Mastering WordPress: Solving Broken Permalinks Effortlessly

Dealing with WordPress permalinks not working can be frustrating, but fixing them is crucial for maintaining your site’s performance and SEO.

What Are WordPress Permalinks?

Permalinks are the permanent URLs used to link to your blog posts and pages. These links are crucial for both user navigation and search engine indexing. When broken, they can cause a 404 error, blocking access to your content.

Common Causes of Broken Permalinks

Several factors can lead to broken permalinks in WordPress:

New Plugin Installation: New plugins might conflict with your .htaccess file, affecting permalink functionality.
Site Migration or Backup Restoration: Moving your site or restoring backups can disrupt the permalink structure.
Updates: Incompatibility issues after updating plugins, themes, or WordPress core can break permalinks.
Changes in .htaccess File: Incorrect changes to the .htaccess file can cause URL issues.

How to Fix Broken Permalinks in WordPress

Let’s explore practical methods to fix broken permalinks in WordPress.

1. Resetting Permalinks Structure

The simplest solution is to reset the permalink structure:

Log in to your WordPress Dashboard and navigate to Settings → Permalinks.
Select a different permalink structure and click Save Changes.
Revert to your desired permalink structure and save the changes again.

This method often resolves the issue by refreshing the permalink settings.

2. Disabling Plugins

If resetting permalinks doesn’t work, try disabling plugins:

Go to the Plugins menu in your WordPress dashboard and select Installed Plugins.
Deactivate the most recently installed or updated plugin.
Reset the permalink structure again as described earlier.

This step helps identify if a plugin is causing the permalink issue.

3. Replacing the `.htaccess` File

If the above methods don’t work, the issue could be with your .htaccess file. Here’s how to replace it:

Access your Hostinger hPanel and go to File Manager.
Select your domain and navigate to the public_html folder.
Rename the existing .htaccess file (e.g., .htaccess-error).
Create a new .htaccess file and paste the default WordPress .htaccess code:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Save the new file and check if the permalinks work. Consider using an FTP client like FileZilla if you’re more comfortable with it.

If these solutions don’t work, think back to any recent changes or updates that might have triggered the issue. Restoring a backup could be the last resort.

For reliable WordPress hosting and easy file management, check out Hostinger. They offer robust tools and support to keep your site running smoothly.

WordPress Permalinks Not Working FAQ

Do Permalinks Expire?

No, permalinks do not expire. They are intended to be permanent. However, changing them on a live site without proper redirects can lead to broken links.

Can I Change My WordPress Permalink After Publishing?

Yes, you can change permalinks even after publishing. Go to Settings → Permalinks, select a new structure, and click Save Changes. Remember to set up redirects to prevent SEO issues.