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If WordPress category links return 404 on Nginx, the usual fault is request routing: Nginx is not sending the category archive URL to WordPress’s front controller. Add the standard try_files fallback in the active server block, then refresh WordPress permalinks. If a PHP page is blank, treat the white screen as a symptom rather than a diagnosis. Check PHP-FPM routing and the WordPress, Nginx, and PHP-FPM logs to identify the actual failure.
Why category URLs fail on Nginx
A WordPress category archive is generated dynamically. The URL may look like a normal directory or file path, but the archive is normally produced by WordPress after its front controller, index.php, receives the request. Nginx must therefore distinguish between files that really exist and pretty URLs that WordPress must interpret.
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Unlike Apache, Nginx has no per-directory .htaccess mechanism. Rewrite and fallback behavior belongs in the Nginx virtual host (the server block) that serves the site. If that active configuration only checks the filesystem, a category slug that has no matching directory or file can stop at Nginx and return a 404 instead of reaching WordPress.
The standard single-site fallback is:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}The first two candidates preserve direct access to real files and directories. The final candidate sends anything else to WordPress’s front controller while retaining the original query arguments. Category archives, post slugs, and other pretty-permalink requests can then be resolved by WordPress.
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What the two symptoms tell you
| Symptom | Most useful interpretation | First evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Category URL returns 404, while the home page works | The request may never reach WordPress because the Nginx location / fallback is missing or the wrong virtual host is active. |
Active server block, document root, and try_files directive. |
| Several pretty URLs fail in the same way | The problem is more likely shared request routing or stale rewrite state than one damaged category. | Nginx routing and WordPress permalink settings. |
| PHP page is completely blank | A white screen is a symptom. Possible causes include a PHP fatal error, database failure, plugin or theme conflict, or incorrect PHP-FPM routing. | WordPress debug.log, Nginx error log, and PHP-FPM log. |
| Requests produce upstream errors or no PHP output | The PHP location may point to the wrong PHP-FPM socket or upstream, or map SCRIPT_FILENAME to the wrong path. |
FastCGI include, socket or upstream definition, and script filename mapping. |
These symptoms can occur together. A broken Nginx fallback explains category 404s, while a separate PHP-FPM path or application error can explain a blank page. Repair the routing layers in order rather than repeatedly resaving permalinks and assuming the server configuration is correct.
Before changing the configuration
- Identify the Nginx virtual host that actually serves the domain. Editing an unused server block will not change live requests.
- Confirm the WordPress document root. It must be the directory containing the site’s WordPress files, including
index.php. - Record the current Nginx, PHP-FPM, and WordPress settings before editing them so you can restore a known working state.
- Make changes one layer at a time. Test a category URL after Nginx routing is corrected, then investigate PHP output if the response remains blank.
The goal is not to make every request run through PHP. Real static files and directories should continue to be served directly; only requests that do not exist on disk should fall through to WordPress.
Repair the Nginx request path
1. Verify the active virtual host
Open the server block selected for the affected domain and check its root value. The root must point to the WordPress installation, not to a parent directory, an old release, or a different site. Also verify that the server block declares index index.php so directory requests can resolve to the WordPress index file.
If the home page appears to work despite a wrong root, do not assume the root is correct. A cached page, a separate virtual host, or a static front page can hide a mismatch. Use the same active server block for the home page and the failing category URL when checking the configuration.
2. Add the front-controller fallback
In the active server block, configure the root location as follows:
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location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}This is the key repair for category links that return 404 because Nginx cannot find a matching file or directory. $uri checks the requested path as a file; $uri/ checks it as a directory; /index.php?$args forwards the unresolved request to WordPress and preserves the query string.
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3. Check the PHP location and FastCGI hand-off
Once Nginx forwards a category request to index.php, the PHP location must pass that script to PHP-FPM or another configured FastCGI upstream. Verify all of the following in the active configuration:
- The FastCGI include used by the site is present and appropriate for the PHP setup.
- The PHP-FPM socket or upstream name exists and matches the service that is running.
SCRIPT_FILENAMEresolves to the actual document root plus the requested PHP script path.- The PHP location is not pointing at an old document root, a different PHP-FPM pool, or a socket belonging to another installation.
A wrong socket or an incorrect script filename can result in blank responses or upstream errors even when the Nginx rewrite is correct. This is why changing WordPress permalinks cannot repair a broken PHP hand-off: WordPress has not successfully executed the request yet.
4. Reload the corrected configuration safely
After editing the server block, apply the configuration using your normal Nginx validation and reload procedure. If the configuration does not validate, restore the previous version and correct the syntax before testing WordPress again. A reload that never completed leaves the old routing rules in place, which can make a correct edit appear ineffective.
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Refresh WordPress’s permalink rules
After the Nginx fallback and PHP path are correct, sign in to WordPress and open Settings > Permalinks. Click Save Changes without needing to change the selected structure. WordPress documents this action as a way to reset its permalink rewrite state.
Saving permalinks updates WordPress’s rewrite rules, but it cannot compensate for a wrong Nginx document root, a missing try_files fallback, or a broken PHP-FPM socket. Perform this step after server routing is fixed, not as a substitute for it.
Test a category archive whose URL previously failed, then test a post URL and the home page. If only one taxonomy or one slug remains broken, continue with WordPress-level diagnosis; if all pretty URLs fail, return to the Nginx location and active virtual-host checks.
Diagnose a blank PHP page instead of guessing
A white or empty page does not identify its cause. It can represent a PHP fatal error, a database failure, a plugin or theme conflict, or a server routing problem that prevents PHP from returning usable output. Turn on WordPress debugging and inspect the resulting wp-content/debug.log together with the Nginx and PHP-FPM logs.
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Use the site’s WordPress debugging settings so errors are written to wp-content/debug.log. Reproduce the blank-page request once, then read the entries created at that time. Match the timestamp and requested URL against the Nginx and PHP-FPM logs. A message that names a plugin, theme file, PHP compatibility issue, database operation, or missing script path gives you a specific branch to follow; an empty application log with an Nginx upstream error points back to server or PHP-FPM routing.
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Do not treat a blank page as proof that WordPress itself is corrupt. The logs separate application failures from a request that never reached the expected PHP script.
Isolate plugins and themes
If the log identifies a plugin or theme, isolate that component and repeat the request. If the page works after a plugin is disabled, the conflict is in that plugin or in its interaction with the current WordPress or PHP environment. If changing the active theme resolves the problem, inspect the previous theme’s PHP code and compatibility. Re-enable components in a controlled order so the failing one is identifiable rather than reintroducing several variables at once.
Check PHP compatibility and memory limits
When the log indicates a PHP compatibility issue or resource exhaustion, compare the site’s PHP version and configured memory limits with the requirements of the installed WordPress version, theme, and plugins. Correct the incompatible component or adjust the server’s permitted memory where appropriate, then reproduce the request and confirm that the original error no longer appears. Do not infer a compatibility problem solely from a blank screen; use the logged error as the trigger for this branch.
Verify WordPress files
If logs point to missing, unreadable, or altered WordPress files, verify the installation files and restore damaged files from a trusted WordPress package or a known-good backup. Preserve site content and configuration while checking the core files. A file check is useful when the failure persists with plugins and themes isolated, but it will not fix an incorrect Nginx root or PHP-FPM socket.
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| Log evidence | Likely layer | Action |
|---|---|---|
| No WordPress log entry, but Nginx returns a category 404 | Nginx request routing | Confirm the active server block, document root, index index.php, and root-level try_files fallback. |
| Nginx reports an upstream or PHP connection problem | PHP-FPM hand-off | Check the FastCGI include, PHP-FPM socket or upstream, and service path. |
| PHP-FPM receives the request but the script path is wrong | SCRIPT_FILENAME mapping |
Map the filename to the real WordPress document root and requested script. |
wp-content/debug.log names a plugin or theme |
WordPress extension or presentation layer | Isolate the named component and retest before changing unrelated settings. |
| The log records a database failure | WordPress database access | Investigate the database error reported at the request time instead of changing rewrite rules. |
| The log records PHP compatibility or memory trouble | PHP runtime or resource configuration | Check the PHP version and memory limits, then correct the incompatible code or permitted limit. |
| Files are reported missing or damaged | WordPress installation files | Verify and restore the affected files from a trusted package or known-good backup. |
The useful distinction is whether the request reached WordPress, reached PHP-FPM, and executed the expected script. Each layer produces different evidence, so the next action should follow the log rather than the visual symptom.
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Common fixes that do not solve the underlying problem
Saving permalinks repeatedly
Resaving Settings > Permalinks can refresh WordPress’s rewrite state, but it cannot create an Nginx fallback or repair PHP-FPM. If the category URL never reaches index.php, repeating this action changes nothing.
Adding an Apache-style .htaccess rule
Nginx does not use per-directory .htaccess processing. A rule placed in that file will not configure Nginx’s server block. Put the fallback in the active Nginx virtual host instead.
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Changing the category slug first
A different slug does not correct shared request routing. When multiple category or post URLs fail, repair the Nginx fallback and refresh permalinks before changing content. Change an individual slug only when logs and routing checks show that the server is already forwarding requests correctly.
Hiding errors without fixing them
Suppressing visible PHP errors may make a white screen look cleaner, but it removes evidence needed to identify the fault. Use logging, reproduce the request, and address the logged PHP, database, plugin, theme, or routing problem.
Validate the repair in the right order
- Open the affected domain through the virtual host whose document root contains the WordPress installation.
- Request a category archive that previously returned 404. Confirm that the root
location /contains the exacttry_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;fallback. - Request a known post URL and the home page to ensure the change did not break real files, directories, or other pretty links.
- Open Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes, then repeat the category request.
- If any PHP response is blank, reproduce it once with debugging enabled and compare
wp-content/debug.log, Nginx, and PHP-FPM timestamps. - Follow the log branch: fix the PHP-FPM socket or script path for upstream errors; isolate plugins or themes for extension conflicts; address PHP compatibility or memory limits when logged; and verify WordPress files when corruption is reported.
A successful repair has both halves: Nginx sends unresolved pretty URLs to WordPress, and the PHP location executes the intended index.php through the correct PHP-FPM endpoint. WordPress’s refreshed rewrite state then determines which category or post archive is rendered.
When to involve a server administrator
Escalate when you cannot determine which Nginx server block is active, do not control the PHP-FPM service or socket, or cannot safely reload the web server. Provide the failing URL, the document root, the relevant location / and PHP configuration, and the matching Nginx, PHP-FPM, and WordPress log entries. That information lets an administrator distinguish a routing edit from an application repair without guessing.
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Quick Recap
Final decision guide
- Only category and other pretty URLs return 404: repair the active Nginx root location and then save WordPress permalinks.
- PHP pages are blank and Nginx reports an upstream problem: verify the PHP-FPM socket or upstream and
SCRIPT_FILENAMEmapping. - PHP executes and the WordPress log names an extension: isolate the plugin or theme, then retest.
- The log names PHP compatibility, memory, database, or file problems: correct that specific condition; permalink changes are unrelated.
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