Knowledge Base

Understanding Error 404

A 404 error means the requested page or file doesn't exist at the specified URL. This is one of the most common web errors.

Common Causes

• The URL is typed incorrectly
• The page was deleted or moved
• Permalink structure changed (WordPress)
• File uploaded to wrong directory
• Case sensitivity (Linux is case-sensitive)

Solutions

1. Check the URL

Verify the URL is correct:

• Check spelling
• Check capitalization (About.html ≠ about.html)
• Verify file extension (.html vs .php vs .htm)

2. Verify File Location

In DirectAdmin File Manager:

1. Navigate to public_html
2. Confirm the file exists in the correct location
3. For domain.com/about.html, the file should be at public_html/about.html

3. WordPress Permalinks

If using WordPress:

1. Log into WordPress Dashboard
2. Go to Settings → Permalinks
3. Click Save Changes (without changing anything)
4. This regenerates the .htaccess rules

4. Check .htaccess Rewrite Rules

For WordPress, your .htaccess should contain:

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

5. Create Custom 404 Page

Create a helpful 404 page for visitors. Add to .htaccess:

ErrorDocument 404 /404.html

Then create a 404.html file with helpful navigation links.