Introduction
WordPress is a flexible and powerful content management platform, allowing users to create a variety of content types thanks to its Custom Post Type (CPT) features. These CPTs offer an elegant way of structuring and organizing content, but sometimes their integration can come with challenges, especially when it comes to permalink management.
404 errors, indicating that the requested page was not found, can occur when accessing Custom Post Types on a WordPress site. This can be frustrating for visitors and detrimental to the user experience as well as the site's SEO. Fortunately, fixing these errors is usually fairly straightforward once you understand the necessary steps.
Why do 404 errors occur?
Changing the permalink structure
If you modify the permalink structure after creating your Custom Post Types, this may result in 404 errors, as the URLs of the Custom Post Types are based on the permalink structure.
URL rewriting problems
Custom Post Types generally require custom URL rewriting rules to function correctly. If these rules are not configured correctly, WordPress may not be able to find the right pages and return 404 errors.
Problems with cache or server settings
Misconfigured cache issues or incorrect server settings can also lead to 404 errors for Custom Post Types. For example, if your server is configured not to follow custom URL rewriting rules, this can cause 404 errors.
Incompatible plugins or themes
Some WordPress plugins or themes may not be compatible with Custom Post Types or may interfere with URL rewriting rules, resulting in 404 errors.
Database problems
In some cases, database problems such as corrupted or missing entries can cause 404 errors for Custom Post Types.
Solving the problem
Step 1: Access the WordPress dashboard
Log in to your WordPress site administration using your login and password.
Step 2: Access Permalink Settings
In the dashboard, hover your cursor over "Settings" in the left-hand menu, then click on "Permalinks". This section lets you define the URL structure of your site.
Step 3: Resave permalinks
- Once in the permalink settings section, don't change anything, but scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Simply click on the "Save changes" button without making any changes to the permalink structure. This will trigger an update of the permalink structure in your WordPress database.
Step 4: Verification
Once you've saved your permalink changes, visit your website to check that the 404 errors for custom publication types have been corrected.
Step 5: Repeat if necessary
If 404 errors persist for custom publication types, there may be other, more complex problems. You can try disabling plugins one by one to see if there's a conflict with any of them, or check the rewrite rules in your .htaccess file if you're using an Apache server.
Conclusion
Re-recording permalinks is often a simple and effective solution for correcting 404 errors on custom publishing types in WordPress. However, if the problem persists, you may need to perform additional checks to identify and resolve the underlying issue.