Overview
If internal pages show 404 errors even though the content exists, the cause is usually permalink configuration or a corrupt .htaccess file. Use the steps below on your WPCloud-hosted WordPress site.
Quick Fix: Re-save Permalinks
- Log in to WordPress Dashboard
- Go to Settings → Permalinks
- Click Save Changes (no need to modify anything)
This regenerates .htaccess with the correct rewrite rules.
Default WordPress .htaccess
Paste/compare with the standard rules below (root of the site, usually public_html):
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress
WordPress with LiteSpeed Cache (.htaccess)
If you use LiteSpeed Cache on WPCloud, your .htaccess will include additional blocks like:
# BEGIN LSCACHE
## LITESPEED WP CACHE PLUGIN - Do not edit the contents of this block! ##
<IfModule LiteSpeed>
RewriteEngine on
CacheLookup on
RewriteRule .* - [E=Cache-Control:no-autoflush]
RewriteRule litespeed/debug/.*\.log$ - [F,L]
RewriteRule \.litespeed_conf\.dat - [F,L]
### marker ASYNC start ###
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} /wp-admin/admin-ajax\.php
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=async_litespeed
RewriteRule .* - [E=noabort:1]
### marker ASYNC end ###
### marker CACHE RESOURCE start ###
RewriteRule wp-content/.*/[^/]*(responsive|css|js|dynamic|loader|fonts)\.php - [E=cache-control:max-age=3600]
### marker CACHE RESOURCE end ###
### marker DROPQS start ###
CacheKeyModify -qs:fbclid
CacheKeyModify -qs:gclid
CacheKeyModify -qs:utm*
CacheKeyModify -qs:_ga
### marker DROPQS end ###
</IfModule>
## LITESPEED WP CACHE PLUGIN - Do not edit the contents of this block! ##
# END LSCACHE
# BEGIN NON_LSCACHE
## LITESPEED WP CACHE PLUGIN - Do not edit the contents of this block! ##
### marker BROWSER CACHE start ###
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
ExpiresActive on
ExpiresByType application/pdf A31557600
ExpiresByType image/x-icon A31557600
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon A31557600
ExpiresByType image/svg+xml A31557600
ExpiresByType image/jpg A31557600
ExpiresByType image/jpeg A31557600
ExpiresByType image/png A31557600
ExpiresByType image/gif A31557600
ExpiresByType image/webp A31557600
ExpiresByType video/ogg A31557600
ExpiresByType audio/ogg A31557600
ExpiresByType video/mp4 A31557600
ExpiresByType video/webm A31557600
ExpiresByType text/css A31557600
ExpiresByType text/javascript A31557600
ExpiresByType application/javascript A31557600
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript A31557600
ExpiresByType application/x-font-ttf A31557600
ExpiresByType application/x-font-woff A31557600
ExpiresByType application/font-woff A31557600
ExpiresByType application/font-woff2 A31557600
ExpiresByType application/vnd.ms-fontobject A31557600
ExpiresByType font/ttf A31557600
ExpiresByType font/otf A31557600
ExpiresByType font/woff A31557600
ExpiresByType font/woff2 A31557600
</IfModule>
### marker BROWSER CACHE end ###
## LITESPEED WP CACHE PLUGIN - Do not edit the contents of this block! ##
# END NON_LSCACHE
Do not edit anything inside the LSCACHE or NON_LSCACHE markers; the plugin manages these automatically.
Plugin Considerations
- Security plugins: Not required on WPCloud (server-side firewalls provided). Extra security plugins can conflict with permalinks—avoid installing them.
- Caching:
- LiteSpeed Cache — recommended (optimised for WPCloud)
- Third-party caching plugins — not recommended; can cause permalink conflicts
- WordPress default caching — not needed when using LiteSpeed Cache
Check for Plugin Conflicts
- Deactivate all plugins except LiteSpeed Cache
- Re-save permalinks (see Quick Fix above)
- Reactivate plugins one by one
- Test pages after each activation
Adjust .htaccess Permissions (temporary)
If issues persist, set stricter permissions temporarily via cPanel → File Manager:
- Open the site root (
public_html) - Right-click
.htaccess→ Change Permissions - Set to 444 (read-only)
- Test the site
- Revert to 644 after resolving the issue
When to Contact Support
Contact WPCloud if:
- The issue persists after the steps above
- You notice unexpected changes in
.htaccess - Many pages suddenly return 404s
- You need help restoring file permissions
Support portal: https://support.wpcloud.ca/