404 Page Not Found Errors
Important pages are missing or links lead to "404 — Page Not Found," frustrating visitors and search engines.
Common signs of this issue
- Clicking a menu item or link shows "404 — Page Not Found."
- Pages that used to work now return 404.
- Only certain pages 404 while the homepage is fine.
- Search results or old bookmarks lead to missing pages.
Safe checks you can do yourself
None of these require sharing passwords with anyone.
- Note whether it's one page or many. One page suggests a deleted/renamed page; many suggest a site-wide setting.
- Check whether the page was recently renamed, moved, or unpublished — its address may have changed.
- On WordPress, a common fix for site-wide 404s is re-saving Permalink settings (Settings → Permalinks → Save) — this is safe and reversible.
- Look for typos in your menu links versus the real page addresses.
- If 404s started after a migration or redesign, old addresses may need redirects to the new ones.
What this usually means
A single 404 usually means a page was deleted, renamed, or had its address changed without a redirect. Site-wide 404s on WordPress are often a permalink/rewrite problem.
After a redesign or migration, lots of 404s usually mean the new site uses different addresses and the old ones weren't redirected.
What not to do
- Don't delete or rename live pages without setting up a redirect.
- Don't ignore widespread 404s — they hurt visitors and search rankings.
- Don't create dozens of conflicting redirects without a plan.
When to get help
A stray 404 you can usually fix yourself. But lots of 404s after a migration — where you need a clean map of old addresses to new ones — is worth doing carefully so you don't lose search traffic.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do all my pages suddenly 404?
On WordPress this is often a permalink/rewrite issue. Re-saving Settings → Permalinks frequently restores them. If not, a server rule may have changed.
Should I redirect old pages?
Yes. If a page's address changes, a redirect sends visitors and search engines to the new location instead of a dead end.