If your WordPress homepage loads on Nginx but every post, page, feed, or /wp-admin/ URL returns 404, the usual cause is an incomplete try_files rule. Nginx is checking only for a matching file or directory and returns 404 before WordPress can resolve the URL. In a normal root installation, change the site’s location / block to try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;, verify that PHP-FPM handles index.php, test the configuration, reload Nginx, and then retest representative URLs.
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Why the homepage works while every other URL fails
The homepage commonly succeeds because it maps to a real file: WordPress’s index.php. A pretty permalink such as /about/, /news/my-post/, or /contact/ usually is not a physical file or directory. WordPress must receive that request through its front controller, index.php, and then use its rewrite and permalink rules to find the requested content.
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A typical broken Nginx block ends like this:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}That instruction means “serve the requested path if it exists as a file or directory; otherwise return 404.” Nginx therefore rejects the pretty URL itself. WordPress never gets a chance to generate its own response.
For a standard installation at the web root, the final argument must be the WordPress front controller:
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try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;The first two arguments continue to serve real assets directly. The third sends all other requests to WordPress while preserving the original query string.
What the working single-site configuration looks like
Use the active virtual host for the domain, not an example or disabled file. Paths differ by distribution, PHP version, and hosting platform, so treat the socket, include file, and document root below as values to replace with those used by your server.
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server {
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com/htdocs;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ .php$ {
try_files $uri =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}
}rootmust be the directory containing this WordPress installation’sindex.php,wp-admin,wp-content, andwp-includes.index index.php;tells Nginx which index file to serve for the bare host URL.location /contains the critical front-controller fallback.try_files $uri =404;in the PHP location is a security guard. Keep it so Nginx does not pass nonexistent PHP paths to PHP-FPM.fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAMEmust resolve to the same installation represented byroot.fastcgi_passmust point to your actual PHP-FPM socket or configured upstream; the sample socket is not universal.
Do not remove the PHP guard to “make rewrites work.” The fix is the fallback in location /, not indiscriminate forwarding of every path to PHP.
Repair the configuration safely
1. Confirm which server block is serving the domain
First identify the hostname users are requesting and the Nginx configuration that is actually loaded for it. A correct rule in an unused file has no effect. Inspect the complete loaded configuration with your platform’s equivalent of:
nginx -TFind the matching server_name, then check its root, location /, PHP location, and any included files. Pay attention to duplicate virtual hosts, a default server that catches the request, and a separate HTTP-to-HTTPS or www/non-www block that may be serving the tested hostname.
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2. Verify the document root
Look in the configured root and confirm that it contains the WordPress index.php. If the root points one directory too high, one directory too low, or to a different site, changing try_files will not repair routing. The root used by Nginx and the script path sent to PHP-FPM must describe the same WordPress copy.
3. Replace the file-only fallback
In the active location / block, replace an ending such as =404 with /index.php?$args:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}Keep any legitimate static-file handling that precedes this rule, but avoid adding a second competing location / block. Nginx location selection can make a more-specific block win over the one you edited.
4. Check the PHP handler
The fallback only helps if Nginx can execute the resulting /index.php. Confirm that the PHP location includes the expected FastCGI parameters and sends requests to the running PHP-FPM socket or upstream. A PHP handler pointing at another application can produce confusing errors even after the rewrite is correct.
5. Validate before reloading
Run:
nginx -tDo not reload if the test reports a syntax error, an invalid include, or a duplicate or conflicting location. Correct the reported file and line first. A successful test means Nginx can parse the configuration; it does not by itself prove that the correct virtual host or PHP socket is being used.
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6. Reload the running service
After a successful test, reload Nginx without stopping active connections. The exact command depends on the operating system or control panel; a common direct command is:
nginx -s reloadUse your platform’s service-reload command when Nginx is managed by a service supervisor. If you edited a generated configuration, make sure the platform has regenerated or accepted the change rather than overwriting it on the next deployment.
Retest routing in a deliberate sequence
Test more than the homepage. Use a private browser window or an HTTP client that shows status codes so an old cached response does not disguise the result.
| URL to test | What it checks | Expected result after the fix |
|---|---|---|
/ |
Root index handling | Homepage loads normally |
A known page, such as /about/ |
Pretty-page fallback | WordPress page, not an Nginx file-miss 404 |
| A known post URL | Post permalink resolution | The intended post or WordPress’s own not-found page if the slug is deliberately invalid |
A feed, such as /feed/ |
Non-file endpoint routing | Feed response generated by WordPress |
/wp-admin/ |
Administrative path handling | Login or dashboard response, subject to authentication |
| The same page with and without a trailing slash | Permalink and redirect behavior | The form selected by WordPress’s permalink settings, with any expected redirect |
A deliberately invalid slug should not necessarily become an Nginx-generated 404. Once routing works, WordPress can return its own themed 404 page, status code, and headers. Distinguishing those responses helps you tell routing failure from normal application behavior.
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In the WordPress dashboard, open Settings > Permalinks and save the intended permalink structure. This can refresh WordPress’s rewrite state after a migration or structure change. It cannot create an Nginx server rule: Nginx does not read WordPress’s rewrite settings as a replacement for the front-controller fallback. Perform the server repair first, then save the settings and retest.
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Why an .htaccess edit does not fix Nginx
Apache uses per-directory .htaccess files for rules that can rewrite requests. Nginx has no equivalent directory-level configuration file. Its routing belongs in the server configuration, normally inside the relevant virtual host and location directives.
Creating or editing an .htaccess file in the WordPress directory therefore does not make Nginx forward /about/ to index.php. It may be harmless leftover configuration from an Apache migration, but it is not the control point for this problem. Make the change in the loaded Nginx configuration and reload the service.
Subdirectory installations need a different fallback
If WordPress is installed below the domain root, include that installation prefix in the fallback. For an installation under /my_subdir/, the pattern is:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /my_subdir/index.php?$args;
}The exact root, location layout, and URL prefix must match the documented deployment. Do not copy the root-install rule unchanged: forwarding to /index.php when the real controller is under /my_subdir/ sends requests to the wrong path. Test both prefixed pages and static files after reloading.
Multisite requires topology-specific rules
WordPress Multisite can use subdirectories, subdomains, or a mapped-domain arrangement. The required Nginx directives vary with the WordPress version and network topology, including how administrative paths, uploaded files, and site prefixes are handled. Do not apply the single-site snippet blindly to a network.
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Start by identifying whether the network is subdirectory- or subdomain-based and which virtual hosts serve each site. Then use the version-appropriate Nginx rules for that topology, preserving the same principles: the active server block must match the request, the document root must contain the network’s controller, and PHP-FPM must execute that controller. Validate with nginx -t and test the main site, a secondary site, /wp-admin/, and uploads.
Diagnose the remaining failure instead of guessing
The homepage still works, but pages remain an Nginx 404
- Recheck
nginx -Tand confirm you edited the server block selected for the exact hostname and protocol. - Search the loaded configuration for another
locationthat is more specific thanlocation /and captures the failing path. - Confirm the new configuration was reloaded after the edit.
- Verify that the fallback includes the leading slash and the query-string suffix:
/index.php?$args.
The response is a WordPress-generated 404
This is a different condition. It indicates that the request reached WordPress, but WordPress did not find matching content or a valid rewrite. Check the requested slug, the selected permalink structure, and whether the page or post is published. Saving Settings > Permalinks can refresh rewrite state. Inspect both Nginx and PHP logs when the status or page source is unclear.
You see a PHP error or a blank response
Routing may now be correct while PHP execution is not. Check that fastcgi_pass names a running PHP-FPM socket or upstream and that SCRIPT_FILENAME resolves under the same root containing WordPress. Review PHP-FPM and Nginx error logs for the precise script path and failure.
Only some URLs fail
Inspect path-specific locations, redirects, and application rules. A more-specific location can bypass the general fallback. Also compare the failing hostname with the working one; a separate www, non-www, HTTP, or HTTPS virtual host may still contain the old =404 rule.
Old 404s persist after the reload
Once routing is demonstrably correct, purge any reverse-proxy or CDN cache that stored the old response. Purging cannot repair a missing Nginx fallback, so do it after configuration and direct-origin tests succeed. A cache-management plugin such as Nginx Helper can assist with purging, but it does not replace the server rule.
Choosing the right repair path
The technical change is small, but access and operational control determine who should perform it.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Self-managed repair | You administer the server and can edit the active virtual host | Loaded-config access, PHP-FPM control, ability to run nginx -t, reload access, and a rollback copy |
Editing an unused file or breaking another virtual host |
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| Consultant or administrator | You need help with a migration, multisite, or several virtual hosts | Documented change, configuration validation, reload procedure, logs, and rollback plan | A generic single-site snippet being applied to a different topology |
Regardless of who makes the change, require a backup of the current configuration, confirmation of the active server block, a successful syntax test, and post-reload tests for pages, posts, feeds, administration, and the site’s chosen slash format.
Quick Recap
Prevent the problem during an Apache-to-Nginx migration
- Inventory every hostname and virtual host before switching DNS or the web server.
- Map the document root and PHP-FPM endpoint for each WordPress installation.
- Translate Apache rewrite behavior into Nginx
locationrules; do not assume.htaccessfiles will be read. - Keep the front-controller fallback and the PHP-file existence guard in separate, purposeful locations.
- Run
nginx -tbefore every reload and retain the previous working configuration for rollback. - Test a real page, post, feed, administration URL, and static asset at the origin before changing cache or CDN state.
- For subdirectory and Multisite deployments, document the URL prefix or network topology alongside the configuration.
Quick recovery checklist
- Use the exact hostname that returns the 404 and locate its active server block with the loaded configuration.
- Confirm that the configured
rootcontains the intended WordPressindex.php. - Set
location /totry_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;for a root single-site install. - Verify that the PHP location sends that
index.phpto the correct PHP-FPM socket or upstream. - Run
nginx -t; fix every reported error before reloading. - Reload Nginx, then test a page, post, feed,
/wp-admin/, and both slash forms where relevant. - Save Settings > Permalinks in WordPress if rewrite state also changed.
- Only after direct routing works, purge proxy or CDN caches and investigate any remaining application-level 404s in the logs.
