A menu link that worked now gives a 404
The page behind it is unpublished, trashed, or set to an access level you don't have. Also check the trash for an item with the same alias.
Why it happens
A menu item only works while the thing it shows exists and is visible to the visitor. If the article or category behind it was unpublished, trashed, moved or restricted, Joomla answers 404.
Check these
- The content: is the article (or category) still Published, with no expired Finish Publishing date?
- Access: is its Access level something the visitor has (Public for everyone)?
- Language: on a multilingual site, do the menu item and the article have matching languages?
- The trash: an item in the trash with the same alias can clash with the new one. Empty the trash (articles and menu items).
- The menu item: is it still published and pointing at the right article? Open it and re-select the article.
Keep old links working
When you rename or move pages, use System → Redirects (with the System - Redirect plugin on) to send the old address to the new one.
Good to know
- If every page except the home page gives 404, the cause is URL rewriting, not the menu: see "Turning on URL Rewriting broke my site".
Sources
- Managing 404 Errors – Joomla User Guide
- Menu Items – Joomla User Guide
- Access Control – Joomla User Guide
