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How to Fix Broken Permalinks and 404 Errors in WordPress

How to Fix Broken Permalinks and 404 Errors in WordPress

Introduction

Have you ever clicked on a post or page on your WordPress site only to be greeted by the dreaded 404 error? Or maybe your URLs suddenly stopped working after a plugin update or migration? Don’t worry — you’re not alone, and fixing broken permalinks in WordPress is easier than you might think.

What Are Permalinks?

Permalinks are the permanent URLs for your posts, pages, categories, and other content. For example, a permalink might look like https://yoursite.com/blog/my-post. WordPress allows you to customize your permalink structure to make URLs more readable and SEO-friendly.

Common Causes of Broken Permalinks

  • Plugin or theme conflicts that alter rewrite rules
  • Migration or server changes that disrupt .htaccess files
  • Manual changes to permalink settings or folder structure
  • Corrupted .htaccess file (especially on Apache servers)

How to Fix Broken Permalinks and 404 Errors

Here’s a step-by-step guide to resolving the issue:

1. Reset Your Permalink Settings

  1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
  3. Click Save Changes without modifying anything.

This action flushes rewrite rules and often solves the problem instantly.

2. Check and Restore Your .htaccess File

If you’re on an Apache server, WordPress uses the .htaccess file to handle permalinks. Sometimes it gets deleted or corrupted.

To manually restore it:

  1. Connect to your site via FTP or File Manager.
  2. Locate the .htaccess file in your root directory.
  3. Replace its contents with the default WordPress code:
    
# 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 WordPress
  4. Save the file and refresh your site.

3. Disable Conflicting Plugins or Themes

Sometimes a plugin or theme might interfere with how URLs are handled. To test:

  • Temporarily disable all plugins.
  • Switch to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-One.
  • Reset your permalinks again.

If things start working, reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

4. Check for NGINX Configuration Issues

If you’re using an NGINX server instead of Apache, .htaccess won’t apply. You’ll need to ensure your NGINX config handles permalinks correctly. Here’s a basic rule:


location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}

If you’re unsure, ask your hosting provider for help adjusting the server block.

Tools That Can Help

Conclusion

Broken permalinks and 404 errors can be frustrating, but they’re usually easy to fix with just a few steps. Whether it’s resetting your settings, checking your .htaccess file, or finding a sneaky plugin conflict, restoring your site’s structure is within reach.

Keep your WordPress site healthy, and you’ll avoid these hiccups in the future. And remember — always keep a backup handy!