How to fix 404 errors after moving website files

404 errors after a migration usually mean files were copied into the wrong document root, rewrite rules are missing, or absolute paths inside the application still reference the old location.

Common symptoms

• Homepage works but inner pages fail
• Images and CSS return 404
• The problem started after uploading a backup or archive

Troubleshooting steps

1. Verify the site files are in the active document root for the domain or subdomain.
2. Restore any required rewrite rules, including the application's .htaccess file if it uses friendly URLs.
3. Check the application configuration for hardcoded base paths or URLs that still reference the old environment.
4. For CMS platforms, re-save permalink or routing settings where applicable.
5. Confirm case-sensitive filenames match the actual links on disk, especially if the site was moved from Windows to Linux hosting.

Additional notes

• Linux hosting treats Logo.png and logo.png as different files.
• Migrating only visible files but not hidden files is a common cause of missing rewrite rules.

When to contact support

Contact support if server-side rewrites appear active but friendly URLs still return 404.