How do I fix the error 404 message when trying to set up the Wordpress migration to Azure?

Rod Price 20

I have been attempting to set up the Wordpress database in Azure. I think I've tried everything 4 times including recoding bash files. I am not a programmer but bootstrapping this myself. Any help or thoughts on this?

Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-03T21:02:38.33+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,

After migrating WordPress, it's common to face 404 errors due to permalink issues. To address this:

Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks. Without altering anything, click Save Changes. This reloads the permalink structure and will fix 404 errors.

Since you're deploying on Azure, it's necessary to make sure that the server environment is properly set up, check that the mod_rewrite module is active since it's very important for processing permalinks. Make sure the server block has the right configurations to serve WordPress permalinks.

If you've just moved your site or adjusted your domain settings, DNS propagation may be the reason for the 404 errors. Make sure that your DNS records for your domain are properly directing towards your Azure hosting environment, DNS updates can take as long as 48 hours to start propagating, and in that period, you may encounter 404 errors.

View the logs via the Azure portal or your hosting control panel. Search for any warnings or errors that could suggest file path, permission, or missing file problems. Make sure that your WordPress directories and files have the proper permissions assigned to them, usually 755 for directories and 644 for files.

Disable all the plugins temporarily and revert to a default theme (such as Twenty Twenty-One) and check if the problem remains, If the 404 issues are resolved, reactivate each plugin one at a time and revert back to your theme to locate the offending party.

Check the database credentials in the wp-config.php file, make sure the database is available, and no connectivity problems exist.

Also refer to the below documentation:
https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/253245/wordpress-migration-getting-404-errors-only-home-page-works?
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/developer/webapps/iis/deployment-migration/troubleshoot-web-deploy-problems-with-visual-studio#404-not-found
Open-source technologies FAQs for Web Apps in Azure

Hope the above provided information help in better understanding and help you resolve the issue, if you have any further concerns or queries, please feel free to reach out to us.
If the answer is helpful, kindly Upvote it.
Rod Price 20 Reputation points

2025-03-04T14:55:36.83+00:00
Hi Bhargavi,

Thank you for your detailed response and for taking the time to provide troubleshooting steps. I appreciate the guidance on permalink structures, mod_rewrite, and DNS propagation. However, after further investigation, the issue appears to be more fundamental.

Current Issue: PHP & Nginx Missing in Azure App Service

I'm running WordPress on Azure App Service (Linux, PHP 8.2), but:

Nginx is missing – which nginx confirms that it is not installed, and ps aux | grep nginx shows no running process.

PHP is not available – Despite the Azure configuration being set to PHP 8.2, running php -v in SSH returns "command not found."

404 Error Before WordPress Loads – Since PHP is not running, the server is not processing PHP files, leading to a 404 error instead of the WordPress setup page.

Startup Command Update Did Not Fix It – I manually set the startup command in Azure Portal:

bash CopyEdit php -S 0.0.0.0:8080 -t /home/site/wwwroot/

However, restarting the app service did not resolve the issue.

What I Need Help With

Ensuring that Nginx is properly installed and running on Azure App Service.

Verifying why PHP 8.2 is not available in SSH or executing on the server.

Confirming if there is a misconfiguration in how the App Service is handling WordPress requests.

I've reviewed logs in /home/LogFiles/, but there are no PHP or Nginx logs available. The app service seems to be running, but it's not properly serving WordPress.

Any guidance on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again for your help.

Best regards, Rod PriceHi Bhargavi,

Thank you for your detailed response and for taking the time to provide troubleshooting steps. I appreciate the guidance on permalink structures, mod_rewrite, and DNS propagation. However, after further investigation, the issue appears to be more fundamental.

Current Issue: PHP & Nginx Missing in Azure App Service

I'm running WordPress on Azure App Service (Linux, PHP 8.2), but:

Nginx is missing – which nginx confirms that it is not installed, and ps aux | grep nginx shows no running process.

PHP is not available – Despite the Azure configuration being set to PHP 8.2, running php -v in SSH returns "command not found."

404 Error Before WordPress Loads – Since PHP is not running, the server is not processing PHP files, leading to a 404 error instead of the WordPress setup page.

Startup Command Update Did Not Fix It – I manually set the startup command in Azure Portal:

bash CopyEdit php -S 0.0.0.0:8080 -t /home/site/wwwroot/

However, restarting the app service did not resolve the issue.

What I Need Help With

Ensuring that Nginx is properly installed and running on Azure App Service.

Verifying why PHP 8.2 is not available in SSH or executing on the server.

Confirming if there is a misconfiguration in how the App Service is handling WordPress requests.

I've reviewed logs in /home/LogFiles/, but there are no PHP or Nginx logs available. The app service seems to be running, but it's not properly serving WordPress.

Any guidance on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again for your help.

Best regards,
Rod Price
Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-04T21:13:05.1633333+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,

Nginx should be pre-installed in the Azure App Service environment, but you can verify its presence by running which nginx or nginx -v. If these commands return nothing, Nginx may not be installed or running. Checking active processes with ps aux | grep nginx helps determine if it is operational. If it's missing, restarting it using service nginx restart might help. If restarting fails, the App Service might not be provisioning Nginx correctly.

If running php -v returns "command not found," PHP is either missing or not available in the system path. Azure App Service uses PHP-FPM, so you should check for running processes with ps aux | grep php-fpm. If PHP-FPM is not running, restart it with service php-fpm restart. If the issue persists, updating the startup command to /usr/bin/supervisord -c /etc/supervisord.conf in the Azure Portal ensures both PHP and Nginx start correctly.

A 404 error before WordPress loads often indicates misconfigured Nginx rules. Check the configuration files with cat /etc/nginx/nginx.conf and cat /etc/nginx/sites-available/default. If fastcgi_pass is missing or incorrect, create a new Nginx configuration file inside /home/site/wwwroot/ with proper rules. Additionally, regenerating WordPress permalinks in Settings → Permalinks by clicking Save Changes can fix URL rewrite issues. If the issue persists, check the logs at /home/LogFiles/nginx/error.log and /home/LogFiles/php_errors.log to diagnose further.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/appsonazureblog/configure-nginx-for-php-8-linux-azure-app-service/3069373?

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/appsonazureblog/use-php-fpm-log-to-troubleshoot-php-8-linux-azure-app-service/3275136?

if you have any further concerns or queries, please feel free to reach out to us.
Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-05T18:21:41.3033333+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,
Just checking in to see if the above information helped. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Rod Price 20 Reputation points

2025-03-05T22:42:22.8033333+00:00

Thank you for checking in. I thought I had it but still having problems with the WP migration. I went ahead and just created a new resource and was able to create a stock WP site. When I went in to connect my actual WP site that is hosted on Godaddy, I did someting wrong and can't access it. I'm back to square one. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Accepted answer

Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-06T00:20:34.12+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,

Check your domain’s DNS configuration on GoDaddy, when you connect your domain to the new Azure resource, ensure that your domain’s A or CNAME records are updated to point to your Azure App Service. An incorrect DNS setting could mean your domain is still trying to reach your old hosting environment, leading to access problems.

The database migration might have introduced discrepancies, especially if the siteurl and home values in the wp_options table still reference your old domain. Make sure you update these entries to reflect your new Azure-hosted domain. In addition, verify that all WordPress files—plugins, themes, and media uploads—were transferred correctly. A missing or corrupted file could cause the site to fail during startup, resulting in a blank page or 404 errors.

Server-side configuration issues can play a role. Since you initially encountered issues with PHP and Nginx, confirm that your Azure App Service environment is properly configured to handle PHP requests and the necessary rewrite rules. This includes checking that the startup commands are set to load the built-in Nginx and PHP-FPM processes, as well as ensuring that the rewrite rules (in your Nginx configuration or WordPress permalink settings) are correctly directing requests to the proper PHP handlers.

Reviewing the logs in Azure’s Logfiles directory may reveal hidden errors that can guide further troubleshooting.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/quickstart-wordpress

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/migrate-wordpress

If the answer is helpful, please click Accept Answer and kindly upvote it so that other people who faces similar issue may get benefitted from it.

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Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-06T21:57:04.4333333+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,
Just checking in to see if above information was helpful. If you have any further updates on this issue, please feel free to post back.

Bhargavi Naragani 1,370 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-07T18:36:23.7033333+00:00

Hi @Rod Price,
If this answer was helpful and pointed you in the right direction, please consider clicking "Accept Answer"—it may benefit other community members reading this thread. If you have any further questions, feel free to let us know.

Rod Price 20 Reputation points

2025-03-08T15:14:29.75+00:00

Thank you for your expertise and answers. Unfortunately, I think i have reached the limits of my knowledge and skill level. I need to find a professional who can help me complete the migration so I can get moving again.
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How do I fix the error 404 message when trying to set up the Wordpress migration to Azure?

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