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A YOURLS short URL that returns 404 Not Found is almost always a web-server routing problem, not a defect in YOURLS. The fix is to make the server load YOURLS’s rewrite rules and send unknown paths to yourls-loader.php. On Apache, that means enabling mod_rewrite, using a YOURLS-only .htaccess, and allowing overrides with AllowOverride All. On Nginx, it means adding a try_files fallback and passing PHP requests to PHP-FPM. Root-domain and subdirectory installations use different paths, and a conflicting application, proxy, permission error, or virtual-host rule can still produce a 404.
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Work through the checks below in order. Do not replace rewrite rules blindly: first identify whether the 404 is generated by the web server, a proxy, or YOURLS itself.
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YOURLS creates short paths that do not correspond to physical files. When someone visits a short URL, the web server must pass that path to YOURLS rather than looking for a real directory or file with the same name. A 404 means that hand-off did not happen.
The YOURLS Contributors’ Frequent issues documentation states: “If you experience ‘404 not found’ instead of a redirection when you follow a short URL, this is not a bug. It’s a configuration problem on your end.” In practice, the faulty setting is usually in the server’s rewrite configuration, virtual host, PHP connection, file permissions, or a proxy in front of the server.
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First, confirm the exact symptom
- Open a short URL that previously worked, or create one from the YOURLS administration screen if the admin interface is available.
- Open that short URL directly in a private browser window. A valid request should redirect to its long destination.
- Record the status page and wording. “404 Not Found” from the web server is different from a YOURLS-generated response, a reverse-proxy error, or a custom application page.
- Test the administration URL and the YOURLS home URL separately. If the admin works but every short path fails, the installation is probably running and the rewrite route is the part that is broken.
Do not treat a mistyped short key, an expired destination, or an unrelated application page as proof that all rewrite rules are failing. Test a known-good key and compare the responses.
Apache: the required pieces
An Apache installation needs three things working together: mod_rewrite, a YOURLS-specific .htaccess file, and permission for Apache to read and apply that file. Missing any one of them can leave the admin page usable while short links return 404.
1. Verify mod_rewrite
Ask the host administrator or inspect the Apache module configuration to confirm that mod_rewrite is enabled for the active server. Enabling it in one Apache installation does not help if the domain is served by a different virtual host, container, or managed hosting layer. Check the virtual host that actually handles the short-link domain.
2. Give YOURLS its own rewrite file
The YOURLS Server configuration documentation says that YOURLS cannot share its root directory with another application driven by .htaccess rewrite rules, such as WordPress. The file should contain YOURLS directives and no other rewrite rule.
This restriction matters because rewrite processing is order-sensitive. Another application may catch the short key first, send the request to its own front controller, or issue a 404 before YOURLS sees it. Remove unrelated rules from the YOURLS directory, or move YOURLS to a dedicated domain or a separate subdirectory with its own rewrite scope.
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3. Check the override policy
Apache must be allowed to apply .htaccess directives for the directory containing YOURLS. The YOURLS Frequent issues FAQ specifically names AllowOverride All. If overrides are disabled, the file can exist with correct contents and still have no effect.
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Check the applicable <VirtualHost> and <Directory> blocks, not only a global Apache configuration. A hosting control panel may expose this as an “Allow overrides,” “Use .htaccess,” or similar setting. After changing the virtual-host configuration, reload or restart Apache according to the host’s procedure and retest a short URL.
4. Match the rewrite base to the installation location
The base path and loader path must describe the URL location where YOURLS is installed. A root-domain installation and a subdirectory installation are not interchangeable.
| Installation | Rewrite base | Loader target for non-files and non-directories | Typical mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root of the domain | RewriteBase / |
/yourls-loader.php |
Using a subdirectory path copied from another installation |
Subdirectory, such as /somedir/ |
RewriteBase /somedir/ |
/somedir/yourls-loader.php |
Leaving the base at / or omitting /somedir/ from the loader path |
For a root install, the YOURLS rules should send requests that are neither existing files nor existing directories to /yourls-loader.php. For an installation under /somedir/, they should use /somedir/yourls-loader.php. Preserve the rest of the YOURLS directives supplied for your version; changing only the path when moving an installation is safer than combining rules from another application.
5. Confirm that Apache can read the file
If YOURLS could not create its .htaccess automatically, check filesystem ownership and permissions. The web-server account must be able to read the file and traverse the directories leading to it. A file that is present but unreadable can behave like a missing rewrite configuration.
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After correcting permissions, verify the file at the actual document root used by the virtual host. It is common to edit a copy in a staging directory while production traffic is served from another directory.
Nginx: route unknown paths to YOURLS
Nginx does not process Apache .htaccess files. Its rewrite behavior belongs in the server or location configuration, and PHP must be handed to PHP-FPM. The YOURLS Server configuration documentation gives this pattern inside the relevant location / block:
try_files $uri $uri/ /yourls-loader.php$is_args$args;The first two arguments preserve real files and directories. The final argument sends a short key, which is normally neither, to YOURLS while retaining the query string.
Root-domain Nginx installation
- Place the
try_filesdirective in thelocation /block for the domain serving YOURLS. - Use
/yourls-loader.php$is_args$argsas the fallback when YOURLS is installed at the domain root. - Ensure the PHP location passes
yourls-loader.phpand other PHP requests to the configured PHP-FPM socket or upstream. - Reload Nginx using the host’s normal configuration procedure, then request a known-good short URL again.
Subdirectory Nginx installation
When YOURLS lives below a path such as /subdir/, include that path in the fallback:
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Check PHP-FPM separately
A missing PHP-FPM hand-off can look like a rewrite failure. If static files load but PHP requests return an upstream error, blank response, or a different 404 page, inspect the Nginx error log and PHP-FPM log. Confirm that the configured document root contains the loader file and that the Nginx user can reach it.
Root domain versus subdirectory: choose and verify one path
YOURLS can run at a dedicated domain root or below a path on an existing domain. The choice affects every layer that sees the request: DNS and the virtual host, the document root, Apache’s RewriteBase or Nginx location, the loader fallback, and any reverse proxy in front of the web server.
| Check | Root-domain install | Subdirectory install |
|---|---|---|
| Example public URL | https://short.example/abc123 |
https://example/somedir/abc123 |
| Apache base | RewriteBase / |
RewriteBase /somedir/ |
| Apache loader path | /yourls-loader.php |
/somedir/yourls-loader.php |
| Nginx fallback | /yourls-loader.php$is_args$args |
/somedir/yourls-loader.php$is_args$args |
| Most common path error | Rules point to a former subdirectory | Rules omit the subdirectory in one location or fallback |
Do not mix a root-domain URL with subdirectory rules copied from a previous server. If the installation was moved, search the active configuration for the old directory name and update every matching rewrite or location entry.
Keep YOURLS away from competing rewrite applications
A 404 that appears only after installing or updating another application often indicates a rewrite conflict. WordPress and similar front-controller applications may own the same document root and its .htaccess file. Their rules can intercept a YOURLS key before the request reaches the YOURLS loader.
Reliable layouts
- Use a dedicated short-link domain whose document root contains YOURLS and its own rewrite configuration.
- Use a clearly separated subdirectory and configure its base and loader path consistently.
- Do not append unrelated rewrite blocks to the YOURLS
.htaccessfile. - If a reverse proxy routes several applications, send the short-link host or path to the YOURLS backend before the general application route.
The YOURLS documentation cautions that server configuration differs from one installation to another. That is why copying a rule set from a different host can make the problem worse: its document root, PHP handler, path prefix, or proxy order may not match yours.
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Use logs and response details to locate the failing layer
Once the basic routing is in place, logs provide the evidence needed to distinguish a bad rule from a bad file path or an upstream failure.
Web-server access and error logs
Review the access log entry for the exact short URL and the corresponding error log entry at the same time. Look for the virtual host that handled the request, the requested URI, the selected document root, and whether Nginx or Apache attempted the loader file. A request reaching the wrong virtual host usually means DNS, host-name matching, or proxy routing is wrong rather than the YOURLS rule itself.
Browser developer tools
Open the browser’s developer tools, select the request for the short URL, and inspect the status code, response headers, and redirect history. This can reveal a proxy-generated 404, a redirect to an unexpected host, or a response served by another application. Request the loader endpoint directly as a diagnostic, while remembering that the loader is not intended to be the public destination for ordinary visitors.
