Why is my website showing a 404 page?

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Why is my website showing a 404 page?. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

A 404 Not Found error means your web server is reachable, but the specific page or file you are requesting cannot be located. For small business websites, this is usually caused by a missing file, an incorrect permalink structure, a renamed page, or a broken internal link. The good news is that because the server is responding, your hosting is active—the issue is almost always with the content or configuration of your site.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Refresh the page and check the address bar for typos in the URL.
2. Try accessing your homepage directly, then navigate to the missing page from your site menu.
3. Clear your browser cache or open the site in an incognito/private window.
4. If you use a CMS such as WordPress, refresh your permalink settings.

Detailed Instructions

Check for URL Typos

1. Look closely at the full web address in your browser's address bar.
2. Check for missing letters, incorrect hyphens, or extra spaces.
3. If you typed the address manually, try navigating from your homepage instead.

Clear Browser Cache

1. Google Chrome (Windows/macOS): Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete or Cmd + Shift + Delete, select Cached images and files, then select Clear data.
2. Microsoft Edge (Windows): Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, select Cached images and files, then select Clear now.
3. Safari (macOS): Go to Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, then select Remove All.
4. Mozilla Firefox (Windows/macOS): Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete or Cmd + Shift + Delete, select Cache, then select Clear.

Refresh Permalinks (WordPress)

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks.
3. Without making changes, select Save Changes. This flushes the rewrite rules and often resolves 404 errors on posts and pages.
4. Visit your website to confirm the page now loads.

Check for Renamed or Deleted Pages

1. Log in to your website's admin area or CMS.
2. Check whether the page has been renamed, moved to a different section, or set to draft/private.
3. If the page URL was changed, update any internal links or menu items pointing to the old address.
4. If you intentionally removed the page, consider setting up a 301 redirect to a relevant replacement page so visitors and search engines are sent to the correct location.

Inspect Your .htaccess File (Apache Servers)

1. Connect to your hosting account via FTP or your hosting control panel's File Manager.
2. Locate the .htaccess file in your website's root directory (often /public_html/).
3. Download a backup copy before making any changes.
4. Look for incorrect rewrite rules or redirect directives that may be sending traffic to a non-existent location.
5. If you are unsure, temporarily rename the file to .htaccess_old and refresh your site. If the error disappears, the file contained the issue.

Troubleshooting

Is the 404 Happening on Every Page?

• If your whole site shows 404 errors, the issue may be with your domain's DNS settings, your web hosting account, or a corrupted .htaccess file.
• Check whether your hosting service is active and your domain registration has not expired.

Is the 404 Happening on Only One Page?

• The page file may have been deleted or moved.
• A plugin or extension may have changed the URL structure.
• An internal link or menu item may still point to the old address.

Check Broken Internal Links

1. Use your CMS's site health or broken link checker tool, or review your pages manually.
2. Update any links that point to pages that no longer exist.
3. If you changed a page slug or URL, add a redirect from the old URL to the new one.

If you have worked through these steps and your website is still showing a 404 error, Open a Ticket so our support team can investigate your hosting account and server logs.

Still Having Issues?