Tell a site-wide 404 from one missing URL
Load the home page, then a known post. If only the post fails, the file and the theme are fine and that address is wrong or gone. If every inner URL fails and wp-admin still opens, the rewrite rules are the usual cause.
A 404 is not a 500. The server is up. It simply has nothing to show at that path.
Resave permalinks, then check .htaccess
- In wp-admin open Settings, then Permalinks.
- Do not change the structure unless you mean to. Click Save Changes.
- Reload the failing URL in a private window so an old tab is not fooling you.
- If it still 404s on Apache, confirm public_html/.htaccess exists and is writable, then save permalinks once more.
Nginx does not use that file. If saving permalinks does nothing, ask the host whether the account is Nginx. WordPress hosting support can read the server type from the account.
One URL: restore the page or redirect it
If the page was deleted, restore it from the trash or from a backup. If the slug was edited, add a 301 from the old path to the new one. Sending every 404 to the home page hides the problem from you and is a poor result for the visitor.
A 404 on an image is often a file missing from wp-content/uploads after a move. Re-upload it or fix the path. Do not reinstall WordPress for one missing file.
What Google's 404 report is for
A 404 in Search Console means Google asked for a URL you no longer serve. Restore it, redirect it, or leave it if the URL was a mistake. Updating the sitemap does not invent a page that was never published.
Admin login failures are a different fault. A 404 on wp-admin means the admin folder was renamed or blocked. A password error is not a 404.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I fix a WordPress 404 error?
If every page 404s, open Settings, Permalinks and click Save Changes. If one URL 404s, restore that page or add a 301 from the old slug to the live one.
What is a 404 file error?
The server reached the site and found no document at that path. The site itself is up.
Why do WordPress posts 404 after a migration?
The rewrite rules were not written on the new server, or the files in uploads did not copy. Save permalinks, then check one media URL.
Will a new theme fix 404s?
Only if that theme was blocking rewrites, which is rare. Save permalinks first.
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