What is a 404 Error? 

A 404 "Not Found" error occurs when the web server is reachable, but the requested page cannot be found.

This does not necessarily mean the website is offline. In many cases, the homepage may continue to load normally while individual pages return a 404 error.

Why Does This Happen in WordPress?

Unlike a traditional website, WordPress does not typically store each page as a physical file or directory on the server.

For example, a URL such as:

https://example.com/about-us/

does not usually correspond to a physical file named about-us.html or a directory named about-us.

Instead, WordPress stores page information in a database and uses rewrite rules to translate friendly URLs into requests that WordPress can understand.

When these rewrite rules become corrupted, missing, or misconfigured, WordPress may no longer be able to locate pages correctly, resulting in 404 errors.

Common causes include:

• Corrupted or missing .htaccess file
• Changes to permalink settings
• Plugin conflicts
• Theme conflicts
• Incomplete website migrations
• Manual modifications to rewrite rules

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Rename the Existing .htaccess File

Using File Manager or FTP, navigate to the website's document root.

If an .htaccess file exists, rename it:

.htaccess → .htaccess.bak

This preserves the original file in case it needs to be restored later.

2. Create a New .htaccess File

Create a new file named:

.htaccess

3. Add the Default WordPress Rewrite Rules

Visit:

https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/server/web-server/httpd/

Copy the rules from the Basic WordPress section and paste them into the new .htaccess file.

Important: If the website is using WordPress Multisite, escalate to LPS hosting 

4. Save Permalink Settings

Log in to WordPress Admin and navigate to:

Settings → Permalinks

Click Save Changes without modifying any settings.

This forces WordPress to regenerate its permalink configuration.

If the Issue Persists

If the website continues to return 404 errors after completing the steps above, escalate the case for further investigation.