If your WordPress homepage loads normally but every other page on your site returns a 404 Not Found error, the problem is almost certainly a broken permalink structure. This article explains why it happens and how to fix it in under a minute.
Why this happens
WordPress uses a file called .htaccess in your site root to tell the server how to handle URLs. When you visit a page like yoursite.com/about, the server checks the .htaccess rewrite rules to know which WordPress content to load.
If the .htaccess file is missing, empty, or contains incorrect rules, the server cannot match any URL except the homepage. The result is a 404 error on every page and post.
Common reasons the .htaccess file breaks:
- A plugin update overwrote it with incorrect rules
- A failed WordPress update left it in a bad state
- It was accidentally deleted or modified via SFTP or File Manager
- A file permission change made it unreadable
How to fix it
1. Resave your permalink settings
This is the quickest fix and works in most cases.
- Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Go to Settings, then Permalinks.
- You do not need to change anything. Simply click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
WordPress will regenerate the .htaccess file with the correct rewrite rules. Go back to your site and try loading a page that was showing the 404 error.
2. Verify the .htaccess file exists
If resaving permalinks did not help, open File Manager in the Web60 portal and navigate to your site root. Make sure Show hidden files is enabled, since files starting with a dot are hidden by default.
Look for the .htaccess file. If it is not there, resaving permalinks should have created it. If the file exists but the problem persists, open the file and check that it contains the standard WordPress rewrite block. A typical WordPress .htaccess file starts with # BEGIN WordPress and ends with # END WordPress.
3. Clear your cache
After fixing the .htaccess file, clear your site cache from the Web60 portal. Old cached versions of the 404 pages may still be served to visitors until the cache is refreshed. Go to your site management page and use the cache clearing option to flush all cached pages.
When to contact support
If you have resaved permalinks, confirmed the .htaccess file exists with correct content, and cleared the cache but pages still return 404, raise a support ticket. Include the specific URLs that are failing and whether the issue started after a recent update or change.
FAQ
Q: Why does the homepage still work when other pages show 404?
A: WordPress loads the homepage differently from other pages. The homepage does not rely on URL rewrite rules in the .htaccess file. All other pages depend on those rules to match the URL to the correct content, so when the .htaccess file is missing or damaged, only the homepage continues to work.
Q: Will resaving permalinks affect my search engine rankings?
A: No, as long as you do not change the permalink structure itself. Clicking Save Changes without altering the format simply regenerates the .htaccess file with the same URL pattern. Your URLs stay the same and search engines will not notice any difference.
Q: What if the 404 errors come back after I fix them?
A: If the problem keeps recurring, a plugin may be overwriting your .htaccess file. Check recently installed or updated plugins, particularly caching or security plugins that modify server rules. Deactivate them one at a time to find the cause.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the homepage still work when other pages show 404?
WordPress loads the homepage differently from other pages. The homepage does not rely on URL rewrite rules in the .htaccess file. All other pages depend on those rules to match the URL to the correct content, so when the .htaccess file is missing or damaged, only the homepage continues to work.
Will resaving permalinks affect my search engine rankings?
No, as long as you do not change the permalink structure itself. Clicking Save Changes without altering the format simply regenerates the .htaccess file with the same URL pattern. Your URLs stay the same and search engines will not notice any difference.
What if the 404 errors come back after I fix them?
If the problem keeps recurring, a plugin may be overwriting your .htaccess file. Check recently installed or updated plugins, particularly caching or security plugins that modify server rules. Deactivate them one at a time to find the cause.
Last updated: 4 April 2026