Title: 404 and permalink structure changes Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # 404 and permalink structure changes * Resolved [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/) * Greetings * under a multi site install, for one site I have changed the permalink structure to * /%category%/%postname%/ * now when I want to view a post, like [http://mydomaine2.com/uncategorized/hello-world/](http://mydomaine2.com/uncategorized/hello-world/) * I have a 404 * I’m quite confused cause if I well understand with Multisite you only have to change the permalink structure to the site option page * `http://mydomaine1.com/wp-admin/network/site-settings.php?update=updated&id=3` * but there is no more change on the .htaccess files to be done * so actually I have no clue where the mistake can come from * I have added my .htaccess in case of * ``` RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L] # uploaded files RewriteRule ^files/(.+) wp-includes/ms-files.php?file=$1 [L] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d RewriteRule ^ - [L] RewriteRule . index.php [L] ``` * thank you very much in advance * Steffy Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251024) * > under a multi site install, for one site I have changed the permalink structure > to > /%category%/%postname%/ * Sidenote – That’s a TERRIBLE permalink structure. It’ll slow your site down. Read [http://ottopress.com/2010/category-in-permalinks-considered-harmful/](http://ottopress.com/2010/category-in-permalinks-considered-harmful/) * On the site you’re having this issue, try changing the permalinks to anything else (like default ?p=123) and if that works, pick one of the standards (like yyyy/mm/dd/postname) and see if THAT works. * Thread Starter [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251033) * Thank you for your answer * I now know it is a terrible permaling structure, I wish I knew it before (I have 2 main sites using this structure, each site has several 100’s posts and I don’t want to loose SEO juice when I will move them to network.. but that is another story) * for my testing site * if I try with /%year% /%postname%/ * webbrowser prints Erreur 310 (net::ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS) : Trop de redirections * if I try with /%post_id% * I have a 404 * if I do: %year% / %monthnum% /%day% /%postname% then it works * if I do : ?p=%post_id% * then it works * so my understanding is that it must come from the url rewrite, hence why I have added my htaccess * but then I’m totally lost on what can I done wrong * cheers * Steffy * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251037) * > I’m quite confused cause if I well understand with Multisite you only have > to change the permalink structure to the site option page > [http://mydomaine1.com/wp-admin/network/site-settings.php?update=updated&id=3](http://mydomaine1.com/wp-admin/network/site-settings.php?update=updated&id=3) * That’s not correct, actually. * Go to subdomain.domain.com (or whatever – mappeddomain.com/ ) and go into wp- admin -> General Settings -> Permalinks 🙂 That’s the same. Change it there and hit save. * Thread Starter [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251074) * YEAH you rock Ipstenu * when configured from the very site, it works !! incredible.. * so it means there is a difference between * [http://domainemother.com/wp-admin/network/site-settings.php?id=2](http://domainemother.com/wp-admin/network/site-settings.php?id=2) * [http://domainedaughter.com/wp-admin/options-permalink.php](http://domainedaughter.com/wp-admin/options-permalink.php) * for my knowledge, when should have change data from site-settings.php?id=2 * Thank you again * Steffy * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251077) * Well I’m 99% sure the difference is that you’re not pressing ‘save’ on the daughter, and thus it doesn’t actually flush the rewrite settings. * Thread Starter [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251101) * I guess you mean the on the mother (site-settings.php?id=2) * I’mp pretty sure I do, I have the message ‘Site options updated’ on top of page after pressed ‘save changes’ * I have done a re-test * and it has the same problem * if I change from site-settings.php?id=2 to /%category%/%postname%/ (I know I must not, just for test) I get a 404 * if I change from from options-permalink.php and have the message ‘Permalink structure updated.’ then it works * so it looks like on the mother it doesn’t actually flush the rewrite settings when I change from site-settings.php?id=2 * is that a normal behaviour, or is there a ‘problem’ in my install? if a problem, how can I investigate and solve it? * Thank you in advance * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251130) * No I mean … * Okay, you have to change the permalinks ON the site you want to change the permalinks. If you want to change daughtersite, you go to daughtersite.domain.com/wp-admin and do it there. * DO NOT change it in the network area. * Thread Starter [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251132) * ok Cristal clear Ipstenu * may I ask them why this field (permalink structure) is an editable field on the network area? if it should not be changed from there, why not a non editable field, so that sup admin can see the info right from his admin panel but can’t mess with it (such like I did) * is there other fields in this network area, that are editable but MUST NOT be modified from there but rather on the daughter site * Thank you in advance, this will help me to screw less things * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251134) * Mmm. * Well it’s there because you CAN change it there, but it doesn’t reset the permalinks( i.e. flush the rules on the server). I’m not sure if that’s a bug or not, though. I’ll play with it more and see! * Pretty much everything in that Options page is ‘Don’t change it unless you HAVE to and even then, not unless you know what you’re doing.’ * There’s an options page in regular WordPress (hidden) and you can shoot yourself in the foot there. * Thread Starter [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * (@freeriders) * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251135) * Thank you for the answer Ipstenu, as of now I will make those changes from the daughter site admin thank * Thank you to better me on my practise, I’m there for this Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) The topic ‘404 and permalink structure changes’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [permalink](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/permalink/) * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/) * 10 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [freeriders](https://wordpress.org/support/users/freeriders/) * Last activity: [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/404-and-permalink-structure-changes/#post-2251135) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics