# Fixing 404 Not Found Errors

404 errors are common when setting up custom URL structures in WordPress. Here are the steps to diagnose and resolve them in GravityOps Forum.

## 1. Refresh Rewrite Rules

WordPress stores a cache of all URL structures. If you've just installed the plugin or changed the **Forum Base Slug**, you may need to clear this cache.

-   **The Simple Way**: Go to **Settings > Permalinks** in the main WordPress sidebar and click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the page. You don't need to change any settings; simply clicking save will "flush" the rewrite rules.
-   **The Plugin Way**: Go to the **Configuration** tab in the GravityOps Forum dashboard and click **Save Configuration**.

## 2. Verify Your Permalink Structure

For "Pretty URLs" (e.g., `/forum/general/123`) to work, your WordPress permalink structure must not be set to **Plain**.

-   Go to **Settings > Permalinks**.
-   Ensure that **Post Name** or a custom structure is selected.
-   If you must use **Plain** permalinks, you will need to disable **Enable Custom Rewrite Rules** in the Forum Configuration and use shortcodes on WordPress pages.

## 3. Check for Slug Conflicts

If another page, post, or category on your site uses the same slug as your **Forum Base Slug**, WordPress will get confused.

-   **Check**: Go to **Pages > All Pages** and search for "forum" (or whatever you've set as your slug).
-   **Check**: Look at your trash in Pages and Posts. A trashed page with the same slug can still cause conflicts.
-   **Solution**: Either rename the conflicting page or change your **Forum Base Slug** in the forum settings.

## 4. Shortcode Mode Configuration

If you have disabled **Enable Custom Rewrite Rules**, the forum is only accessible via the pages you've created.

-   **Check**: Ensure you have placed the `[gofrm_index]` shortcode on at least one published page.
-   **Check**: Verify that the plugin has correctly auto-discovered your forum pages in the **Advanced Page Mapping** section of the Configuration tab.
