How to Fix a 404 Error on Your WordPress Website Migration
You’ve just finished migrating your WordPress website to its new home. With a few clicks of a button, you were able to import all your content, settings, and plug-ins into your new environment. That was the easy part. Now, you need to fix all the errors that were thrown during the migration process.
Luckily, you’ve landed on the right page. Here, we’re going to walk you through each step of the process to fix a 404 error on your WordPress website so you can continue serving your audience and improving your site’s performance.
Step 1. Check For Errors
The very first thing you should do to fix a 404 error is to check for any errors that may have occurred during the migration process. To do this, click the GET UPDATES link at the top of the WordPress admin screen. This will take you to a screen where you can see a list of any errors that were found during the site’s migration. Review these errors and correct them as necessary.
If you’re seeing a 404 error, then you’ll have to go through and fix these errors before you can continue with the next step.
Step 2. Check For PHP Errors
The next step is to check for any PHP errors that may have occurred during the migration process. To do this, open wp-config.php in your favorite text editor and navigate to the bottom of the file. You’ll see a line of code that looks like this:
ErrorDocument 404 = “{error_page}”
Just above this line, you’ll see a space followed by four dashes. This is where you’ll need to add in your own custom error page.
To do this, open wp-config.php in your favorite text editor and paste in the code found below:
define(‘WP_USE_THEMES’, false); // Used for child themes */
define(‘WP_USE_WP_CSS’, false); // Used for child themes */
define(‘WP_USE_EXTERNAL_STYLESHEETS’, false); // Used for child themes */
define(‘WP_USE_FULL_HEADER’, false); // Used for full-width layouts */
define(‘HEADER_TEXT’, ‘
‘. __(‘Welcome’). ‘
‘); // Your site’s header text
Save the file and try again.
If you’re still getting a 404 error, then you’ll need to check the WP_USE_THEMES, WP_USE_WP_CSS, WP_USE_EXTERNAL_STYLESHEETS, or WP_USE_FULL_HEADER constants in your wp-config.php file and make sure they’re set to false. Once you’ve made the necessary changes, you can refresh the page and get back on your feet.
Step 3. Check For MySQL Errors
The third step is to check for any errors that may have occurred in your MySQL database during the migration process. To do this, open wp-content/mysql-wp-db.php in your favorite text editor and look for any errors that may have occurred. You can use the search function in your text editor to quickly locate the errors.
If you’re seeing errors, then you’ll need to correct them by following the instructions found in the online help for your MySQL database.
Step 4. Check For WordPress Errors
The final step is to check for any errors that may have occurred in your WordPress installation during the migration process. To do this, click the GET UPDATES link at the top of the WordPress admin screen. This will take you to a screen where you can see a list of any errors that were found during the site’s setup. Review these errors and correct them as necessary.
If you’re seeing a 404 error, then you’ll have to go through and fix these errors before you can continue with the next step.
Step 5. Try a Clean Restart
As a last resort, if you’re still getting a 404 error and you’ve tried all the steps mentioned so far, then you should try a clean restart. This will refresh your web browser and clear all the caches and cookies that may be causing the error. As an added bonus, it’ll also give your server a chance to catch up on any cached files that may be out of date.
To try a clean restart, click the RELOAD THIS WEBSITE link at the top of the WordPress admin screen. This will take you to a screen where you can click the CLEAN RESTART button. Doing this will stop all the errors from occurring and give you a fresh start.
What Should I Watch Out For?
Now that you’re aware of the errors that may arise during the process of website migration, you can be more meticulous during the translation process. Keep the following in mind as you work through the process: