If you’ve recently migrated your WordPress website from one hosting provider to another, you may have encountered issues with internal links not working on the site’s internal pages. This can be a frustrating problem, especially when the homepage appears fine while the internal pages show blank links without any error messages.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many WordPress users have faced similar challenges after migrating their websites. In this article, we will explore some possible solutions to fix the issue and ensure that your internal links work seamlessly.
Clear Cache Plugin or Reinstall
One of the common culprits behind internal links not working after a migration is a caching plugin. If you have a caching plugin installed, it’s crucial to empty the cache. Simply disabling the plugin won’t suffice; it needs to be uninstalled properly. In case you’re using a plugin like WP Super Cache, navigate to Settings > Super Cache and empty the cache. Test your website by creating and publishing a new page. If the page loads successfully, you can safely assume that the cache was the problem. Delete the test page and proceed to the next step.
Check .htaccess File
Another culprit that can cause issues with internal links is an incorrect or missing WordPress .htaccess file. To check the file, access your server FTP and look for the .htaccess file in the root folder of your WordPress installation. Ensure that hidden files are displayed. Open the .htaccess file and verify its contents. The default content for a WordPress .htaccess file should resemble the following:
# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress
After confirming the content, navigate your website and check a few internal links to ensure that they are working correctly. If all links function as expected, congratulations – you’ve resolved the issue!
Conclusion
Migrating a WordPress website can occasionally lead to internal link issues, but rest assured, these problems have solutions. By clearing the cache of your installed plugin or reinstalling it and checking the .htaccess file for correctness, you can typically overcome such challenges. With the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and fix internal link errors in WordPress after migration. Happy linking!
