This article will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot a broken permalink.
Broken Permalinks are a common issue that many webmasters and developers face at one point or another. Many people simply assume it is something with their server, when in reality there could be several other issues going on. This article walks you through some simple steps to find out whether this is an issue with your server or not!
The first thing you need to do is visit your site using different browsers (i.e: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc.) for a quick check. If there’s broken permalinks on one browser but not the other, then it’s possible that your server has an issue with code compression somewhere along the way.
If your permalinks are broken in all browsers, then it’s time to dig deeper. Here’s what you can do:
Check the Permalink Structure – Sometimes a small typo in your permalink structure could cause this issue. Check Your Server Configuration – Sometimes, issues with file permissions or other server configurations might be causing this problem. Check Database Settings – If you’re using a MySQL database, check your configuration. Make sure it’s the right character set and collation. Check for Spam – Sometimes the spam system will pick up on your permalinks as potentially harmful code or malicious links. Try checking in Google Webmaster Tools to see if there are any notices there.
Check Browser & Plugin Settings – In some cases, this issue might be caused by you or someone else setting bad preferences in a browser plugin. For example, sometimes AdBlock Plus will block outbound links on your website as part of its function; so check to make sure that all the right settings are set.
Check for Malware – Sometimes your website might get infected with malicious code that is causing the issue. Check for broken image or redirect loops .
Check .htaccess – If you have access to your server files, see if there’s an issue with any of the rules. Try deactivating all plugins too and check it again. In some cases, plugins might be too aggressive and block outbound links that are actually okay.
Check Cache Time & Age – Most caching plugins will cache your permalink URLs for a certain amount of time. If a link is old, it might get stuck in the cache . Try clearing your cache and refreshing the page again to see if it helps.
And here are some additional troubleshooting tips if you’re still having problems:
Try Moving Your Site To Another Host – If this isn’t a server-level issue, it could be caused by an issue with your host. If you’ve used the same host for a long time, moving to another host might help diagnose the problem. This could also be a server configuration problem but sometimes switching hosts will solve it.
Try Moving Your Site To Another Provider – Sometimes hosting companies have agreements or deals with other providers so they can use their bandwidth or additional resources. Sometimes, this can cause issues with the way a particular provider runs their servers and causes issues on your site. (i.e: If you’re using an Apache server, switching to Nginx might be worth checking out.) If you’ve used the same host for a long time, moving to another host might help diagnose the problem. This could also be a server configuration problem but sometimes switching hosts will solve it.
If you’ve tried everything here and your permalinks still aren’t working, then there might be an issue somewhere else on the back end of your site. At this point, you need to contact your webmaster or developer for help! Luckily, AOM is a great resource that can provide website owners with personalized services tailored to their needs.
For example: Website Design Services – Whether it’s a complete redesign of the website or just making small tweaks so it looks better on mobile devices, we have experts who are ready to serve as soon as possible. Web Development Services – We offer custom programming solutions including converting HTML templates into WordPress themes and more complex projects like building eCommerce stores from scratch. Email Marketing & List Building Campaigns- Our team of dedicated email marketing specialists can help build an effective email strategy for your business.
