Resolving 404 Errors After Changing Your WordPress Login URL with WPS Hide Login

Many WordPress administrators use the WPS Hide Login plugin to enhance their site's security by changing the default login URL. However, a common issue reported in the community is the appearance of unexpected 404 errors in the WordPress admin area (/wp-admin/) after activating the plugin. Users have reported problems accessing specific admin pages, such as the Wordfence firewall settings or user profile editor, even though other admin pages load fine.

Why Do These 404 Errors Happen?

These errors are typically not a bug in the plugin itself but are caused by conflicts with other components on your site. The primary function of WPS Hide Login is to intercept requests to the default login page and redirect them to your new, custom URL. In some cases, this redirection logic can interfere with other plugins or themes that also modify admin URLs or handle permissions in the wp-admin area. This can lead to certain admin pages becoming inaccessible and returning a 404 "Page Not Found" error.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the 404 Errors

If you are experiencing this problem, follow these steps to identify and resolve the conflict.

Step 1: Deactivate WPS Hide Login

The first and most critical step is to test if the plugin is the cause.

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
3. Find WPS Hide Login and click Deactivate.

Once deactivated, try to access the admin pages that were previously returning a 404 error. If they load correctly, it confirms that WPS Hide Login was involved in the conflict. You can now proceed to the next steps to find a solution.

Step 2: Identify the Conflicting Plugin or Theme

Plugin conflicts are a frequent cause of this issue. To find the culprit, you will need to perform a conflict test.

1. Reactivate WPS Hide Login.
2. Deactivate all your other plugins.
3. Check if the 404 errors are resolved. If they are, the conflict is with one of your plugins.
4. Reactivate your plugins one by one, checking for the 404 error after activating each one. The plugin that causes the error to reappear is the source of the conflict.

If deactivating all plugins does not resolve the issue, try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four to rule out a theme conflict.

Step 3: Adjust Your Custom Login Slug

In some instances, the custom slug (the word you chose for your login URL) might be too generic and could conflict with an existing page, post, or endpoint used by another plugin. Try changing it to something more unique.

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings → General.
2. Find the WPS Hide Login section and enter a new, unique login slug.
3. Save your changes and test the problematic admin pages again.

Step 4: Check for .htaccess or Caching Issues

Server-level configurations and caching can sometimes cause persistent 404 errors.

• Clear All Caches: Clear any caching from your WordPress plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache) and also from your server or Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare.
• Refresh Permalinks: Simply visit Settings → Permalinks and click "Save Changes" without making any modifications. This refreshes your site's rewrite rules and can often resolve odd 404 behaviors.

Conclusion

Unexpected 404 errors after installing WPS Hide Login are almost always due to a conflict with another plugin or theme on your site. By systematically deactivating other components, you can identify the source of the problem. Often, keeping all plugins and themes updated to their latest versions can prevent these conflicts from occurring in the first place.