Title: Permalink changed after moving website Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # Permalink changed after moving website * [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/) * Hello, * I am having a difficult time troubleshooting a permalink issue. * I recently moved my website and now my permalink setting does not work. * This is what does work: * 1. I was able to move all of the wordpress files from hosting service to my own linux machine. The files including the .htaccess have not been changed. * 2. I was able to move the database to the new machine. It works well. All of the data is in tack. * The only problem I see is that when I test my site the page links don`t point to the correct location. Since I have not changed anything from one machine to the next I would guess that everything should work fine….of course it does not. * I have read through some of the help documentation on permalinks in regards to permission and the type of permalink. Permission is ok as I was able to update the .htaccess file easy enough. * One thing I have noticed …..I am using /%postname%/ in the custom permalink field. I tried changes this to /%month%/%year%/%postname%/ and tested a page. The permalink did change to the new format. However the page was still not loaded. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 21 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/page/2/?output_format=md) * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760671) * Is mod_rewrite running on your server? * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760673) * Yes it is. I double check apache2. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760676) * > the page links don`t point to the correct location * So where do the page links point? * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760679) * Sorry, * The page does point to the corrent location. However no information is displayed. I see a 404 error. * What I see is the following: * Not Found * The requested URL /about-2/careers/ was not found on this server. Apache/2.2.14( Ubuntu) Server at [http://www.XXXX.com](http://www.XXXX.com) Port 80 * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760683) * > I double check apache2 * Did you check your http.conf file? Have you tried running: * `` * as a script on your server? * [Clayton James](https://wordpress.org/support/users/claytonjames/) * (@claytonjames) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760684) * > I was able to move all of the wordpress files from hosting service to my own > linux machine. * This might be an issue: * > [http://www.XXXX.com](http://www.XXXX.com) * Does that represent your old blog address, or the one you use to access wordpress on your local server? * I ask specifically because of a comment from one of your previous topics: * > When I did a search for my site using a browser I typed ” [http://localhost/mywebsite_folder_name](http://localhost/mywebsite_folder_name)” > I was able to see the home page. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760691) * The PHP works…I checked it when I installed the LAMP. * I have other websites that I have started from sratch. These websites use the default permalink, so the issue is still present but they do work. The real issue is when I want to port over an old website, where I want a specific permalink setting. * With the website in question, I am able to see the home page but when I click on a link the page content is not displayed. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760692) * All of my previous topics should be closed. I first started using my localhost during development. However, it introduced some unknown that I would rather not questions. I ended up turning the site on and off. This way I can log into wordpress easier so at least the admin links work. * When testing the permalink issue I am changing the MX records at the DNS server so that the website domain points to the new site. My DNS provider is able to change the MX records very quickly so I can turn a site on and off quickly. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760693) * Note: The text [http://www.xxx.com](http://www.xxx.com) is not my real site…. It is not that I do not trust anyone or my security. I am just following best practices for forum discussions. * [Clayton James](https://wordpress.org/support/users/claytonjames/) * (@claytonjames) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760716) * > Note: The text [http://www.xxx.com](http://www.xxx.com) is not my real site…. > It is not that I do not trust anyone or my security. I am just following best > practices for forum discussions. * Yes. I understand that. That’s why I asked **what it represented**, _“your old blog address, or the one you use to access wordpress on your local server”_, not what it actually was. 🙂 * My point was, that if it is anything other than exactly what is in your wordpress address urls on your local Ubuntu machine – (is that now //localhost/wordpress?)– those instances probably need to be changed in the database. * I don’t think you can have //localhost in your wordpress urls on your local ubuntu server, but still have //www.xxx.com in your database. I’m thinking when you change domains, that you might have to do a search and replace to the new domain name in the database before importing. But, if you are actually pointing your domain to your ip address, maybe it’s another issue. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760726) * Yes, * I am trying very hard not to change the database just to troubleshoot this issue. That would just add an additional level of complexity. * I think it is very weird how when I click on a link on the site that points to a new page I can see the address in the URL address cell however the data is not displayed. * I am thinking maybe the problem is not in the permalink. Maybe that is working fine. Since the permalink address is of the right format that I want. Maybe the problem is in what happens after that. It might be that the database is not being called properly and instead of showing the contents it shows the 404 error. * What would cause this to happen? * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760731) * I tried a new test to determine what might be happen. * I created a new page using wordpress `”New Page”. I create a test page. While it was under construction I was able to “preview” the page. WordPress created a new test URL link to the site. It was of the form [http://www.XXX.com/?page_id=2191&preview=true](http://www.XXX.com/?page_id=2191&preview=true) * HOWEVER…..When I went and published the page the url changed to the expected address. Again the page url that was created appears like this: [http://www.XXX.com/test/](http://www.XXX.com/test/) However, the content shows a 404 error. * I should also mention that the 404 error is only text . the theme of the website is not visible. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760733) * I found something else that might shed some light. * When I changed the permalink back to the default settings….That is of the form [http://www.XXX.com/?p=123](http://www.XXX.com/?p=123) the website works. I am able to see all of the webpages and all of the links work. * When I go back and check the slug for each page. The page slugs have not changed. They are of the form [http://www.pinterec.ca/%postname%](http://www.pinterec.ca/%postname%) NOT of the form [http://www.XXX.com/?p=123](http://www.XXX.com/?p=123) . * **This might indicate a bug in WordPress 3.0.1 ** * I still need this problem solved since I have links around the internet that point to my site. * Does anyone know how to contact the developers of the next release of WordPress? * [Clayton James](https://wordpress.org/support/users/claytonjames/) * (@claytonjames) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760852) * I really doubt it’s a bug related issue at this point. I’m convinced that you are encountering some stumbling blocks with your server administration. * Best of luck with it. * Thread Starter [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * (@spindler) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/#post-1760855) * OK… I agree. I am having some problems with the Linux setup…..What do you think I should check? * Could it be a problem with a permission setting. The only time I can get wordpress to update the .htaccess file is when I set the permission to 777. This tells me that WordPress does not have any user or group permissions. * Do you know how I can change the permission of wordpress so it has a user level permission? Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 21 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Permalink changed after moving website’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [permalink](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/permalink/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 21 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [Spindler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spindler/) * Last activity: [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/permalink-changed-after-moving-website/page/2/#post-1760952) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics