How to Fix WordPress Posts Returning 404 Error (Step by Step)

We’ve had moments where everything looked fine in WordPress, but the post link showed a 404 error instead. No changes to the content — just a missing page that should have been there.

This usually pops up after tweaking settings, switching themes, or adding code that silently affects permalinks. It can catch you off guard, especially if the rest of your site is working perfectly.

Whenever we run into unexpected 404 errors, we follow a simple process to get the post URLs back on track — no guesswork, no heavy troubleshooting. And that’s exactly what we’re sharing with you in this guide.

You’ll be able to fix the 404 errors and make sure your posts are loading the way they should.

Why Are My WordPress Posts Returning a 404 Error?

There are several reasons why your posts might be showing a 404 “Page Not Found” error in WordPress. These can include:

• Plugin or theme conflicts: Sometimes, plugins or themes you’ve installed on your site can interfere with how WordPress handles permalinks. This can lead to broken links and 404 errors.
• Custom code issues: If you’ve added custom code to your website, there might be errors in the code that are affecting permalinks or causing other conflicts, resulting in 404 errors for your posts.
• Issues with your .htaccess file: The .htaccess file plays a role in how WordPress structures URLs. If this file is corrupted or missing, it can lead to 404 errors for your posts or pages.

How to Find All WordPress Posts With 404 Errors

Before we get to the solutions, it’d be good to figure out if this error is just happening to one or two posts or multiple posts. This way, you can determine the scope of the problem and choose the most appropriate solution.

One easy way to figure this out is to use Google Search Console. If you haven’t submitted your site to Google Search Console already, then read our guide on how to add your WordPress site to Google Search Console.

Once the Google bot has crawled and indexed your site, Google Search Console will then provide you with detailed information about your site’s performance, including any 404 errors it encounters.

To find out which posts are returning 404 errors, you can log in to the Search Console dashboard. Then, navigate to the ‘Pages’ report, and you will see a detailed list of all the errors.

For more information, you can read our list of tips for using Google Search Console to grow website traffic, which includes some tips on how to fix 404 errors with the tool.

That being said, let’s look at how to fix WordPress posts returning 404 errors. You can use the links below to jump straight to different solutions:

Method 1: Check for Plugin or Theme Conflicts and Custom Code Issues

Sometimes, plugins, themes, or custom code you’ve added to your WordPress website can interfere with permalinks or cause conflicts, leading to 404 errors. We’ve even experienced it ourselves when we’re testing tools on our demo site.

One way to solve this problem is to temporarily deactivate plugins. Plugins can sometimes disrupt how WordPress handles links.

Once you’ve deactivated the plugins, you can reactivate them one by one while checking if the 404 error reappears after activating each plugin. If the error shows up after activating a specific plugin, that might be the culprit.

You can then do a quick Google search for solutions related to that plugin or contact the plugin developer for support.

Similarly, your WordPress theme might be causing the conflict.

To check, you can temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three or Twenty Twenty-Four. All you need to do is go to Appearance » Themes and click ‘Activate’ on a default theme.

If the 404 error disappears with the default theme, it indicates a potential conflict with your current theme. You can then try troubleshooting the theme or consider using a different theme.

You can check out our expert pick of the most popular WordPress themes for recommendations.

If you’ve recently inserted code snippets to your website, there might be errors in the code causing the 404 errors. Take a close look at the code you added and see if you can identify any mistakes.

The safest way to add code snippets to WordPress is with the WPCode plugin. This plugin lets you insert custom code without directly working with the theme files, reducing the risk of breaking your website.

Plus, whenever WPCode spots an error in your code, it will automatically deactivate the snippet and ask you to check it. You can also use the testing mode to check if your code works before pushing it to your live website.

If none of these solutions work, move on to the next method where we’ll troubleshoot your permalink settings.

Method 2: Fix Your Permalink Settings

WordPress posts can return 404 errors because of problems with rewrite rules in your .htaccess file. In most cases, you can fix the problem by updating your permalink settings.

Simply go to Settings » Permalinks in your WordPress admin, and click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.

There is no need to make changes to the permalink settings themselves. This will update your permalink settings and flush the rewrite rules.

In most cases, this solution fixes the WordPress posts 404 error. However, if it does not work for you, then you probably need to update your .htaccess file manually.

Method 3: Update the WordPress .htaccess File

Before you start, make sure to back up your WordPress .htaccess file first. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore the original file.

Now, you’ll need to connect to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla or the File Manager in your hosting control panel.

Next, find the .htaccess file in your site’s root folder—this is the same directory that contains folders like /wp-content/ and /wp-includes/.

Right-click on the file and select ‘File permissions’ or ‘Change permissions’ from your FTP client.

If WordPress couldn’t write to the file before, try changing its permissions temporarily to 666 to make it writable.

After that, go back to your WordPress admin area and resave your permalink settings. This allows WordPress to regenerate a proper .htaccess file.

Once that’s done, make sure to change the file permissions back to a more secure setting: 644. This setting allows WordPress to read the file, while still protecting it from unauthorized changes.

Alternatively, you can manually edit the file.

Simply right-click on the .htacccess file and then select View/Edit option.

The file will open in plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit.

Now you need to add the following default WordPress rewrite rules:

# 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

Method 4: Contact Your Hosting Provider

If neither of the solutions above has fixed the WordPress posts returning 404 error, then we recommend contacting your WordPress hosting provider. There may be an error on their end, or they might be able to help you troubleshoot the problem.

Please also see our guide on how to properly ask for WordPress support and get it.

Method 5: Enable mod-rewrite (Local WordPress Installation)

If you are using a local server for testing purposes, then you will need to enable mod_rewrite in the Apache configuration of your MAMP, WAMP, or XAMPP site.

This will allow WordPress to generate clean URLs and prevent the 404 error for posts and pages on your local server.

How you do this will differ by the platform you use. People using XAMPP can open their control panel and click the ‘Config’ button within Actions. Then, select ‘Apache (httpd.conf).’

Next, you will need to find this line #LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so and remove the ‘#’ to uncomment it.

This will load the mod_rewrite.

Then, look for lines that say AllowOverride None and change them to AllowOverride All. This tells Apache to allow the use of .htaccess files.

You’ll typically find these inside <Directory> blocks—especially the one pointing to your site’s folder, like htdocs if you’re using XAMPP. If you’re unsure, it’s okay to apply the change wherever you see it inside the file, as long as it’s not a system directory. For local testing, this usually works just fine.

Once done, you can save the httpd.conf file and close it. After that, in the XAMPP control panel, click ‘Stop’ on the Apache module and ‘Start’ again to restart it.

Then, go back to your admin dashboard to see if your permalinks are working.

Video Tutorial

If you need visual instructions, then just watch the video below.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress 404 Errors

Encountering 404 errors on your WordPress site can be confusing. Below, we’ve answered common questions that can help you troubleshoot and fix the issue more effectively.

🎁 Bonus: Additional Guide on Handing 404 Errors

You may also find the following resources helpful in managing 404 and other common WordPress errors.

• How to Improve Your 404 Page Template in WordPress (2 Ways)
• Best WordPress 404 Error Page Design Examples
• Best Free 404 Redirect Plugins for WordPress
• How to Get Email Alerts for 404 Errors in WordPress

We hope this article helped you resolve the posts returning 404 errors in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide to the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them, along with our expert picks for the best WordPress plugins to grow your site.

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