How to Fix Broken Permalinks in WordPress

Posted on by Tony

Permalinks are the foundation of your WordPress site’s structure, defining the URLs for your posts, pages, and custom content. When they break, users may encounter 404 errors or pages that won’t load, hurting both user experience and SEO. Luckily, fixing broken permalinks in WordPress is straightforward if you follow the right steps. This guide will walk you through the causes, troubleshooting steps, and actionable solutions to restore your links quickly.

A permalink, short for “permanent link,” is the full URL to a specific post or page. For example, https://example.com/my-blog-post. WordPress uses rewrite rules to structure these URLs. If these rules are corrupted or misconfigured, links stop working and return errors like “404 Page Not Found”.

Common signs of broken permalinks include:

  • Clicking a post or page returns a 404 error
  • Custom post types not opening correctly
  • Pagination URLs not working
  • Redirect loops or unexpected URLs

Several issues can lead to permalink problems:

  • Corrupted .htaccess file: Often happens during updates or plugin installations.
  • Plugin conflicts: Especially with SEO, caching, or security plugins.
  • Theme changes: Some themes modify URL structures.
  • Server configuration issues: Changes in hosting environments or PHP versions.
  • Manual changes in settings: Accidentally modifying the permalink structure.

Understanding the root cause helps you choose the right fix faster.

One of the quickest fixes is to refresh your permalink settings:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to Settings > Permalinks.
  3. Select a different structure (e.g., switch from “Post name” to “Plain”) and click Save Changes.
  4. Switch back to your preferred structure and save again.

This action regenerates your .htaccess rewrite rules and often resolves the issue.

2. Check and Rebuild the .htaccess File

If resetting doesn’t help, manually check your .htaccess file:

  1. Access your website files via FTP or your hosting file manager.
  2. Locate the .htaccess file in the root folder of your WordPress installation.
  3. Replace its content with the default WordPress rules:

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

  1. Save the file and refresh your site.

3. Disable Conflicting Plugins

Some plugins can interfere with URL handling. To test:

  1. Deactivate all plugins from your dashboard.
  2. Check if the permalinks work.
  3. Reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
  4. Update or replace the problematic plugin.

4. Check for Theme Issues

If you recently changed your theme, switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. If permalinks start working, the issue lies in your theme’s functions or settings.

5. Verify Server and Hosting Settings

Some hosting configurations may disable the mod_rewrite module, required for pretty permalinks. Contact your hosting provider to ensure:

  • mod_rewrite is enabled
  • File permissions for .htaccess are correctly set (typically 644)
  • The server is running the latest compatible PHP version

6. Flush Rewrite Rules Programmatically

For advanced users, you can flush rewrite rules manually:

  1. Open your theme’s functions.php file.
  2. Add this code temporarily:

flush_rewrite_rules();

  1. Refresh your website.
  2. Remove the code after confirming permalinks work.

7. Restore from a Backup

If none of the above works and your site recently worked fine, restoring a backup can quickly revert the configuration and resolve the issue.

  • Regularly back up your .htaccess file.
  • Avoid unnecessary plugin installations, especially those that alter URLs.
  • Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated.
  • Use a staging environment to test major changes before going live.
  • Monitor your site for broken links using tools like Google Search Console.

Permalinks are crucial for SEO optimization in WordPress. Broken links not only frustrate users but also harm your search engine rankings. Regular audits with SEO tools and plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math can help maintain healthy URLs and avoid future downtime.

Fixing broken permalinks in WordPress doesn’t have to be complicated. By systematically resetting your settings, checking .htaccess, and troubleshooting plugins or themes, you can usually resolve the issue in minutes. Always back up your site before making changes, and keep your WordPress installation clean and up to date to minimize the risk of future issues.