Fix Broken Permalinks in WordPress 🔗 | लिंक खुल नहीं रहा? Permalink Erro...

Fix Broken Permalinks in WordPress 🔗 | Link Not Working? Permalink Error

Broken permalinks in WordPress can be frustrating, especially when your links stop working or return 404 errors. Permalinks are the permanent URLs of your posts, pages, and categories in WordPress, and when they break, it can affect your website’s SEO and user experience. In this guide, we will explain how to fix broken permalinks step by step.

What Are Permalinks in WordPress?

Permalinks are the permanent URLs assigned to your posts, pages, and categories in WordPress. For example:

• https://example.com/about-us/
• https://example.com/blog/post-title/

WordPress allows you to customize permalinks under Settings → Permalinks. A good permalink structure is crucial for SEO and usability.

Common Reasons for Broken Permalinks

• Changes in Permalink Structure: Changing permalink settings can cause old links to break.
• .htaccess File Issues: A corrupted or missing .htaccess file can lead to 404 errors.
• Plugin Conflicts: Some plugins, especially SEO or cache plugins, can affect permalinks.
• Theme Issues: Certain themes may cause permalink errors if they override default WordPress rewrite rules.
• Server or Hosting Issues: Server configuration, especially in Apache or Nginx, can affect WordPress rewrite rules.

Step 1: Reset Permalink Settings

The easiest way to fix broken permalinks is to reset them:

1. Go to WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks.
2. Select your preferred permalink structure.
3. Click Save Changes even if you don’t make changes.
4. This refreshes WordPress rewrite rules and often fixes broken links.

Step 2: Check .htaccess File

The .htaccess file controls permalinks and rewrite rules. A corrupted file can break links. To fix it:

1. Access your website using FTP or cPanel File Manager.
2. Locate .htaccess in your WordPress root directory.
3. Backup the file by downloading it.
4. Delete the current .htaccess file.
5. Go back to WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes to generate a new .htaccess file.

Step 3: Disable Plugins Temporarily

Some plugins can interfere with permalinks:

1. Deactivate all plugins from WordPress Dashboard → Plugins.
2. Check if your links are working now.
3. If yes, reactivate plugins one by one to find the conflicting plugin.

Step 4: Check for Theme Conflicts

Your theme may override permalink rules:

1. Switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One.
2. Check if the permalinks work.
3. If yes, the issue may be with your theme. Contact the theme developer for support.

Step 5: Update WordPress and Server Settings

Sometimes, WordPress core files or server settings can break permalinks:

• Make sure WordPress is updated to the latest version.
• Check your server configuration for Apache/Nginx rewrite rules.
• Ask your hosting provider to enable mod_rewrite if using Apache.

Step 6: Use Redirects for Broken Links

If some old links are broken and cannot be fixed immediately, you can use redirects:

• Use plugins like Redirection to redirect old URLs to new ones.
• Set 301 redirects to preserve SEO value.
• Monitor broken links using tools like Google Search Console.

Step 7: Clear Cache

Sometimes caching plugins or server cache may prevent changes from reflecting:

• Clear cache from caching plugins like W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket, etc.
• Clear server cache if your host provides caching.
• Clear your browser cache and check links again.

Conclusion

Broken permalinks can hurt your website’s SEO and user experience, but most issues can be resolved by following these steps. Always backup your website before making changes to .htaccess or plugins. Regularly monitor your site links to avoid future errors.

Video Guide

Watch this step-by-step video tutorial: