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How to Fix WordPress Pagination Issues with Pretty Permalinks

24 threads Sep 7, 2025 Core → Installing wordpress

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If you've recently changed your WordPress permalink structure to a more user-friendly format like /%postname%/ and found that your pagination has suddenly stopped working, you're not alone. This is a common issue that can leave users clicking on 'Page 2' only to be redirected back to 'Page 1'. Let's explore why this happens and the most effective ways to resolve it.

Why Does This Happen?

The 'not a valid JSON response' error and pagination redirects when using pretty permalinks (structures without index.php) are typically server-related configuration issues, not a bug in WordPress itself. WordPress generates the correct pagination links, but the web server (often Apache or Nginx) isn't properly handling the requests. The server may be misinterpreting the paginated URL (e.g., example.com/page/2/) as a request for a physical page or post that doesn't exist, leading to a redirect or an error.

Common Solutions to Try

1. Flush Your Permalinks

This is the first and easiest step. Simply visiting your site's Permalinks settings page (Settings > Permalinks) and clicking 'Save Changes' without making any modifications will flush the rewrite rules. This often clears up any temporary conflicts that may be causing the problem.

2. Check Your Server Configuration (Apache)

For Apache servers, the issue is frequently a missing or misconfigured .htaccess file. WordPress tries to create this file automatically, but sometimes it fails if file permissions are too restrictive.

  • Ensure the .htaccess file exists in your website's root directory (the same folder as your wp-config.php file).
  • Verify it contains the correct WordPress rewrite rules. It should look like this: 
    # BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress
  • If the file is missing, create it. If you update it, remember to save it as a plain text file.
  • Finally, set the correct file permissions (usually 644).

3. Check Your Server Configuration (Nginx)

If your site runs on Nginx, the rules are not handled by a .htaccess file but must be added directly to the server's site configuration block. You or your hosting provider will need to ensure the configuration includes a try_files directive similar to the following, which passes all requests that don't match a real file or directory to WordPress's index.php for processing:

location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php$is_args$args;
}

4. Investigate Plugin or Theme Conflicts

Although the root cause is often server-related, a plugin or theme can sometimes interfere with URL rewriting. To test for this:

  1. Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Deactivate all your plugins.
  3. Check if pagination works. If it does, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

When to Contact Your Host

If the steps above don't resolve the issue, the problem likely requires server-level intervention. Contact your web hosting provider's support team. Explain that you are experiencing pagination issues and 'not a valid JSON response' errors after enabling pretty permalinks. They can verify that the necessary rewrite modules are enabled on the server and that the configuration is correct for WordPress.

Successfully resolving permalink and pagination issues usually comes down to ensuring clear communication between WordPress and your web server. By methodically working through these solutions, you can get your site's navigation working smoothly again.

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