Error 404: Not Found is one of the most frequently complained about errors by website owners. The appearance of this error is certainly annoying because it can spoil the experience of your website visitors.
The good news is that you can easily solve the 404 error. In this article, we will guide you to learn how to completely solve the 404 error.
However, before that we will discuss what Error 404 is and what are the causes.
What is the 404 Not Found Error?
Error 404 is a warning that appears when your browser does not find the page or file being accessed. Accessed content may be lost, modified or damaged.
The appearance of a 404 not found page has a negative impact on the visitor’s user experience. Because, they failed to find the desired information.
In addition, the effect of 404 not found is also not good for SEO. Because it inhibits web crawlers when indexing your website pages.
Error messages like “Error 404 not found” can come from the website script that you have. Another factor may be caused by the hosting server where you store website files.
Causes of the 404 Not Found Error
Here are four common causes of the 404 error:
1. Wrong URL entered
The cause of the first 404 error is quite simple, namely a typo when writing the URL. For example, you should write www.niagahoster.co.id to access the official Niagahoster website. However, you instead wrote www.niagahosterr.co.id.
2. Caching errors
Caching issues can also cause this error to appear. If the browser you are using cannot find the website cache file, a 404 error appears.
3. DNS settings are problematic
Another factor that can cause the 404 Error to appear is a problem with your domain that has not been propagated to the Domain Name System (DNS) you are using. As a result it appears when you access the website.
4. The plugin or theme is problematic
Problematic plugins or themes can cause Error 404 to appear. In some cases, problematic plugins or themes affect your website’s URL links. If this happens, the possibility of this error can appear.
5+ Ways to Overcome Error 404 Not Found in WordPress
After knowing some of the causes of the 404 error, you can’t just deal with it right away. Before implementing the 404 Error fix, make sure you have backed up all of your website data.
This is done so that you will not lose important data if something goes wrong while the 404 error handling process is running. You can make backups by following the guide in the article How to Backup & Restore Websites Through cPanel.
Have you made a website backup? If so, let’s start learning how to deal with Error 404 in WordPress!
1. Check URL Compose
As explained in the previous section. The cause of the 404 error is sometimes very trivial. Therefore, the solutions offered are equally trivial.
In order to avoid 404 errors, try checking the writing of the URL in the address bar. Make sure you don’t make a typo in any way. Whether it’s a double letter, an extension writing error, or a wrong punctuation mark.
2. Reload or Refresh Page
Another easiest way to deal with the 404 not found error is to reload or refresh the web page. You can do this by pressing the F5 key on the keyboard. Another option is to hit the refresh button just to the left of the address bar in the browser.
3. Clear Cache and Browser History
Browsers intentionally store traces of your browsing in cache form. This is done not without reason. This method helps the browser to work efficiently without the need to download the same information over and over again.
The problem will arise when it turns out that the cache caches a 404 error page. This is what keeps you getting the error display. Hence, you need to clear cache and browser history. This is the solution so that the 404 error display doesn’t appear again.
For example, you use the Google Chrome browser, you can delete cache and history in the following way:
– Access the History menu in Settings or Ctrl + H.
– Click the Clear browsing data option.
– Select the time range of data you want to delete.
– Check the Browser history and Cached images and files options.
– Click the Clear data button.
4. Reset WordPress Permalinks
The most common factor that causes this error to appear is how WordPress displays permalinks. There are various options for displaying permalinks, from numbered permalinks to post title permalinks.
– Open Pemalink Settings
When your website experiences a 404 error, the first thing you need to do is reset the permalinks. How to reset permalink is quite easy. Open the WordPress dashboard then click the Settings menu > Permalinks.
– Temporarily Revert to Permalink Plain
Regardless of the type of permalink you used before, return the permalink to default Plain temporarily. Then click Save and the settings page will reload.
After that, return the settings to the permalink that you previously used. Then click Save once again. Voila, you have successfully reset the permalink structure.
5. Restore WordPress .htaccess Files
Sometimes the 404 error causes you to not be able to access the WordPress dashboard. If this happens, of course you can’t reset the permalink through the dashboard.
No need to worry because you can still reset the permalink using another method, namely through the .htaccess file. Following are the steps for resetting permalinks using the .htaccess file:
– Access websites via FTP. You can use applications like Filezilla to access websites.
– Open the WordPress root folder which contains the WordPress installation. Usually this directory is stored in the public_html or www folder, or it can also be named with the name of your website.
– Enter the folder and look for the .htaccess file.
– If you are using FileZilla, right click on the .htaccess file and select View/Edit. Then FileZilla will download the file. After that open the .htaccess file using a text editor. Save the file.
– We recommend that you do not make any changes if you are unsure or don’t understand coding. You can use the default WordPress .htaccess file code.
6. Disable Themes and Plugins
As mentioned earlier, problematic themes or plugins can affect your website’s URL structure. If you have implemented the two ways to deal with Error 404 above and it doesn’t work, the last way is to deactivate plugins and themes.
Already Understand How to Overcome Error 404 Not Found?
This error does look simple, but it can cause losses for you. The visitor could not find the page they wanted. As a result, website traffic can decrease
With the six ways to deal with the 404 error above, you can solve the problem as quickly as possible. As a result you can avoid losing website traffic.
Thus the article on how to deal with the 404 error in WordPress.
[hurrytimer id=”247″]
