The Frustrating “Page Not Found” Error: A Step-by-Step Guide to Troubleshooting on Netlify

Have you ever deployed a multipage site on Netlify, only to be greeted with the dreaded “Page Not Found” error when trying to access a specific page? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! This frustrating issue can be caused by a variety of factors, but fear not, dear developer, for we’re about to embark on a journey to troubleshoot and conquer this pesky problem once and for all.

Before We Begin: Understanding the Basics

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of troubleshooting, let’s take a quick look at how Netlify handles multipage sites. When you deploy a site on Netlify, it uses a clever trick called “rewriting” to serve your site’s pages. Essentially, Netlify rewrites the URL of each page to match the file structure of your site. For example, if you have a page called “about.html” in your site’s root directory, Netlify will rewrite the URL to “/about”. Simple, right?

So, What’s Going Wrong?

When you encounter a “Page Not Found” error on a multipage site deployed on Netlify, it usually means that Netlify is unable to find the requested page. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:

• Incorrect file structure or naming conventions
• Misconfigured Netlify settings
• Broken links or redirects
• Corrupted or missing files

In this article, we’ll explore each of these potential causes and provide step-by-step instructions to help you identify and fix the issue.

Step 1: Check Your File Structure and Naming Conventions

The first step in troubleshooting a “Page Not Found” error is to review your site’s file structure and naming conventions. Netlify uses a specific set of rules to determine how to rewrite URLs, so it’s essential to ensure that your files are named and organized correctly.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

• Files or directories with spaces or special characters in their names
• Files or directories with uppercase letters (Netlify is case-sensitive)
• Files or directories with incorrect extensions (e.g., “.htm” instead of “.html”)

To fix these issues, simply rename or reorganize your files to conform to Netlify’s naming conventions. For example, if you have a file called “About Me.htm”, rename it to “about-me.html” and make sure it’s located in the correct directory.

Step 2: Verify Your Netlify Settings

Next, let’s take a look at your Netlify settings to ensure that they’re correctly configured. Log in to your Netlify account and navigate to the “Site settings” section.

Check the following settings:

• Make sure that the ” publishes to” setting is set to the correct directory (e.g., “public” or “dist”)
• Verify that the “index file” setting is set to the correct file (e.g., “index.html”)
• Check that the “404 page” setting is set to a valid file (e.g., “404.html”)

If you’ve made any changes to these settings, save them and try accessing the problematic page again.

Step 3: Investigate Broken Links and Redirects

Broken links and redirects can also cause “Page Not Found” errors on Netlify. To identify and fix these issues, you’ll need to review your site’s code and configuration files.

Here are some common culprits to watch out for:

• Broken internal links (e.g., “About us“)
• Incorrectly configured redirects (e.g., in your “_redirects” file)
• Missing or corrupted files referenced in your code (e.g., images or CSS files)

To fix broken internal links, review your site’s code and update any incorrect links. For example, if you have a link to “/about” but the correct URL is “/about-us”, update the link accordingly.

To troubleshoot redirects, review your “_redirects” file (if you have one) and ensure that the syntax is correct. For example:

https://example.com/about https://example.com/about-us 301

This redirect rule tells Netlify to redirect requests from “/about” to “/about-us” with a 301 status code.

Step 4: Check for Corrupted or Missing Files

Finally, let’s investigate the possibility of corrupted or missing files. This can happen when you upload your site to Netlify, or when you make changes to your code.

To identify corrupted or missing files, you can use Netlify’s built-in debugging tools. In your Netlify site settings, navigate to the “Deploys” section and click on the “Debug” button next to the affected deploy.

This will open a debugging console that shows you a detailed log of the deploy process. Look for any error messages or warnings related to file uploads or processing.

If you find any issues, try re-uploading the affected files or checking your code for errors.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting a “Page Not Found” error on a multipage site deployed on Netlify can be a frustrating experience, but by following these steps, you should be able to identify and fix the issue. Remember to:

1. Check your file structure and naming conventions
2. Verify your Netlify settings
3. Investigate broken links and redirects
4. Check for corrupted or missing files

By methodically working through these steps, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and fix the “Page Not Found” error, and get your site up and running smoothly on Netlify.

Common Causes of “Page Not Found” Errors on Netlify	Troubleshooting Steps
Incorrect file structure or naming conventions	Review file structure and naming conventions, rename or reorganize files as needed
Misconfigured Netlify settings	Verify Netlify settings, update as needed
Broken links or redirects	Review code and configuration files, update broken links and redirects
Corrupted or missing files	Use Netlify’s debugging tools to identify and fix file issues

Remember, troubleshooting a “Page Not Found” error on Netlify requires patience and persistence. By following these steps and using the right tools, you’ll be able to identify and fix the issue, and get your site up and running smoothly.

Happy troubleshooting!

Frequently Asked Question

If you’ve ever tried to access a multipage site deployed on Netlify, you might have encountered the frustrating “Page Not Found” error. Fear not, friend! We’ve got the solutions to get you back on track.