Are all your WordPress pages showing Page Not Found (404 Error) except the homepage?
Don’t worry – this is a very common WordPress issue and can usually be fixed in 2 minutes without coding.
In this guide, I’ll explain why this happens and show you step-by-step how to fix it from the WordPress dashboard using permalink settings.
What is WordPress Page Not Found (404) Error?
A 404 Page Not Found error means:
Your WordPress site is working
Homepage opens fine
But internal pages like About, Contact, Blog, Posts do not load
Instead, visitors see:
“404 – Page Not Found”
This error usually happens due to broken permalink rewrite rules.
Common Reasons for This Error
Here are the most common causes:
- Permalink settings not saved properly
- Website migration to new hosting
- Domain or SSL change (http to https)
- Plugin or theme update conflict
- .htaccess file reset or corrupted
- Server configuration changes
The good news: 90% of the time, fixing permalinks solves the problem.
Solution: Fix Page Not Found Error Using Permalink Settings
Follow these steps carefully.
Step 1: Login to WordPress Dashboard
Open your browser
Go to:
yourdomain.com/wp-admin
Login using your username and password
Step 2: Go to Permalink Settings
From the left menu, click Settings
Then click Permalinks
You’ll now see different URL structure options.
Step 3: Select “Post name”
Choose the option Post name
This is the most SEO-friendly permalink structure
Even if Post name is already selected, continue to the next step.
Step 4: Save Changes (Most Important Step)
Scroll down
Click the Save Changes button
⚠️ Important:
You must click Save Changes even if you didn’t change anything.
This refreshes WordPress rewrite rules and fixes broken links.
Step 5: Test Your Website Pages
Now:
Open your website
Click internal pages (About, Contact, Blog, Posts)
🎉 Your Page Not Found error should be fixed now.
🔁 If the Error Still Exists (Extra Fix)
Try this additional method:
Go back to Settings → Permalinks
Select Plain
Click Save Changes
Again select Post name
Click Save Changes
This double refresh usually fixes stubborn 404 errors.
Why This Method Works
WordPress uses rewrite rules to generate page URLs.
Sometimes these rules break due to:
Hosting changes
Updates
File permission issues
Saving permalinks rebuilds the rules automatically, without coding.