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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf WordPress posts or pages suddenly return a 404 error, first open Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes without changing the selected structure. Visiting that screen flushes WordPress rewrite rules, and on Apache it can regenerate the site’s .htaccess rules. If that does not restore the URLs, the next checks are the file contents and permissions, Apache’s rewrite support, or the server’s Nginx configuration.
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Broken permalinks usually mean WordPress is receiving a URL but the web server is not applying the rewrite rules that send that URL to WordPress. The safest first action does not involve editing a server file.
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- Open Settings > Permalinks.
- Leave the current permalink structure unchanged.
- Click Save Changes.
- Test a post, a page, and any other URL that previously returned a 404 error.
Opening the Permalinks screen triggers a flush of WordPress rewrite rules. Saving the screen also regenerates .htaccess rules when the site is running on Apache and WordPress has permission to write the file. This one save often fixes posts and pages that began returning 404 errors after a configuration change, migration, or plugin activation.
Check the message WordPress shows after saving
The result message tells you whether WordPress could update the server rules automatically. The wording can vary with the WordPress version, but the two outcomes described in the WordPress documentation are:
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- “Permalink structure updated.” This indicates that WordPress wrote the rules successfully.
- “You should update your .htaccess now.” This indicates that WordPress could not write the file and is presenting rules for you to add manually.
The quoted messages are commonly shown at the bottom of the Permalinks screen. If you see the manual-update notice, do not keep saving the page expecting the file to change; copy the rules displayed in the text box and apply them to the site’s .htaccess file instead.
Apply the displayed .htaccess rules manually
This section applies to an Apache-hosted WordPress site. Apache uses .htaccess for directory-level rewrite rules; Nginx does not, so an Nginx site needs a different fix described below.
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A malformed .htaccess edit can make the entire site unavailable, not just individual posts. Download a copy of the existing file or duplicate it in the hosting file manager before changing anything. Keep that backup until the posts and pages load normally.
Paste the rules in the correct location
- Open the site’s document-root directory in the host’s file manager or another server-file tool.
- Enable the option to show hidden files if
.htaccessis not visible. - Open
.htaccessand preserve the existing contents in your backup. - Paste the rules WordPress displayed on the Permalinks screen.
- Place manual entries before
# BEGIN WordPressor after# END WordPress, as specified by the WordPress Codex. - Save the file, return to Settings > Permalinks, click Save Changes once more, and test the failed URLs.
Keep the rules that WordPress generated together. Do not paste them into a random configuration file or into the WordPress editor. If the host’s file editor reports a syntax error or refuses to save, restore the backup and ask the host to apply the rules.
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Correct .htaccess permissions without locking WordPress out
WordPress needs write access to .htaccess if it is going to update the file automatically. After the permalink rules are in place, the WordPress documentation advises using permissions of 660 or 644 so that other server users cannot read the file. Which value works depends on the account and group under which the web server runs.
- Use the hosting control panel’s file-permission tool rather than changing unrelated directories.
- Apply the value to
.htaccessonly, then try the Permalinks save again. - If
660prevents the web server from reading or writing the file, restore the previous working value and contact the host before trying broader permissions.
Permissions alone cannot repair missing rewrite rules. They matter when the Permalinks screen reports that WordPress could not update .htaccess or when the file exists but is not readable or writable by the relevant server account.
Confirm whether the site uses Apache or Nginx
The server software determines where permalink rules belong. Re-saving permalinks is still the correct WordPress-side action, but it cannot create an .htaccess file on Nginx.
| Server | Where rewrite rules live | What saving Permalinks can do | What to check when 404s remain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache | The site’s .htaccess file, using the Apache rewrite module |
Flush WordPress rewrite rules and regenerate .htaccess when WordPress can write it |
File contents, file permissions, and whether the Apache mod_rewrite module is enabled |
| Nginx | The Nginx server-block configuration | Flush WordPress’s internal rewrite rules, but it does not create or update .htaccess |
The host or administrator must verify the Nginx rewrite configuration |
Pretty permalinks on Apache require both the mod_rewrite module and an .htaccess file. If the homepage works but post and page URLs do not, ask the host to confirm that rewrite support is active and that the server is allowing the site’s rewrite rules to be used. The host may need to change server-level settings that are not available in the WordPress dashboard.
