Issue with 404 Page Redirect & Slug After Theme Update

#1066077
  • Resolved Jessica Guevara
    Rank Math free

    Hi there,

    I recently switched my theme from Astra Pro to Kadence, and since then, I’ve run into an issue with my custom 404 page.

    Originally, my 404 page was published at this URL:
    https://jgpilates.com/404

    After updating the theme, I noticed that the site started redirecting to a new, unexpected page:
    https://jgpilates.com/404-2

    I didn’t create this second page — it just appeared in my Pages list. I tried deleting the new 404-2 version and attempted to reclaim the original slug (404), but it won’t let me. Even though I moved the 404-2 page to Drafts or Trash, it still appears to be active.

    To make things more confusing, I’ve now noticed my XML sitemap is missing too.

    Can you please help me understand:

    Why this duplicate 404 page was created?

    How I can restore or reuse the original /404 slug?

    What could be causing the sitemap to disappear?

    Thanks so much in advance for your help!

    Best,
    Jess Guevara

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Hello,

    We apologize for the issue you are facing with your 404 page and sitemap after switching themes. Thank you for raising this concern.

    Duplicate 404 Page Creation

    The unexpected creation of the 404-2 page could be due to a conflict or a glitch that occurred during the theme update. Sometimes, when themes are updated or switched, they can inadvertently create duplicate pages if the original slug is still in use or if there are settings that conflict with the new theme.

    Restoring the Original /404 Slug

    To reclaim the original /404 slug, you can try the following steps:

    1. Check for Existing Pages: Ensure that there are no other pages or posts using the /404 slug. If 404-2 is still active, it may be necessary to delete it completely from the Trash.
    2. Clear Cache: If you have any caching plugins active, clear your cache to ensure that changes reflect correctly.
    3. Use Rank Math Redirection: If you cannot reclaim the slug, you can set up a redirection from 404-2 to your desired 404 page using Rank Math. You can do this by going to WordPress Dashboard → Rank Math SEO → Redirections and creating a new redirection.
      Redirections
    4. Contact Your Hosting Provider: If the slug issue persists, it might be worth reaching out to your hosting provider to check for any server-side issues.

    Missing XML Sitemap

    The disappearance of your XML sitemap could be related to several factors:

    • Theme Compatibility: The new theme may not be fully compatible with Rank Math or may have settings that conflict with it.
    • Plugin Conflicts: Other plugins may be interfering with Rank Math’s functionality. Try deactivating other plugins temporarily to see if the sitemap reappears.
    • Settings Reset: Sometimes, switching themes can reset certain settings in plugins. Check your Rank Math settings to ensure that the sitemap feature is enabled.

    If you continue to experience issues, we recommend replying to this ticket with your site URL so that a human agent from our support team can assist you further. They will be able to provide more tailored help based on your specific situation.

    Thank you for your patience, and we hope this information helps you resolve the issues on your site!

    Sources:
    What Is a Slug in WordPress? » Rank Math

    Hello,

    We checked your sitemap, and we can see it is working properly without any issues:

    Regarding the 404 page, we were not able to find any redirection. However, can you please confirm if the page only redirects when the Rank Math plugin is activated? You can temporarily disable to Rank Math plugin and check again to see if the issue persists or not.

    Looking forward to helping you.

    Thank you.

    When I typed in a URL that does not exists — Im automatically redirected to this page and I cannot edit this page. this page does not exsist

    Hello,

    The 404 page shown is handled by your theme provider.

    You can set which page can be shown to show the 404 status of your site, depending on your theme.

    However, Rank Math has a 404 fallback behavior feature where you can set that page to show in Rank Math > General Settings > Redirection:
    https://rankmath.com/kb/general-settings/#fallback-behaviour

    Let us know how this goes.

    Hello,

    Since we did not hear back from you for 15 days, we are assuming that you found the solution. We are closing this support ticket.

    If you still need assistance or any other help, please feel free to open a new support ticket, and we will be more than happy to assist.

    Thank you.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The ticket ‘Issue with 404 Page Redirect & Slug After Theme Update’ is closed to new replies.