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Likely fix

Fix: WordPress pages show 404 or permalinks are broken

WordPress permalink 404 errors usually happen when rewrite rules are missing, .htaccess is broken, the server does not support rewrites, or a plugin changed URL handling.

Quick answer

Go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes without changing anything. This flushes WordPress rewrite rules.

Important warning

If the homepage works but inner pages show 404, this is often a permalink/rewrite issue, not a full hosting outage.

Try this

  1. 1 Open WordPress admin.
  2. 2 Go to Settings → Permalinks.
  3. 3 Click Save Changes without changing settings.
  4. 4 Test the broken pages again.
  5. 5 Clear cache if you use a cache plugin or CDN.
  6. 6 Check .htaccess if the site runs on Apache.
  7. 7 Disable recent plugins that affect URLs, redirects, languages, SEO, or custom post types.
  8. 8 If only one page is 404, check whether the page slug changed or the page was deleted.

Common causes

Rewrite rules need flushing.

.htaccess is missing or not writable.

Plugin changed URL rules.

Custom post type rewrite issue.

Page slug changed.

Old links were not redirected.

What to check next

  • Check whether only inner pages fail.
  • Check Settings → Permalinks.
  • Check .htaccess.
  • Check recent SEO, redirect, language, or custom post type plugins.
  • Check whether old URLs need redirects.

FAQ

Why do WordPress pages show 404?

WordPress rewrite rules may be broken, .htaccess may be missing, or the page URL may have changed.

Why does saving permalinks fix WordPress 404s?

Saving permalinks tells WordPress to regenerate rewrite rules used for pretty URLs.

Is a WordPress 404 always a missing page?

No. If many pages 404 at once, it is often a permalink or rewrite problem.

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