repeatedly: every change can create new public URLs and additional redirect work.
- Editing production files without a backup: preserve the current configuration and make one controlled change at a time.
- Testing only the homepage: the homepage can work even when every post and page is failing.
- Assuming a cached response is current: test privately or bypass caches after each server change.
When to contact hosting or a server administrator
Escalate when you cannot edit the relevant configuration, when the homepage and administration URL fail together, or when the server returns a 404 before WordPress can display its template. Include:
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- The results for the homepage, a known post, a known page, and
/wp-admin/. - Whether Plain permalinks work and whether visiting Settings → Permalinks changed anything.
- The server type, if known: Apache, Nginx, or IIS.
- Any recent migration, domain change, permalink change, plugin activation, or theme change.
- The time of the failure and whether it affects visitors, administrators, or both.
Ask the administrator to check the active virtual host or site binding, document root, rewrite module, configuration syntax, and server logs. Those checks are more useful than repeatedly resaving a post or replacing the 404 template.
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Quick recovery checklist
- Test the homepage, a known post, a known page, and
/wp-admin/. - Visit Settings → Permalinks; save only if you changed the structure or want to confirm write access.
- Identify the server: Apache uses
mod_rewriteand.htaccess; Nginx uses a server-leveltry_filesrule; IIS usesweb.config. - If a migration or rename occurred, correct the site URL or current slug and add a 301 only for an intentional move.
- Disable plugins one at a time, then test a default theme if the server configuration is sound.
- Escalate with the scope results and exact URLs when you lack server access or the request fails before WordPress.
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