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Use the symptom to choose the next check
Every post and page returns a 404, but the homepage loads
Start with Settings > Permalinks > Save Changes. If the result message says WordPress could not update .htaccess, apply the displayed rules manually and check the file permissions. If the file is correct and the problem continues, the Apache rewrite module or the Nginx server-block configuration needs attention from the hosting provider.
A working homepage does not prove that pretty permalinks are configured. The homepage can load while requests for individual posts and pages fail because those requests depend on rewrite processing.
Only URLs created by a plugin return 404
A plugin that registers a custom post type can add new rewrite rules. If the 404s began immediately after activating such a plugin, visit the Permalinks screen and save the settings after activation. A vendor troubleshooting guide specifically recommends flushing permalinks at that point so WordPress registers the new rules.
If the plugin’s URLs still fail after the flush, check the plugin’s own post-type settings and ask its support team or your host for help. Do not replace a working site-wide .htaccess file with unverified rules supplied in a forum comment.
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One URL is broken while others work
A single failing URL is less likely to indicate a site-wide rewrite failure. Check that the post or page still exists, that its slug has not changed, and that a redirect is not sending the request to a deleted destination. These checks address the individual URL without disturbing rules that are already working for the rest of the site.
If the URL was recently renamed, open the item in WordPress, verify the current permalink shown in the editor, and test that exact address. If several URLs with the same pattern fail, return to the Apache/Nginx checks instead of treating each URL separately.
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Reset a damaged .htaccess file cautiously
If the file contains old or conflicting rules and re-saving permalinks does not fix the problem, a commonly recommended recovery sequence is to preserve the original, move it out of the way, and let WordPress generate a fresh file.
- Download the current
.htaccessas a backup. - Rename the live file to a name such as
.htaccess-oldrather than deleting it. - Open Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes.
- On Apache, check whether WordPress created a new
.htaccessand whether the screen reports a successful update. - Test the homepage, a post, a page, and any custom post-type URL.
- If the site becomes unavailable, restore the backed-up file and contact the host.
This reset is an administrative recovery technique, not a substitute for checking the server type. It will not make Nginx read an .htaccess file, and it can remove intentional custom rules if you do not keep and review the backup.
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Review the permalink structure itself
The Permalinks screen controls the structure WordPress uses for post URLs. The WordPress documentation recommends ending a custom structure with %postname% or %post_id%. Do not enter the site URL itself in the structure field; the field is for the path pattern, not the full domain.
Changing the structure affects the addresses of existing posts. If you are repairing 404s rather than intentionally redesigning URLs, leave the selected structure unchanged and simply save it to flush the rules. Make a deliberate structure change only when you are prepared to handle the resulting URL changes and redirects.
When to stop editing and contact the host
WordPress cannot fix server configuration that it cannot access. Contact the hosting provider or server administrator when any of the following applies:
- The site runs on Nginx and you do not have access to its server-block configuration.
- Apache’s
mod_rewritemodule is disabled or the host controls that setting. - The Permalinks screen repeatedly says it cannot update
.htaccessafter you have checked its permissions. - The host’s editor refuses to save the file or reports a syntax error.
- Editing the file makes the whole site return a server error and the backup does not restore service.
- You are unsure which document-root directory contains the active site.
Give the host the exact symptom, the server type if known, the message shown after saving Permalinks, and whether the homepage loads. That information distinguishes a WordPress rewrite flush from a server-level configuration problem.
Prevent the next permalink outage
- Keep a backup of
.htaccessbefore manual edits. - After activating a plugin that adds custom post types, visit Settings > Permalinks and save the settings.
- Record whether the site uses Apache or Nginx before following a server-file tutorial.
- Test representative post, page, and custom post-type URLs after migrations or server changes.
- Do not change the permalink structure merely to force a flush; saving the existing structure is sufficient.
The practical decision order is simple: flush the rules in WordPress, read the result message, repair .htaccess only on Apache, verify permissions and mod_rewrite, and involve the host for Nginx or any server setting outside the dashboard.
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