WordPress is the most popular content management platform in the world. However, there are some issues with WordPress. For example, WordPress posts return a 404 error.
WordPress errors can be solved easily.
Problems with your.htaccess folder are most likely to cause them. This means that the problem can be fixed by resetting or restoring this file.
This tutorial will explain how to fix WordPress posts that returned 404 errors. Let’s get on with it!
What is a WordPress404 Error?
WordPress is not the only website that experiences 404 errors. These errors can occur on any website. These errors occur when a page is not found. These errors can occur when browsers are unable to locate and access the page.
A 404 error is typically a minor problem if your browser reports a page not found. You may encounter 404 errors when you try to access pages you know are there.
- These situations have the following common causes:
- Caching issues
- DNS Settings that are not correct
- Compatibility problems with WordPress themes, plugins
- Problems with your server’s configuration
It is important to resolve any 404 errors that users encounter on your website, even if they aren’t caused by incorrect URLs.
How to Fix WordPress Posts that Return 404 Error (3 Methods)
To connect to your server you’ll need an FTP protocol client, such as Cyberduck or FileZilla. WordPress Support provides great guidance on setting up FTP connections.
You’ll also need a text editor such as TextEdit, Atom, Visual Studio Code or Notepad to edit WordPress files.
How to Fix WordPress Posts Returning 404 Error
Also, before you attempt to fix the problem, make sure you have a backup.
This is the first method. It takes only 30 seconds.
1. Modify your WordPress Permalinks
WordPress allows you to select from multiple permalink formats. Permalink can be translated to permanent link. It’s your URL for visitors to your pages or posts.
WordPress could sometimes encounter problems when creating permalinks. Temporarily reset your site’s default Plain permalink structure to solve this problem. This only applies if you use a different structure than the default Plain.
To reset your permalink structure in WordPress, log into your WordPress admin and navigate to the Settings >Permalinks page. Make a list of all settings you are currently using and note them down. Next, select Plain under Common Settings.
Configuring the permalink settings within WordPress
Once you’ve saved your changes, the page will load again. This is the time to select your old permalink structure, and then save your changes.
The permalink structure can only be reset once, but this is often sufficient to eliminate 404 errors. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to dig into WordPress.
2. Restore Your Default .htaccess File
Your.htaccess file contains instructions on how WordPress interacts. The guidelines also include guidelines for creating permalinks for your site.
If resetting your website’s permalink structure from the toolbar doesn’t resolve the issue, you can restore your .htaccess file to its original state.
In many cases, WordPress plugins make changes to the.htaccess file. This could lead to errors on your website. Restoring it to its default status gives you a clean slate from which to start.
You can locate your.htaccess files by connecting to your website with your FTP client. Once connected, open your root folder (usually known as public_html). The.htaccess should be found here. Right-click on the file to open it. Select View/Edit.
FTP is the best way to edit your htacess.
This will open the file in your default text editors. This will delete all files in the folder and replace them using the following code.
#BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^index.php$ – [L] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
#END WordPress
This is the content of a default.htaccess WordPress WordPress page. Paste this code in your site’s.htaccess file and save your changes.
FTP clients will ask you to update your file on the server. Next, access your website again and check if the 404 error persists.
If you are still having problems, you can visit the Settings > Permalinks page within your WordPress dashboard to restore your original permalink structure. Things should now be working properly. If not, you need to proceed to the next step.
3. Disable All Your Plugins and Themes
Sometimes compatibility problems between themes and plugins may lead to 404 errors.
If none of these options work, deactivate any plugins or themes you use to test for compatibility.
To disable plugins or themes from your dashboard, just head to the appropriate screen in the WordPress administration area (Plugins>> Installed or Appearance> Templates), then select the plugins/themes to be disabled, and then click the Apply option.
You can disable plugins using the WordPress dashboard.
This is the fastest way of disabling all plugins from your website. Although this may impact your site’s performance, you should make sure to eliminate each plugin that is causing the 404 error. It’s not recommended that you perform this action on your current site. Instead, create a staging page.
If you disabled all plugins and the error persists, you need to disable the active theme.
If the error does not go away, restart all the themes and plugins.
Deactivate the plugins one at a.
Test if the WordPress 404 error persists, after having disabled the plugin.
If the error persists after activating the plugin, you can restart the process by activating the plugin again.
This will enable you to determine which plugin is causing compatibility errors on your website.
You can also disable plugins, themes and themes from your site via FTP if the 404 error stops you accessing your dashboard. This is done by connecting to your site via FTP client. Next, navigate to root folder and open the wp–content director. This will take you to several folders, two of which are plugins and the other themes.
FTP is used to access your WordPress plugins and theme folders.
Each directories contains subfolders for plugins and themes.
To disable plugins in bulk, right-click on the plugins folder and rename it to something else, such as plugins.old. Next, create a folder called plugins.old.
FTP can be used to rename your plugins directory.
Go back to your website and check if it still displays the 404 error. If it is gone, then delete the empty folder.
The next step is to exclude individual plugins. You can do this by opening the plugins directory. Follow these instructions.
Rename a plugin folder.
If the 404 error persists, check your website.
If so, you can rename the folder to its original name and install the following plugins to continue the process.
If you don’t see any errors, the plug-in is probably faulty. This is the time to contact the developer, find a replacement, or uninstall it.
This works the same way with themes. WordPress will use the default template if your active theme’s folder is renamed. You can now test your website to confirm that the error has gone away.
Conclusion
WordPress posts returning 404 errors are a serious problem. Visitors trying to find what they are looking for on your site can leave and go elsewhere. Unchecked404 errors could impact your bounce and conversion rates.
Here are some ways to fix 404 errors on WordPress that aren’t due to incorrect URLs and caching issues.
- Reconfigure WordPress permalinks.
- Restore your.htaccess File
- Disable all plugins and themes.
Do you have additional questions about WordPress 404 errors or how to fix them? I would love to hear from you in the comments!