How to Fix the 404 Error

Fixing a new website that shows a 404 error page

Updated over a week ago

A 404 error message is a status code indicating the server could not find the requested website. In this case, your browser was able to connect to the server successfully, although the specific page you’re trying to access cannot be found.

If your website is showing this error, here are the most common reasons and how to fix them:

  • If you've registered a domain recently, you will need to wait for propagation to complete, which can take up to 24 hours

  • You haven't added the domain to your hosting plan: How to Add a Website

  • You are mistyping the URL – double-check the domain spelling

  • You are using HTTPS to load your website, but the SSL is not installed, or you have mixed content

  • The content you are trying to access is actually missing/deleted

  • Your browser or local DNS is delivering cached content – clear the cache

  • Your file and directory permissions are incorrect: How to Fix File Permissions

In case you use WordPress, you can check these possible reasons as well:

  • Your permalinks are broken – create them again

  • You have redirect rules on your .htaccess file that cause 404 errors; in this case, you can try replacing your .htaccess file with the default one

  • Some plugins cause 404 errors; for this, you can try disabling them temporarily to test if that helps

You can also check the following video tutorial for an overview of these issues:

NOTE

  • For detailed information on any 404 errors on your website, you can check the Access Logs

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