If your website is displaying ‘404 Page Not Found’ errors on certain pages, follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
Step 1: Refresh the Page
Press F5 or Ctrl + R to reload the page.
Try opening the page in incognito mode to bypass caching issues.
Step 2: Check for Mistyped URLs
Ensure the URL is entered correctly.
If the URL was recently changed, update bookmarks or internal links.
Step 3: Reset Permalinks (WordPress Users)
Log in to the WordPress dashboard.
Go to Settings > Permalinks.
Click Save Changes (without modifying settings) to refresh permalinks. Do this 3 times to be sure.
clear your cache if you have one installed.
Step 4: Restore or Redirect Missing Pages
If a page was deleted or moved, restore it from a backup.
If the page has moved, set up a 301 redirect using .htaccess or a redirect plugin. Redirect 301 /old-page-url https://yourwebsite.com/new-page-url
Step 5: Check and Regenerate the .htaccess File (Apache Servers)
Log in to FTP or File Manager in your hosting control panel.
Locate the .htaccess file in the root directory.
Rename it to .htaccess_backup and save changes.
In WordPress, go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes to generate a new .htaccess file.
Step 6: Verify Internal and External Links
Use a tool like Broken Link Checker (WordPress plugin) or Dead Link Checker to scan for broken links.
Update internal links pointing to incorrect URLs.
Step 7: Flush DNS and Clear Browser Cache
Open Command Prompt (Windows) and run: ipconfig /flushdns
On macOS, run: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Clear your browser cache and try reloading the page.
Step 8: Contact Your Hosting Provider
If the issue persists, there may be a server misconfiguration.
Contact your hosting provider and provide details of the error and troubleshooting steps taken.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you should be able to resolve most 404 errors. If the issue remains unresolved, your hosting provider or web developer may need to assist further.
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