Confirm the route-specific symptom
When the home page works but posts 404 after a permalink change, check the intended URL structure and refresh WordPress's rewrite rules.
The permalink setting and the web server's rewrite behaviour both affect post routes. Record the exact home URL, one failing public post URL and the structure the site owner intended. Check whether the post still exists and is published in WordPress; a deleted, private or draft post is a different cause. Also distinguish a 404 returned by WordPress from a redirect to another hostname or an unrelated server error.
A permalink change can affect links already shared or indexed. Keep the former structure and a current backup so the application owner can reverse a mistaken change. Do not alter public links further until the correct canonical URL pattern is agreed.
Save the intended WordPress permalink setting
An authorised WordPress administrator can open Settings → Permalinks, confirm the intended structure and select Save Changes. WordPress documents this control and its effect on permalink rules. There is no need to choose a different structure merely to trigger a save. Recheck the saved option rather than assuming the click worked; a permission or database problem can stop the change being retained.
WordPress may report that it updated its account rewrite file, or that the file is not writable and needs attention. Only inspect the rewrite file for the correct installation if your account exposes it and you understand the site’s current rules. Retain a copy before editing. Do not replace unrelated redirect, security or application directives with a generic snippet.
Separate application rules from server routing
If the WordPress setting is saved but post URLs still fail, compare a plain query-style post URL with the pretty permalink URL where the owner can do so safely. A working query route with failing pretty URLs points towards rewrite handling, but does not prove the web server or its configuration. The platform may use Apache, Nginx or another arrangement; an account-level .htaccess file is not universally authoritative. Send support the working and failing URLs, current permalink structure and any WordPress rewrite notice. Ask for an account-scoped routing check, not a global web-server change.
Check several routes and recover old links
Test multiple existing posts, a page, an asset and the admin area from a fresh session. If the new pattern breaks links and cannot be repaired promptly, restore the former permalink setting and retest the original URLs. Where a deliberate URL change is retained, the application owner should plan redirects from old public URLs; this guide does not treat a 404 fix as an automatic redirect migration.
For example, open an existing post directly and via an internal link after refreshing rewrite rules. If only one route still fails, inspect that post's slug and publication state before changing all permalinks again.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the home page work? The root URL can load while the web server does not pass individual pretty URLs to WordPress as intended.
Should I make .htaccess world-writable? No. Ask the account owner or operator to resolve the specific write or routing issue safely.
Sources and technical references
Related guides
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