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If a WordPress homepage loads on Nginx but every post, page, feed, or archive returns 404, the usual cause is a missing front-controller fallback in the active Nginx server block. Change the site’s location / rule to try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;, confirm that the PHP handler serves the same WordPress installation, test the configuration, reload Nginx, and then retest representative URLs. Nginx does not read Apache-style .htaccess files, so editing one will not repair this routing problem.
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What the symptom means
WordPress uses a front controller: requests for dynamic URLs eventually need to reach index.php, where WordPress resolves a slug such as /about/ or /2026/10/example-post/. The homepage often appears to work because /index.php is a real file in the document root. A pretty URL is normally neither a file nor a directory.
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When Nginx is configured with a rule such as try_files $uri $uri/ =404;, it checks the filesystem, finds no matching file for the pretty URL, and sends a 404 immediately. WordPress never receives the request. The required fallback is /index.php?$args, which hands unresolved requests to WordPress while preserving query-string parameters.
This is a web-server routing issue, not evidence that every WordPress page has been deleted. A WordPress-generated 404 page is a different failure from an Nginx file-miss response, so identify which layer is producing the response before changing settings.
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The working Nginx pattern
For a normal single-site installation at the web root, the relevant server block has this shape:
server {
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com/htdocs;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ .php$ {
try_files $uri =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}
}Replace the hostname, document root, PHP-FPM socket, and include details with the values used by your system. The important distinction is the final argument in location /: use /index.php?$args rather than an unconditional =404. Keep the try_files $uri =404; guard inside the PHP location. That guard prevents Nginx from passing arbitrary nonexistent PHP paths to PHP-FPM; it does not replace the front-controller fallback in the outer location.
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Before editing: identify the configuration that is actually serving the site
Nginx may contain several virtual hosts, generated snippets, disabled files, IPv4 and IPv6 listeners, or separate HTTP and HTTPS server blocks. Editing an unused file has no effect. Establish the active path first.
- Confirm the hostname in the browser matches the
server_nameof the intended virtual host, including whether traffic useswwwor the bare domain. - Find the active server block for both the HTTP and HTTPS listeners if the site redirects between them.
- Check that its
rootdirectory contains the WordPressindex.php,wp-admin,wp-includes, andwp-contentdirectories. - Inspect included files and generated configuration, because a later include or a more-specific location can change request handling.
- Make a dated backup of the current Nginx configuration and note the previous working version so the change can be rolled back.
On systems that provide a command for dumping the complete loaded configuration, inspect that output rather than relying only on the file you expect to be active. The goal is to see the final server and location rules Nginx has loaded.
Step-by-step repair
1. Open the active server block
Use your distribution’s site configuration layout or hosting control panel to open the server block that handles the affected hostname. Do not create a second, competing server block unless you understand how hostname and listen matching will select it.
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2. Correct the outer location
Inside the matching server block, locate the general request handler. For a root installation, it should be:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}The order matters. Nginx first serves an existing file, then an existing directory, and only then sends the request to WordPress. Static assets continue to be served directly, while virtual WordPress URLs reach the application.
3. Check the PHP handler
Make sure the PHP location can execute index.php and that SCRIPT_FILENAME resolves under the same document root. A typical handler includes:
location ~ .php$ {
try_files $uri =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}The socket shown is an example. Your operating system or PHP version may use a different socket path or a TCP upstream. Use the endpoint already configured for this site instead of copying a path that does not exist.
4. Validate syntax before reloading
Run the Nginx configuration test supplied by your installation:
nginx -tProceed only when the test reports a successful syntax check. Correct missing semicolons, unmatched braces, duplicate directives, invalid include paths, and conflicting location definitions before attempting a reload. A failed test protects the currently running configuration; do not force a reload with an invalid file.
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5. Reload Nginx
Reload through the service manager used by your host, or use:
nginx -s reloadA reload applies the new configuration without requiring a full machine reboot. If the reload command reports an error, return to the syntax test and service logs rather than repeatedly refreshing the browser.
6. Test more than the homepage
Use a private browser window or a request that bypasses a browser cache. Test a representative set:
| Request | What it checks | Expected behavior |
|---|---|---|
A known page such as /about/ |
Pretty-page routing | The WordPress page loads instead of an Nginx file-miss 404 |
| A published post URL | Single-post rewrite rules | The post resolves through WordPress |
A feed such as /feed/ |
Non-file application endpoint | The feed is returned by WordPress |
/wp-admin/ |
Administrative path handling | The login or dashboard endpoint responds |
| A real static asset | Direct file serving | The asset is served from disk without being routed through WordPress |
| The same page with and without a trailing slash | Canonical permalink behavior | WordPress or its canonical redirect chooses the configured form |
If these requests work directly but a public cache still shows the old 404, purge that cache after routing is confirmed. Purging cache cannot repair a missing Nginx fallback.
Why .htaccess instructions do not fix Nginx
The WordPress Advanced Administration Handbook states: “With Nginx there is no directory-level configuration file like Apache’s .htaccess or IIS’s web.config files.” Nginx configuration is applied at the server level, so it does not process rewrite directives stored in a WordPress directory.
