How To Fix 404 Errors on Your Website - A Complete Guide

How to Fix 404 Errors on Your WordPress Website: A Comprehensive Guide

In this comprehensive guide, the focus is on how to fix s on a WordPress website. The guide provides a step-by-step process, demonstrating how to identify and resolve these errors using a plugin called Redirection. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding when to fix 404 errors, as not all errors need to be resolved. The guide is designed to help website owners improve their site's user experience and overall performance.

Key Takeaways

• Identifying 404 errors is the first step in resolving them.
• The Redirection plugin is a powerful tool for capturing and fixing 404 errors.
• Not all 404 errors need to be fixed; it's crucial to understand when to resolve these errors.

Table of Contents

• Identifying 404 Errors
• Using the Redirection Plugin
• Fixing 404 Errors
• Adding New Redirects
• When to Fix 404 Errors

Identifying 404 Errors

Before resolving s, it's crucial to identify the URLs causing these errors. There are several ways to do this, including using Google Search Console. However, the guide recommends using the Redirection plugin due to its extensive feature set. Once installed and activated, this plugin starts collecting all the URLs that are throwing 404 errors on the website.

Using the Redirection Plugin

The Redirection plugin not only helps with redirection but also captures 404 pages. By navigating to the 404 section of the plugin, users can see all the URLs that are causing 404 errors on their website. The plugin also allows users to filter these errors based on the source URL and the count, helping them prioritize which errors to fix first.

Fixing 404 Errors

Once the data for s is available, the next step is to fix these errors. The solution to fixing s is redirection. This process involves redirecting users who are trying to access a certain page to another page on the website or even an external URL. The Redirection plugin makes this process easy by providing an 'Add Redirect' option for each URL causing a 404 error.

Adding New Redirects

If data is not being collected inside the Redirection plugin, users can still add new redirects manually. This is particularly useful when users find URLs from their search console that need to be redirected. The process involves filling in the source URL and the target URL. Once the redirect is added, users can check if the redirect is working correctly using the plugin's 'Check Redirect' feature.

When to Fix 404 Errors

It's important to note that not all s need to be fixed. Google has stated that websites will not be penalized for having some s. Therefore, website owners should ask themselves whether they need to fix a particular . In general, s should be fixed when there is an appropriate replacement for the content being redirected from. However, if there is no appropriate page to redirect users to, it's okay to leave the 404 error as it is.

Conclusion

Fixing s on a WordPress website is a crucial part of maintaining a high-quality user experience. By using the Redirection plugin, website owners can easily identify and resolve these errors. However, it's also important to understand when to fix these errors, as not all 404 errors need to be resolved. By following this comprehensive guide, website owners can improve their site's performance and user experience.