Compare a working and failing request
If the administration page works, compare its host, scheme, and path with the short URL. Differences often expose a second virtual host, an HTTP-to-HTTPS proxy rule, or a path prefix that was not included in the rewrite configuration. If both the home page and admin page fail, verify the document root and PHP handler before changing short-link rules.
Permissions, proxies, and virtual-host checks
- Permissions: Confirm that the web-server account can traverse the YOURLS directories, read
.htaccesson Apache, and readyourls-loader.php. - Virtual host: Confirm that the short-link hostname resolves to the server and matches the virtual host containing YOURLS. A default host can return a perfectly valid 404 for the wrong site.
- Proxy or CDN: If a proxy sits in front of Apache or Nginx, inspect its route and cache behavior. A cached 404 can remain after the origin is fixed; purge or bypass the cache according to that service’s procedure.
- HTTPS termination: Make sure the proxy forwards the request to the intended backend and does not strip or add a path prefix unexpectedly.
- PHP-FPM: On Nginx, verify both the socket/upstream and the filesystem path used for PHP scripts. A rewrite can be correct while the loader still cannot execute.
- Recent migrations: Recheck every path after moving domains, changing document roots, or switching from Apache to Nginx. The old base path may remain in one server block or deployment template.
A complete recovery sequence
- Reproduce the failure. Use a known-good short URL and record the exact 404 page, status, host, and path.
- Identify the serving layer. Use response headers, browser developer tools, and access logs to determine whether the response comes from a proxy, Apache, Nginx, or an application.
- Confirm the installation path. Decide whether YOURLS is at the domain root or under a specific subdirectory, then verify the active document root.
- Apply the server-specific requirements. On Apache, verify
mod_rewrite, a YOURLS-only.htaccess, andAllowOverride All. On Nginx, add the matchingtry_filesfallback and PHP-FPM hand-off. - Correct the loader path. Use
/yourls-loader.phpat the root or include the complete subdirectory in both the rewrite base and loader target. - Remove rewrite conflicts. Separate YOURLS from WordPress or any other application that owns the same rewrite file or front-controller route.
- Check permissions. Ensure the server can read the rewrite file and loader and traverse their parent directories.
- Reload the service. Apply the changed virtual-host, server, or proxy configuration using the host’s supported reload process.
- Retest without stale cache. Use a private browser window and inspect the new response, then test from a second network if a proxy or CDN may be caching the old result.
- Recheck logs. If the 404 remains, follow the new request in the access and error logs. The failing virtual host, location, filesystem path, or upstream will determine the next correction.
Deployment choices that affect troubleshooting
Neither Apache nor Nginx is automatically the correct answer. The practical choice depends on which configuration you control and where your logs live.
| Deployment factor | Apache | Nginx |
|---|---|---|
| Rewrite model | mod_rewrite plus a YOURLS-specific .htaccess |
Server/location configuration with try_files |
| Per-directory overrides | Requires overrides to be permitted; the FAQ names AllowOverride All |
No .htaccess processing; edits require server-block access |
| Root/subdirectory handling | Change RewriteBase and the loader path together |
Change the fallback path and matching location together |
| PHP execution | Depends on the configured Apache PHP handler | Requires a working PHP-FPM socket or upstream |
| Typical access needed | Directory configuration and readable .htaccess |
Permission to edit and reload the virtual-host/server block |
| Most useful evidence | Apache access/error logs and the active .htaccess |
Nginx access/error logs, server block, and PHP-FPM logs |
The documentation does not identify a universal configuration because virtual hosts, permissions, proxies, and application layouts vary. If you cannot edit the relevant server block or override policy, provide your host’s support team with the exact short URL, timestamp, response, and log entry instead of repeatedly changing application files.
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Stop editing rewrite directives when the evidence points elsewhere. A 404 from the wrong virtual host, a proxy cache, an unreadable loader file, or a failed PHP-FPM upstream will not be repaired by changing RewriteBase. Likewise, if only one key fails while other known-good keys redirect, investigate that key’s existence and destination rather than replacing the entire server configuration.
Once the request reaches YOURLS and the loader executes, a successful short-link request should produce a redirect to its stored long URL. If the response still does not redirect, preserve the server logs and inspect the application-level response; the original web-server routing problem has then been separated from any remaining YOURLS data or runtime issue.
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