How to Fix 404 Error

Fixing a new website that shows a 404 error page

Ignas Rimkūnas avatar
Written by Ignas Rimkūnas
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 registered a domain recently, you will need to wait for propagation, which can take up to 24 hours

  • You haven't added the domain to your hosting plan. You can add it following this guide: 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. To fix it, clear the cache

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

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

  • Your permalinks are broken. To fix it, create them again

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

  • Your plugins are causing 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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