Experiencing WordPress Content Page 404 Error? A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing It

in useWordPresswhen404 errorPage is a common problem, especially when you visit a content page on a website, you may see "page not found" or "404 error" message. This not only affects the user experience, but can also have a negative impact onSEOproduce a negative impact. This article will take you through a step-by-step process to resolve the problem of 404 errors on WordPress content pages, helping you to quickly fix and get your website back up and running.

1. Identifying the problem: why 404 errors occur

Before we start fixing it, we first need to understand why a 404 error occurs. Usually, the reasons for a 404 error include:

• Fixed link setup error: WordPress's fixed link (Permalink) structure may be misconfigured, preventing pages from being accessed correctly.
• Pages or posts are deleted or moved: The content may have been removed, or the link path may have been changed without updating the corresponding link.
• Plugin or theme conflicts: Some plugins or themes may conflict with WordPress' default functionality, resulting in a 404 error.
• Server configuration issues: For example..htaccessCorrupt files or server misconfigurations may also trigger 404 issues.

2. Solution: Step-by-step troubleshooting and repair

Method I:Check Fixed Link Settings

Fixed links are one of the most common causes of 404 errors. If fixed links are not set up correctly, WordPress may not be able to resolve the page's URL correctly.

procedure::

1. Log in to the WordPress backend.
2. leave for set up > Permanent link(Settings > Permalinks).
3. Make sure you select the permalink structure you want (we recommend choosing "Article Name" or "Custom Structure").
4. strike (on the keyboard) Save Changes(Save Changes), which regenerates even if no changes have been made.htaccessfile to resolve 404 errors caused by fixed link issues.

Method II:Resave the .htaccess file

.htaccessfile controls the WordPress URL rewrite rules, and if this file is corrupted or missing, it may result in a 404 error. To find out how to fix this file, check out this articleHow to Fix WordPress .htaccess File (Beginner's Guide)".

procedure::

1. Accessing and backing up .htaccess files

Access to the web site root directory::

• Use an FTP tool (such as FileZilla) or go through the host's file manager to get into the root directory of the website (usually thepublic_htmlmaybewww(Catalog).
• Look in the root directory .htaccess Documentation.take note of: The file may be hidden, and if you can't see it, you may need to enable the option to show hidden files in your FTP client.

Backup .htaccess files::

• Download and save before modifying .htaccess documentationbacking up. This way, you can easily restore the original file if there is a problem or mishandling.

2. Editing .htaccess files

Open the .htaccess file::

• Open with a text editor .htaccess Documentation.

Add Code::

• exist .htaccess At the top of the file (or above the existing code) add the following:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} ! -f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} ! -f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule
# END WordPress

Code Explanation:

• RewriteEngine On: Enable URL rewriting to ensure that the Apache server can handle dynamic URLs correctly.
• RewriteBase /: Define the base path of the site as the root directory.
• RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]: Ensure accessindex.phpwill not be rewritten.
• RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} ! -f: If the requested file does not exist (i.e., the requested URL does not have a corresponding file), it is rewritten.
• RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} ! -d: If the requested directory does not exist (i.e., the requested URL does not have a corresponding directory), it is rewritten.
• RewriteRule . /index.php [L]: Rewrite all requested URLs asindex.php, and handed off to WordPress for processing, ensuring that WordPress can dynamically generate content based on the URL.

Save and upload files::

• Save the modified .htaccess file and re-upload it to your site's root directory. If you are doing this via FTP, make sure to overwrite the old files.

Method Three:Check if a page or post has been deleted or moved

If a page or post has been accidentally deleted or moved, a 404 error will be encountered when visiting that page.

procedure::

1. Log in to the WordPress backend and go to web page maybe writingsThe
2. Verify that the content still exists or has been moved to a new URL.
3. If a page or article does get deleted, you can either restore it or update all the links pointing to that page.
4. If content has been moved, make sure to update all internal and external links in the new location.

Method four:Disable plug-ins to exclude conflicts

Certain plugins, especially those related to URL rewriting, SEO or caching, may cause 404 errors.

procedure::

1. Disable all plugins by going to plug-in (software component) > Installed plug-ins, select all plug-ins and click batch operation > deactivateThe
2. After disabling the plugin once and for all, recheck if the 404 error is resolved.
3. If the 404 error disappears, enable the plugins one by one and check if the error reappears after each enable. In this way, you can determine which plugin is causing the problem.
4. After resolving plugin conflicts, remember to update or reconfigure the plugin in question.

Method V:Switch to default theme

Customized settings in the theme may also cause 404 errors. To rule out the theme factor, you can temporarily switch to the default WordPress theme (e.g. Twenty Twenty-One).

procedure::

1. go into exterior condition > thematicThe
2. Activate a WordPress default theme such as Twenty Twenty-OneThe
3. Check if the content pages are accessible properly. If the problem is resolved when using the default theme, it indicates that there may be a problem with the theme.

Method 6: Fix WordPress Posts Returning 404 Errors on Local Servers

If you are experiencing WordPress content pages returning 404 errors when developing and testing with a local server (e.g., MAMP, WAMP, or XAMPP), you can get a 404 error by enabling the mod_rewrite Module. This module enables WordPress to generate clean, user-friendly URLs and ensures that your fixed link settings work properly.

The method of operation varies from platform to platform, below we take the XAMPP As an example:

Step 1: Enable the mod_rewrite module

Open the Apache configuration file::

• show (a ticket) XAMPP Control Panel, click on the right side of the configure Button.
• option Apache (httpd.conf) to edit the Apache configuration file.

Enable mod_rewrite::

• In the configuration file, find the following line:#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so Deletes the first line of the #This step enables the mod_rewrite module, which handles URL rewriting.

Step 2: Modify the AllowOverride setting

Changing the AllowOverride permission::

• exist httpd.conf file, look for the AllowOverride None This setup.
• Place all occurrences of AllowOverride None change into AllowOverride AllThis allows .htaccess The rewrite rules in the file override the default settings.

Why would you do that?::

AllowOverride All It is possible to allow WordPress to use .htaccess rewrite rules in the file. If set to NoneIn addition, WordPress will not be able to handle the custom URL structure properly, resulting in 404 errors when the page is accessed.

Step 3: Restart the Apache Service

• Save and close httpd.conf Documentation.
• To return to the XAMPP control panel, click cessation button to stop the Apache service, and then click the activate (a plan) button to restart the Apache service.

3. Validation and Prevention

After resolving the 404 error, it is recommended to perform the following actions to ensure that the problem does not recur:

• Regular checking of website links: Regular use of tools (e.g. Broken Link Checker)Check for dead links on your website, make sure there are no invalid links pointing to the 404 page.
• Updating WordPress, Plugins and Themes: Ensure that WordPress and all plugins and themes are kept up-to-date to avoid compatibility issues due to old versions.
• Using SEO Plugins: Install and configure aSEO plugin(e.g. Yoast SEO) to help you manage and redirect deleted pages or posts and reduce the impact of 404 errors on SEO.

4. summarize

The 404 error is a common problem in WordPress websites, and it can be solved in most cases by the methods mentioned above. By properly configuring fixed links, fixing.htaccessfiles, checking page content, troubleshooting plugin conflicts, switching themes, and other methods.

If the above methods do not solve the problem, you can contact your server provider to further troubleshoot if the problem is with the server.