If your entire WordPress website is showing 404 errors, or specific pages return “Page not found”, the most common cause is a permalink or .htaccess issue. Here’s how to fix it.
Fix 1: Reset Your Permalinks
Go to Settings > Permalinks in your admin panel and click “Save Changes” without changing anything. This regenerates your .htaccess rewrite rules and fixes most 404 issues.
Fix 2: Check the .htaccess File
If resetting permalinks doesn’t work, your .htaccess file may be corrupted or missing. Rename it to .htaccess_old and reset permalinks again to regenerate it.
Fix 3: Verify the Mod_Rewrite Module
On Apache servers, the mod_rewrite module must be enabled for pretty permalinks to work. Check with your hosting provider.
Fix 4: Check for Plugin Conflicts
Caching and security plugins can cause 404 errors. Deactivate your caching plugin temporarily to test.
Fix 5: Check Page Status
In the admin panel, verify the page isn’t in draft or trash status. Also check that the slug is correct.
Fix 6: Reset Permalinks via Code
If you can’t access the admin, add this to your theme functions.php temporarily: flush_rewrite_rules(); Then remove it after the fix.
Still Getting 404 Errors?
Contact Finggu Infotech for professional WordPress troubleshooting and repair.