Title: &#8220;Update Permalink Structure&#8221; doesn&#8217;t always.
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# “Update Permalink Structure” doesn’t always.

 *  [christined](https://wordpress.org/support/users/christined/)
 * (@christined)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/)
 * It looks like the .htaccess file is not updated if there is no permalink structure
   specified – even if there is a category base, or rules added by plugins.
    —
 * If I go to the permalinks page, and change the category base and leave the permalink
   structure blank; when I click the save button, the message indicating the permalinks
   were updated displays, but the .htaccess file remains unchanged.
 * I’m not sure if this is broken, or whether it was intended to behave like this(
   i.e. only update permalinks when there is permalink structure specified).

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  [carthik](https://wordpress.org/support/users/carthik/)
 * (@carthik)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-249731)
 * Even without auto-updating the .htaccess file turned on, I see that if I leave
   my permalink structure blank, and putting in a new string for the category base,
   I get no rewrite rules to use to update my .htaccess.
 * Looks like a bug, please file a detailed bug report. Any help fixing it would
   be awesome, too.
 *  [viper007bond](https://wordpress.org/support/users/viper007bond/)
 * (@viper007bond)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-249733)
 * If the peramlinks structure box is empty, all permalinks are disabled. This is
   intended.
 *  [pineapplemike](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pineapplemike/)
 * (@pineapplemike)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-249748)
 * i can’t get the button to work either. i always cut and paste the code into .
   htaccess file and upload. it’s quite a pain to have to do it everytime.
 *  [carthik](https://wordpress.org/support/users/carthik/)
 * (@carthik)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-249751)
 * pineapplemike, getting the button to work is a different issue. Set the file’s(.
   htaccess) permissions right, and you can have auto-updated .htaccess files.
 * The question was essentially different.
 *  [echozone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/echozone/)
 * (@echozone)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-250186)
 * I just had the following happen updating from 1.5.1.1 to 1.5.2.
    New .htaccess
   with permissions 666. Options/Permalinks with Structure filled in as in previous
   version, + Category base left blank as in previous version. The same thing happened–
   message permalinks updated, but blank .htaccess file.
 * Tried this many times. If I did not set permissions writable, then I could get
   the text to paste manually, and the permalinks work fine, as far as I can tell.
   I suspect if I add a new page or category, I would have to manually edit the .
   htaccess file.
 * This must be a bug, and I will see if it’s relevant to add to your ticket, Christine
   or open a new one.
 *  [echozone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/echozone/)
 * (@echozone)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-250236)
 * After the initial permalinks creation, does WP only write to (or need to write
   to) the .htaccess file when a new WP Page is created?
 *  [ozgression](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ozgression/)
 * (@ozgression)
 * [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-250263)
 * Can you guys take a look at this thread: [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/42176](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/42176)?
 * I created the htaccess file when i started the site ages ago. So maybe it hasnt
   updated since?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘“Update Permalink Structure” doesn’t always.’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [htaccess](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/htaccess/)

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 7 replies
 * 6 participants
 * Last reply from: [ozgression](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ozgression/)
 * Last activity: [20 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-permalink-structure-doesnt-always/#post-250263)
 * Status: not resolved

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