The No-More-404s Checklist 

The No-More-404s Checklist

A fun, no-drama WordPress cleanup guide for 404 errors, redirects, and happy SEO.

Print this. Pin it. Screenshot it.
Whisper it gently to your server.

The 10-Minute Triage (Quick Win)

☐ Open your 404 log (WP Admin > Tools > Redirection > 404s)
☐ Sort by Hits (fix what’s actually being visited)
☐ Ignore obvious bot chaos (e.g. /.env, /wp-admin.php, random .phpfiles)
☐ Flag the top 10 URLs real humans might want
☐ For each flagged URL, decide: Restore, Redirect, or Retire

Fix 404s Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind)

For each 404 URL:

☐ Should the page exist? >>> Restore it or fix the broken internal link
☐ Was it renamed / slug changed? >>> Add a 301 redirect (Old > New)
☐ Was it deleted forever? >>> Redirect to the closest relevant page
☐ Is it a missing image/file (/wp-content/uploads/...)? >>> Re-upload OR redirect to correct file
☐ Is it bot garbage? >>> Do nothing (don’t reward chaos with redirects)

Redirect Rules That Don’t Become a Soap Opera

☐ Use 301 for permanent moves (most cases)
☐ Avoid redirect chains: make Old > Final (not Old > New > Newer > Final)
☐ Don’t redirect everything to the homepage (Google calls that “soft 404” vibes)
☐ Test each redirect in an incognito window
☐ Delete redirects you no longer need

One Canonical URL to Rule Them All

☐ Choose your preferred version (recommended): https: //yoursite . com
☐ Make sure HTTP >>> HTTPS happens in one hop
☐ Make sure www >>> non-www (or vice-versa) happens in one hop
☐ In WordPress: Settings > General > Site Address + WordPress Address match

Clean Up Internal Links (The Sneaky Culprit)

☐ Scan for broken internal links (plugin or SEO tool)
☐ Update links to point directly to final URLs (don’t rely on redirects internally)
☐ Check menus + footer links (they generate tons of repeated hits)

Make Google Your Friend Again

☐ Google Search Console > Pages/Coverage > review “Not Found (404)”
☐ Submit a fresh sitemap (via Yoast/Rank Math/etc.)
☐ Request indexing for key updated pages
☐ Wait patiently (Google updates like a sleepy cat)

Shared Hosting Safety Basics

☐ Enable a security plugin (Wordfence or similar)
☐ Turn on auto-updates for WP core + key plugins
☐ Use strong admin passwords + 2FA
☐ Backups. Always backups.

✨ Fleeky

Let me know if you like and use it.

Ps
Instead of a long blog, I made a checklist.

And if you have questions... let me knkw