Apache tutorials commonly tell you to edit .htaccess after changing the permalink structure. That advice applies to an Apache deployment. On Nginx, the equivalent routing rule belongs in the server block’s location directive. Creating or editing .htaccess may be harmless, but it will not make /about/ reach WordPress.
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Refresh WordPress’s permalink settings after the server fix
In the WordPress dashboard, open Settings > Permalinks and verify the intended structure. Saving the page can refresh WordPress’s rewrite state. This step is useful after a migration or permalink change, but it cannot substitute for the Nginx try_files rule: WordPress cannot resolve a slug it never receives.
Do not change the permalink structure solely as a routing test if existing links matter. Save the current structure, make the server correction, and then confirm that old and new canonical URLs behave as intended.
Subdirectory installations need a different fallback
If WordPress is installed below the document root, the fallback must include that installation prefix. For an installation in /my_subdir, the pattern is:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /my_subdir/index.php?$args;
}The exact location and root arrangement depends on how the site is exposed. Align the URL prefix, filesystem root, static-file locations, and PHP SCRIPT_FILENAME calculation with the documented layout. A root-install rule that points to /index.php can send requests to the wrong application when WordPress actually lives in a subdirectory.
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Test both the prefixed front end and administrative URL, for example /my_subdir/wp-admin/, along with a page and feed under the same prefix.
Multisite requires topology-specific rules
WordPress multisite configurations vary by subdomain versus subdirectory mode, domain mapping, and network layout. The single-site snippet is not a universal multisite configuration. Use the version- and topology-specific Nginx rules for the network, then verify each site’s front end, a post or page, wp-admin, and network administration paths.
Pay particular attention to host matching. A request can reach the wrong server block when several mapped domains share an address, making a seemingly correct rule appear ineffective.
When the 404 remains: diagnose the layer
The request is still an Nginx file miss
Recheck the active hostname, HTTPS server block, and complete loaded configuration. A more-specific location, such as a prefix or regular-expression location, can take precedence over location /. Also confirm that the fallback points to the correct installation and that the file named by the fallback exists under the configured root.
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The response is generated by WordPress
If the response has your theme’s 404 template, Nginx may already be routing correctly. Check the requested slug, publication status, language or taxonomy plugins, canonical redirects, and WordPress logs. Do not keep changing Nginx when the application is deliberately returning a 404.
PHP-FPM reports an error
A 502, blank response, PHP fatal error, or application log entry indicates a PHP handler problem rather than a missing rewrite. Inspect Nginx’s error log and the PHP-FPM log, confirm the socket or upstream is running, and verify file permissions and the resolved SCRIPT_FILENAME.
Only cached visitors see 404
Compare a direct request with a cache-bypassing request and inspect response headers. Once the origin returns the correct page, purge the affected page and any reverse-proxy or CDN cache. A cache-management plugin can automate purges, but it does not replace the server-level front-controller rule.
Slash and no-slash forms behave differently
WordPress chooses canonical trailing-slash behavior from the permalink structure. Confirm that redirects are reaching the same server block and that no custom location handles one form separately. Test both forms after every configuration change.
Security and operational checks
- Keep
try_files $uri =404;in the PHP location so nonexistent PHP paths are not executed. - Do not point
rootat a parent directory containing multiple applications; use the directory that contains this site’s WordPress files. - Preserve existing security headers, access restrictions, and upload handling while changing only the routing line required for the fix.
- Use configuration backups and a documented rollback. If the new test fails, restore the prior file, run
nginx -t, and reload the known-good configuration. - After a migration, check ownership and permissions for
index.phpand the WordPress directories. Permission errors usually appear in logs as access failures, not as a clean rewrite 404.
Choosing how to implement the repair
The right path depends on who controls the running Nginx configuration and PHP stack.
| Approach | Best fit | Capabilities required | Main risk to manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-managed repair | You administer the server | Access to the active server block, ability to run nginx -t, reload Nginx, inspect PHP-FPM, and restore backups |
Editing an inactive file or breaking another virtual host |
| Managed WordPress hosting support | The host controls Nginx | Provide the hostname, affected URLs, timing, and confirmation that the homepage works while other routes fail | Assuming a dashboard permalink save can change a server rule the host must edit |
| Configuration consultant | You need custom multisite, subdirectory, or migration work | Access to loaded configuration, logs, PHP-FPM or upstream settings, backups, and a rollback plan | Applying a generic single-site snippet to a nonstandard topology |
Regardless of who performs the change, require the same verification: the active server block is identified, syntax passes, Nginx is reloaded, PHP serves the correct index.php, and representative front-end and administrative URLs are tested.
Quick Recap
What to remember
- The homepage can work because it maps to a real
index.php, while pretty URLs need a front-controller fallback. - For a root installation, use
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;in the activelocation /block. - Nginx does not process per-directory
.htaccess; the rewrite belongs in server configuration. - The Nginx document root and PHP handler must target the same WordPress installation.
- Subdirectory and multisite deployments need path- and topology-appropriate variants.
- Validate with
nginx -t, reload, test several URL types, and inspect logs before blaming WordPress or a cache.
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