404 Not Found means the server is fine and listening — it just can't find the page at that address. The page moved, the link is wrong, or the site's address rules need a refresh. Here's the order to check.
Checks
- Does the homepage open? If only SOME pages 404, it's an address problem on those pages. If EVERY page 404s including the homepage, suspect the domain/folder issues in the "Domain Connected but Website Not Opening" guide instead.
- WordPress — refresh the permalinks (the #1 fix). Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks → click Save Changes without changing anything. WordPress rewrites its address rules, and whole categories of 404s vanish.
- Check the address itself. Addresses are case-sensitive on the file side — Page.html and page.html are different files. A renamed or deleted post also 404s honestly — republish or redirect it (see the Redirect guide).
- Moved the site recently? After a migration or a folder change, old addresses point at where things USED to be. Re-check the folder structure in File Manager and the site's address settings.
- Check .htaccess. A damaged or wrong .htaccess breaks address rewriting — rename it temporarily and let WordPress regenerate it via the Permalinks save (cause 2).
✅ Result: Every live page loads at its proper address — and any address that legitimately moved now redirects visitors to its new home instead of dead-ending them.
Protect your visitors and rankings: when you delete or rename a page that others link to, add a redirect from the old address to the closest new one (cPanel → Redirects). A 404 loses the visitor; a redirect keeps them.
⚠ Common mistakes & fixes
- Reinstalling WordPress over a permalink problem: the Permalinks save takes ten seconds. Always try it before anything drastic.
- Ignoring 404s on old bookmarks: your own bookmarks don't matter, but links from Google and other sites do. Redirect the important old addresses.
- The admin works, every front page 404s: classic rewriting damage — Permalinks save first, .htaccess check second.
Related articles
- How to Create a Website Redirect
- Fix: Domain Connected but Website Not Opening
- How to Update WordPress, Themes & Plugins Safely