WordPress 404 error often, especially Configuring WordPress permalinks This problem occurs when the operations are not done properly or when the URL of an existing content is changed. This problem occurs when your visitors “WordPress page not found“ warning, damaging the user experience and SEO performance. No need to worry; with the 8 practical solutions I have shared below, you can permanently eliminate the 404 error and make your website trouble-free.
Key Points:
- Don’t let 404 errors negatively affect your site. You can fix the “Page Not Found” error with the 8 simple solutions in this guide.
- Here you can learn how to fix 404 errors, restore .htaccess files, set up redirects, and more.
If you changed a page or post URL but did not define a redirect for the old URL, WordPress 404 error It is very likely that you will see. Also, Configuring WordPress permalinks or incorrect .htaccess settings “WordPress page not found” problem. You can minimize these errors by regularly maintaining your site and checking your permalinks.
What is WordPress 404 Error?
The “404 Not Found” error is an HTTP response code that occurs when the server cannot find the requested content. In WordPress, this occurs when the permalink settings are broken or the content URLs have not been updated due to reasons such as a site move.
Common causes include:
- Clicking on the URL of a previously deleted page.
- Incorrectly configured permalinks.
- Missing or incorrect .htaccess file settings.
- Incorrect file permissions.
- Use of faulty or outdated plugins/themes.
While it is helpful to have a well-designed 404 page to prevent this error, resolving the root cause of the problem is crucial to protecting both the user experience and your search engine rankings.
The Effect of 404 Error on Your Site
Especially if your important pages get a 404 error, this will cause problems in terms of both SEO and user experience:
1) It Negatively Affects User Experience
If a popular URL of yours suddenly becomes broken, users will “WordPress page not found” warning. This demotivating situation causes them to leave the site immediately and damages the site’s reliability.
2) It Hurts Your Search Engine Rankings
Increased 404 errors on your site can make your site appear disorganized or unmaintained in the eyes of search engines, which can cause your rankings to drop and disrupt indexing processes.
3) Prevents Pages from Being Indexed
Google or other search engines do not index pages that return a 404 error. Therefore, important content may be lost and your visibility may be severely reduced.
4) Traffic and Resource Loss
When traffic from other sites linking to a page results in a 404 error, all the work goes to waste. Visitors quickly exit the site, losing SEO value and potential conversions.
8 Solutions to Fix WordPress 404 Error
At work Configuring WordPress permalinks or WordPress 404 error Quick solutions to your problems:
1) Clear Browser History and Cookies
In some cases, old data kept in your browser's cache may be “WordPress page not found” error may occur. Here’s what you need to do step by step:
- Clear browser history and cookies.
- Or test your site by opening it in incognito mode.
2) Edit Permalinks Settings
If all your pages except the homepage are giving 404s, your permalink settings are probably corrupted:
- In WordPress Admin Panel Settings > Permalinks Go to the menu.
- Default and select the option Save Changes Press the button.
- Then go back to the custom structure you used before and re-create it. Save Press the button.
This process is mostly “Configuring WordPress permalinks” and resolves the “404 page not found” error. If the problem persists, proceed to the next step.
3) Recreate .htaccess File
.htaccess file is corrupted due to incorrect configuration or permission problems. WordPress 404 error Since this file is usually hidden, you should enable the “show hidden files” option in your FTP client.
- Connect to your server via FTP and .htaccess download the file to your computer.
- Open WordPress with a text editor recommended Add the default .htaccess codes.
- Save the file and upload it back to the server.
This will largely fix problems caused by faulty .htaccess.
4) Create a 301 Redirect
Redirecting visitors to old links of content with a changed URL to the new address is important in preserving SEO value. You can do this with the .htaccess method or a redirection plugin. Example .htaccess redirect code:
Redirect 301 /eski-sayfa.html https://www.orneksite.com/yeni-sayfa.html
If you want to redirect via a plugin:
- Redirection install the plugin.
- WordPress Admin Panel > Tools > Redirection follow your path.
- Complete the setup wizard and add new redirects.
5) Disable Plugins and Your Theme
A plugin/theme that is not updated or is coded incorrectly, WordPress 404 error To diagnose the problem:
- Disable all your plugins and activate a default theme (e.g. Twenty Twenty-Three).
- If the 404 error persists, the problem may be related to the theme or the core structure. If not, open the plugins one by one to determine which one is causing the problem.
You can make your site healthy again by disabling or removing the problematic plugin.
6) Update WordPress URL in Database
Sometimes “The requested URL was not found on this server.” You may see an error message like this:
- From your hosting control panel phpMyAdminEnter .
- In your relevant database wp_options by going to the table siteurl And home Check if the values are correct.
7) Resolving 404 Error on Local Server
Developers sometimes test WordPress by installing it on a local server (WAMP, XAMPP, MAMP, etc.). In this case, you may get a 404 error due to permalink settings. As a solution, you should enable the “rewrite_module” module in Apache.
- Click on the server icon (e.g. WAMP) in the taskbar.
- Apache > Apache modules follow your path.
- rewrite_module Find and activate the item.
After making the edits, test the permalink settings again.
8) Alternative Method
If the above methods did not work, you can try this additional option:
- In the local server installation directory Apache > conf locate the folder.
- httpd.conf Open the file.
#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.soby finding the line at the beginning#uncheck the box.- Save the file and restart the server.
Different 404 Error Messages
Each browser or server may handle a 404 error differently. For example:
- “Page Not Found”
- “404 Not Found”
- “The page cannot be found”
- “HTTP Error 404”
- “We can't find the page you're looking for.”
- “Error 404”
- “The requested URL was not found on this server.”
- “The requested URL /~ was not found on this server. That's all we know.”
Conclusion
In this guide WordPress 404 error, “WordPress page not found” warnings and “Configuring WordPress permalinks" I shared 8 practical solutions for the problems. Using these steps, you can quickly fix 404 errors on your site, satisfy your visitors and show search engines that your site is up-to-date and well-maintained.
Also, do not forget to do regular maintenance, support the URL changes of the pages on your site with 301 redirects and keep your plugins/themes up to date. Remember, a small precaution can prevent big losses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why am I getting a 404 error?
A: A 404 error means that the requested page could not be found by the server. Especially if the URL has been changed and no redirects have been added, it may be broken. Configuring WordPress permalinks or if the settings files such as .htaccess are incorrect.
Q: How do I detect 404 errors?
A: Deadlinkchecker, Screaming Frog or with tools such as Google Search Console You can check for broken links with . You can also test whether you are being redirected to a 404 page by manually typing a URL that does not exist on your site.
Q: How do I basically fix the 404 error?
A: First, try resetting your permalinks. Then refresh the .htaccess file, set up 301 redirects and test your plugins/themes one by one. Also, try clearing your browser cache and checking the database. siteurl, home It would be useful to check the values.
