Title: Edit Permalink Structure problems Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Edit Permalink Structure problems * [kcoombs](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kcoombs/) * (@kcoombs) * [21 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/) * Hi, * I’ve been trying to use the Edit Permalink Structure page under options to create a different structure for my permalinks. However, when I put any of the suggested structures it breaks all the navigation links (archives, catagories) on my site. It also breaks the links to the RSS feed. I’m using WordPress 1.5. I tried the method where you need to add things to your htaccess file and the one where you don’t but neither work. Can anyone help me? * My blog is at [http://www.librarywebchic.net](http://www.librarywebchic.net) * The links are working right not because I don’t have the custom permalink structure turned on. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 21 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/page/2/?output_format=md) * [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/) * (@kafkaesqui) * [21 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162179) * Are you sure mod_rewrite is enabled on your server? Here’s a simple .htaccess you can use to test it: * `Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine on RewriteRule ^home/$ /index.php [L] * With this, if home/ goes to index.php, it’s working. If not, contact your provider to see if they allow it/can turn it on, etc. * [gleem](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gleem/) * (@gleem) * [21 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162209) * I have the same problem, and I use htaccess in several other domains of my server. * when activated links break about 50% of the time * [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/) * (@kafkaesqui) * [21 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162269) * If it’s an off and on issue, see this post for one possible fix (originally for another issue, but you never know which problems are related): * [http://wordpress.org/support/topic.php?id=24402](http://wordpress.org/support/topic.php?id=24402) * Thread Starter [kcoombs](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kcoombs/) * (@kcoombs) * [21 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162579) * The problem isn’t an off and on issue and mod_rewrite is enabled because I have other rewrite rules that work. Also, I’ve tried setting it up using the method that doesn’t require mod_rewrite and that doesn’t work either. I haven’t the foggiest what I am doing wrong. * Are there issues depending on where WordPress is located on the server? * [thinkeric](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thinkeric/) * (@thinkeric) * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162601) * Boy, I’m right there with you. This has been driving me crazy all morning. I’m also trying to get the permalink structure set, this is my goal: * `/%category%/%postname%/` * However, I run into the same 404 issue as described. Trying to troubleshoot a bit, I have been successful with the following: * `/%postname%/` * Just the permalink. * `/archives/%postname%/` * Where I set the category name manually. * `/%monthnum%/%post_id%/` * Two directories generated, including using post_id instead of postname. * In these situations, I am able to go directly to a link without the 404. All hell breaks loose when I invoke the /%category%/ variable, is there somethink I am missing here? * [thinkeric](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thinkeric/) * (@thinkeric) * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162603) * The saga continues. As a follow-up, I’m also unable to get %author% to work. * /%author%/%post_id%/ * Returns the following URL: * `www.mysite.com//02/` * Obivously, 404 material. For some reason, the variable isn’t getting placed here. * [thinkeric](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thinkeric/) * (@thinkeric) * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162614) * Just found the answer to the category issue… * [http://wordpress.org/support/topic.php?id=26870](http://wordpress.org/support/topic.php?id=26870) * [thinkeric](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thinkeric/) * (@thinkeric) * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162615) * AHA! * After initial attempts at getting the Ungreedy plugin to work, I took a look at the php code, trying to figure out what the script actually did. Here’s the fix, your htaccess file must be edited manually. * When using the %category% tag in your permalink manager, here’s how the htaccess file is written… the last nine lines look something like this: * `RewriteRule ^(.+)/page/?([0-9]{1,})/?$ /index.php?category_name=$1&paged=$2 [ QSA,L]` * What you need to do is replace that first (.+) with ([_0-9a-z-]+), so that each line looks similar to this: * `RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-z-]+)/page/?([0-9]{1,})/?$ /index.php?category_name=$1& paged=$2 [QSA,L]` * Once I did this, I was able to eliminate the 404s. Credit this post for the help: * [http://boren.nu/archives/2005/03/07/reduced-rewrite-plugin/#comment-233](http://boren.nu/archives/2005/03/07/reduced-rewrite-plugin/#comment-233) * Thread Starter [kcoombs](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kcoombs/) * (@kcoombs) * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162621) * Okay I’m really frustrated now. I can’t seem to make this work correctly. I’ve even tried the following permalink structure /index.php/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/% postname%/ * This is supposed to work regardless of if mod_write is installed. * From what I can tell my site is on a server running Apache 2.0.46 * Does anyone have other suggestions? * [mahadewa](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mahadewa/) * (@mahadewa) * [20 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162751) * Thinkeric, thanks … your fix work for me. * [mahadewa](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mahadewa/) * (@mahadewa) * [20 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162753) * Well, not exactly 🙁 As soon as I write another post and save it, WP re-writes. htaccess back to the original. * [fromedome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fromedome/) * (@fromedome) * [20 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162754) * The manual .htaccess modification mentioned by thinkeric is the only thing that has been able to solve my /%category%/%postname%/ problem as well. Yet, as mahadewa says, every time I do anything significant with WP, .htaccess reverts to broken mode. * Is there any way to make this .htaccess modification permanent (or at least persistently update those 9 lines), through a plugin or hacking part of WP that writes to . htaccess? * If that sounds like a rhetorical question with a simple (but nonetheless disappointing answer — “not yet!”), it’s meant to be. But seriously, WP’s future as a legitimate CMS depends on this sort of functionality. * [webscriptz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/webscriptz/) * (@webscriptz) * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162759) * is just never workt * [bitweever](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bitweever/) * (@bitweever) * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162760) * Hi folks, I’m new here. Thinkeric’s solution worked for me, and I wanted to make it permanent. The code that writes these rules for .htaccess is in /wp-includes/ classes.php. Look for ‘class WP_Rewrite’, and the definitions start from there. There’s four arrays defined before the first function. You should be most concerned with ‘$rewritereplace’. This corresponds directly to ‘$rewritecode’ above it. In my install (1.5.1.2; I’m not sure if it’s different for 1.5.0 or 1.5.1), category is the 9th item in the array. I changed that from ‘(.+?)’ to ‘([^/]+)’ and it works fine now… * …except for one thing. On the indiviual post pages, the text of the post isn’t showing up. I think it has something to do with the_content() reading the URL, I’m not sure. * [bitweever](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bitweever/) * (@bitweever) * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/#post-162761) * … except this breaks sub-categories. Sorry about that. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 21 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Edit Permalink Structure problems’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 21 replies * 13 participants * Last reply from: [cartermason](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cartermason/) * Last activity: [20 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/edit-permalink-structure-problems/page/2/#post-162794) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics