For example, you can use them to sell products in your online store, collect payments, and more.

That’s why we have researched and tested the best WordPress QR code plugins for all kinds of use cases.

In this article, we will share some of the best WordPress plugins that allow you to add unique QR codes to your site.

Why Use a QR Code Plugin?

A QR code (or Quick Response code) is a unique abstract square design, most often black and white, that directs the user to a URL or other data.

You can use WordPress QR code plugins to generate a QR code, which your users can then scan to access information.

QR codes are used in digital marketing and customer service to link directly to online resources, promotions, or product details.

They simplify the user experience by creating a bridge between physical and digital spaces, enhancing user engagement.

Plus, QR codes can potentially boost marketing strategies and improve customer engagement.

How We Tested And Reviewed QR Code Plugins for WordPress

We tested several QR code plugins specifically made for WordPress sites that can help with integration between the online and offline worlds.

When testing the most popular QR code plugins, we thoroughly examined the following criteria:

• Ease of Use: The QR code plugins should be simple to install and configure for WordPress website owners, especially people not well-versed in coding. The user interface should be intuitive, making it easy to generate QR codes even for beginners.
• Features: We consider the range of functionalities offered, such as static vs. dynamic QR code generation, customization options, and data tracking capabilities.
• Reliability: We have only included the plugins that we have tested and reviewed ourselves.
• Free vs. Premium: We explored both free and premium options, considering each’s value proposition and highlighting any limitations of the free versions.

Best QR Code Plugins for WordPress

If you are in a hurry, then take a quick look at our expert picks to make a decision.

Below, you’ll find our expert pick of the best QR code plugins for WordPress. There are both paid and free WordPress QR code plugins, so you can choose a plugin that matches your requirements.

1. Shortcodes Ultimate

Shortcodes Ultimate is a powerful WordPress plugin that lets you add custom shortcodes to your pages. One of these handy shortcodes lets you display a custom QR code on your website.

It allows you to customize the shortcode and add any prompt that you want your users to open by scanning the QR code. You can also customize the size, color, background, and error correction for the QR code.

Pros of Shortcodes Ultimate

• Ready-made shortcodes, including a shortcode template for the QR code.
• Live preview option to see the final result before publishing your content.
• Custom widget to create shortcodes.
• Fully customizable and works with popular WordPress themes.

Cons of Shortcodes Ultimate

• Need a basic knowledge of coding to add custom attributes to your shortcode.
• The premium version is a bit expensive but gives you access to customer support. However, the free version of the plugin lets you create a shortcode to display a QR code.

Why We Recommend Shortcodes Ultimate: Shortcodes Ultimate is a reliable plugin that lets you add a custom QR code to your WordPress site. It offers excellent customization options to change color, size, background, and more for your QR code. Plus, you can easily add data attributes to display a fully customized QR code in WordPress.

Pricing: Starts at $39 per year for a single site license.

2. Automator QR Code Generator

Automator QR Code Generator is an integration for the Uncanny Automator WordPress plugin. It allows you to create automated workflows that involve generating QR codes based on your WordPress website data.

For example, you might use a QR code to store product data from your online store, contain ticket information for your events, or link to student records in your e-learning platform.

While customization options depend on the specific workflow you create, Automator offers control over data used in the QR code (text, URLs, etc.). Additionally, some customization of the QR code itself is possible, such as size and error correction.

Pros of Automator QR Code Generator

• Generate QR codes automatically based on user actions or other events on your WordPress site.
• Integrates with other plugins within the Uncanny Automator ecosystem for powerful automation possibilities.
• It offers some level of customization for the QR code data and its appearance.
• Hundreds of powerful integrations with third-party WordPress plugins and apps, including WooCommerce, LearnDash, and more.

Cons of Automator QR Code Generator

• Setting up automated workflows might require some technical knowledge.
• Customization options are a little limited.

Why We Recommend Automator QR Code Generator: Uncanny Automator is the best WordPress website automation software. Its QR Code Generator automates QR code generation based on your specific needs, saving you time and effort.

Pricing: You will need to buy the Uncanny Automator plan, which starts at $149 per year.

3. Kaya QR Code

Kaya QR Code is a free WordPress QR code plugin. It lets you create and add QR codes to your landing pages, posts, sidebars, and other content areas.

It has a built-in widget that lets you add a QR code in the widget-ready areas of your website. You can also use the shortcode generator to display the QR code anywhere on your site.

Pros of Kaya QR Code

• The customization options include shadowing the image so your QR code stands out.
• It allows you to add an alternate text to the QR code that shows on the mouseover.
• You can make clickable QR codes so the user can click and visit the landing page.
• It’s fully compatible with WordPress multisite network and WooCommerce.

Cons of Kaya QR Code

• The QR code visibility customization options are limited.
• The plugin may not be compatible with all WordPress themes and plugins.

Why We Recommend Kaya QR Code: Kaya QR Code is a free WordPress QR code generator plugin. It gives you the basic options, including generating and adding a QR code anywhere on your WordPress site. What makes it different from QR code plugins is the ability to make your QR code clickable.

Pricing: Free

4. Qyrr

Qyrr is a free WordPress QR code plugin that lets you create, manage, and track QR codes easily. It also allows you to create dynamic QR codes that can be edited without changing the design.

The best part about using Qyrr is that it lets you add your logo or text within the QR code to personalize it.

Pros of Qyrr

• You can fully track how many times the QR code is scanned.
• It allows you to generate QR codes in bulk.
• It lets you export the QR code in an SVG file for HD quality.
• Qyrr is compatible with the WordPress block editor, and you can use a custom block to display your QR code.

Cons of Qyrr

• The free version has limited features, and you’ll need the premium version to access options like dynamic QR code, tracking, and bulk QR code generator.
• The plugin has a bit of a learning curve and may not be as beginner-friendly as some of the other QR code plugins on this list.

Why We Recommend Qyrr: Qyrr has a free plan with basic features, and its premium plan comes with dynamic QR codes, tracking and management, and a bulk QR code generator. There is also a lifetime plan, which means you can buy the plugin once and use it forever.

Pricing: Free. The premium plans start at $39 per year for a single-site license. For the same license, you can pay $119.99 to get lifetime access.

5. QR code MeCard/vCard

QR code MeCard/vCard is a free WordPress QR code plugin built to share your contact information with users. You can add the QR code to your WordPress site using a shortcode or custom widget.

The plugin lets you generate a QR code containing your personal information, such as your contact number, email address, and other details, in the MeCard or vCard format. Your website visitors can then scan the QR code and save the contact information to their address book.

Pros of QR code MeCard/vCard

• Supports the latest versions of MeCard and vCard to share contact information with users.
• QR codes are fully customizable, allowing you to add your logo, change color, and modify the size.
• It lets you create a QR code with your existing user profile in WordPress.
• Easy to add the QR code on your website pages or posts using a shortcode or widget.

Cons of QR code MeCard/vCard

• Limited to sharing contact information and doesn’t offer advanced features.
• There’s no analytics or data on how many people are saving your contact details using the QR code.

Why We Recommend QR code MeCard/vCard: QR code MeCard/vCard is a simple and free WordPress plugin for sharing contact information with users. It lets you add QR codes to your pages, posts, sidebar, footer, and any widget-ready areas. Your users can then scan and save your contact information to their address book instantly.

Pricing: Free

6. AffiliateWP

AffiliateWP is the best WordPress affiliate management plugin on the market. It lets you create referral links, affiliate banners, and affiliate QR codes to reach a wide audience and increase your sales.

The plugin comes with powerful affiliate growth tools, including email marketing integration to grow your affiliate program. It also supports dozens of languages so that you can set up and manage the affiliate program in your language.

For more details, see our guide on how to easily add an affiliate program in WooCommerce.

Pros of AffiliateWP

• Create custom QR codes for your affiliate links.
• Share the QR codes on your business cards to get offline clicks.
• 1-click payouts to your affiliate partners with Stripe or PayPal.
• Complete and detailed affiliate reports to improve your affiliate program.

Cons of AffiliateWP

• QR codes can take up more space on your website than simple affiliate links.

Why We Recommend AffiliateWP: AffiliateWP is the best affiliate management plugin for WordPress sites. It comes with powerful features to set up and run your affiliate program. For example, it allows you to create affiliate links, affiliate landing pages, and QR codes to grow your business.

Pricing: The personal plan costs $149.60 per year. However, you’ll need their Plus plan to create affiliate QR codes and access growth tools, which costs $199.60 per year.

7. UPI QR Code

UPI QR Code is a free WordPress QR code plugin for WooCommerce stores. It lets you accept instant payments from customers by showing a unique QR code on the checkout page.

The plugin is built for digital payments in India and works with all UPI (Unified Payments Interface) apps working in the country, including Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, and more.

Your customers can scan the QR code, enter their PIN code, and the payment will be deposited in your bank account right away.

Pros of UPI QR Code

• Instant payments and no transaction fees on any payment.
• Works with all UPI apps, allowing users to choose their favorite payment app to pay in your online store.
• Out-of-the-box integration with WooCommerce and beginner-friendly.
• Built for small businesses with no hidden charges and completely free.

Cons of UPI QR Code

• It is limited to UPI payments and doesn’t allow other payment methods like credit cards.
• It accepts payment in Indian Rupees, which means no international currency is accepted. It is also limited to Indian eCommerce stores.

Why We Recommend UPI QR Code: UPI QR Code is a powerful plugin that easily integrates with WooCommerce. If you’re running an online store in India, then this plugin can help you accept payments without any transaction fees or hidden charges.

Pricing: Free

8. Pretty Links

Pretty Links is the best WordPress affiliate link management and URL shortener plugin. It lets you create custom checkout links for your WooCommerce store and convert your links into QR codes using a third-party QR code plugin.

The plugin allows you to shorten your long affiliate links. You can also add branding to your links so they look professional when you share affiliate links on your social profiles and other platforms.

Pros of Pretty Links

• Easy integration with QR code plugins like Kaya QR Code and Qyrr.
• Allows you to create trackable QR codes for your affiliate links.
• You can create custom redirect links to send users to your landing pages and get additional information before making a sale.
• Tracks your affiliate links to see which campaign is performing best.

Cons of Pretty Links

• You will need a third-party WordPress QR code plugin to create and share QR codes with Pretty Links.

Why We Recommend Pretty Links: Pretty Links is the best WordPress URL shortener plugin. It can convert your long, unappealing affiliate links into customized, beautiful URLs. You can connect it with a QR code plugin like Kaya QR or Qyrr to create trackable QR codes for your affiliate links.

Pricing: The beginner plan costs $99.60 per year for a single site license.

9. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation and conversion optimization software on the market. It lets you create beautiful popup campaigns that display a custom QR code that redirects users to register for an event, download an ebook, or get a discounted offer on your products.

It comes with hundreds of ready-made templates for popup campaigns. To boost your traffic and revenue, you can quickly create a lightbox popup campaign, add a QR code, and choose your target audience.

Bonus Read: How We Increased Our Email Subscribers by 600% with OptinMonster

Pros of OptinMonster

• Powerful conversion optimization that helps generate leads and increase your sales.
• Exit-Intent technology that triggers a popup when your user is about to leave your website.
• Page-specific targeting allows you to display popup campaigns where you need them, giving you complete control over your marketing campaign.
• It comes with MonsterLinks clickable links that open personalized optin popups when clicked. You can show a QR code when the user clicks a link to increase engagement.

Cons of OptinMonster

• It’s not a typical QR code plugin. You’ll need a third-party WordPress QR code plugin to generate a QR code and use it with your popup campaign.

Why We Recommend OptinMonster: OptinMonster is the best lead generation software. It comes with beautiful and responsive popup campaigns that look good on any screen size or device. You can add pre-generated QR codes to your marketing campaigns, which are easy to scan from mobile devices. QR codes are also trackable, so you’ll know exactly how many people are interacting with them.

Pricing: The basic plan costs $9 per month (billed annually) for a single site license and lets you build lightbox popup campaigns.

Bonus: WPForms

WPForms is the best contact form plugin for WordPress. It comes with thousands of ready-made form templates, including payment forms for Stripe and PayPal.

You can use a third-party plugin to make a QR code for your payment form and add it anywhere on your WordPress site. It will allow you to accept online payments quickly.

Moreover, you can create a simple order form and add the payment QR code to your WordPress form. After filling out the order form, the user can scan the QR code and pay using their preferred payment method.

Pros of WPForms

• Powerful integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and other payment methods.
• Ready-made payment forms for different online businesses.
• Drag and drop form builder to customize any form without coding.
• Form widgets and shortcodes to add forms anywhere on your WordPress site.

Cons of WPForms

• WPForms doesn’t come with a built-in QR code generator. However, you can use a third-party plugin to add QR codes to your WordPress forms.

Why We Recommend WPForms: WPForms is the most popular and best WordPress form plugin on the market. It supports popular payment methods and integrates with dozens of QR code services to accept online payments quickly.

Pricing: Starts at $49.50 per year. For payment methods, you’ll need the WPForms Pro plan, which lets you add the WordPress form plugin on up to 5 sites.

Which Is the Best QR Code Plugin for WordPress?

We recommend Shortcodes Ultimate as the best WordPress QR code plugin. It lets you create custom QR codes and edit their color, size, and background to match your brand.

Alternatively, if you want to automate workflows with hundreds of integrations using QR codes, then Automator QR Code Generator by Uncanny Automator is the best choice. It lets you manage shopping cart payments, membership sites, learning management systems, and more.

Kaya QR Code Generator and Qyrr are also great free WordPress QR code plugins. Both free QR code plugins seamlessly integrate with your favorite affiliate services, email marketing services, and other WordPress plugins.

We hope this article has helped you find the best QR code plugins for WordPress. You may also want to check out our other WordPress guides for growing your business.

Best WordPress Guides for Your Website

• How to Add Stripe QR Code Payment in WordPress
• How to Generate and Add QR Codes in WordPress (Easy Tutorial)
• How to Accept SEPA Payments in WordPress (Easy Ways)
• How to Accept Giropay Payments in WordPress (The Easy Way)
• How to Accept Affirm Payments in WordPress (Easy Methods)
• How to Easily Accept Bitcoin Payments in WordPress (Step by Step)
• Best Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses
• Best Business Phone Number Services for Small Businesses

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best QR Code Plugins for WordPress (Expert Picks) first appeared on WPBeginner.

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users curate and share inspirational content through ‘pins’ while exploring a wide range of ideas from creators worldwide.

Most Pinterest users are highly engaged, with recent statistics showing that together, they bookmark a whopping 1.5 billion pins per week. Plus, they don’t just passively scroll through their feeds, either. Many Pinterest users utilize the social platform actively to solve problems, find inspiration, and plan projects.

All of this adds up to Pinterest being a great tool for increasing your blog’s visibility, driving traffic to your website, and engaging with motivated users. My own research and experience of running websites confirms this.

In this article, I’ll show you how to use Pinterest to massively boost your blog traffic.

Here’s a list of the topics I’ll cover in this article. Just use the links below to jump to the section you’re most interested in:

1. Create and Optimize a Pinterest Business Profile

If you want to promote your blog content on Pinterest, then the first thing you will need to do is create an account and optimize your Pinterest profile so that it’s visible and discoverable.

Create a Pinterest Business Account

When signing up, make sure you sign up for a free Pinterest Business Account.

This will give you the features you need, like rich pins and analytics. A business account will also give you the option to make your content more visible using paid ads and promoted pins.

If you already have a personal Pinterest account, then you can easily convert it to a business account using the ‘Convert to business’ option from the drop-down menu in the right corner of your Pinterest profile.

Optimize Your Pinterest Business Profile

Next, you need to optimize your Pinterest profile to make it easier to discover. Make sure you add a suitable profile name and a short description that lets Pinterest users know about your blog.

And make sure you use a professional profile picture and header image. For brand consistency, it’s normally best to use your business logo as your profile picture.

Claim Your Website

Finally, you need to claim your website. This shows that you are the owner of your blog, which gives you more credibility and boosts your content’s visibility.

This will let you see how often your content is shared on Pinterest. It also shows people where to find more information about you since your Pinterest profile will be linked to any pins that share content from your site.

For more information, just see this guide on how to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest.

Here’s the Pinterest business profile of one of my clients who gets a lot of traffic from Pinterest.

Their profile picture, header image, and name are on brand and they show a clear and simple description of their blog. Plus, under that, you can also see that they have claimed their website.

2. Create Attention-Grabbing Pins on Pinterest

Now that you’ve created a Pinterest Business account and profile page, you can start to add content that promotes your blog on Pinterest.

Create Pinterest Boards to Mirror Your Blog’s Main Categories

First, you need to create some Pinterest boards to store your content. You can think of these as corkboards that you pin things to.

I recommend you create a board for each of your main blog categories. This will make it easy to know which board to choose when pinning your posts.

Then, make sure you give them catchy names and use an eye-catching image.

Create Pins With High-Quality Images

Pins are visual bookmarks on Pinterest, like pinning an interesting magazine clipping onto a pinboard. As a blogger or website owner, they are bite-sized pieces of content that link back to your blog posts.

Remember that Pinterest is a very visual platform, so your pins will need to feature high-quality, attention-grabbing images that stand out. Aim for professional, bright, and visually appealing photos or graphics that match your blog’s brand or niche.

You can generate images using AI or image editing software such as Canva or one of its alternatives. You will need to use imaging editing software if you’d like to overlay text.

Pinterest will automatically scale your images to fit their grid. I find that vertical images with a 2:3 aspect ratio perform best, and JPG images less than 20 MB in size are recommended.

Next, you need to add a title, description, and link. You can use the title and meta description from your post or customize them for Pinterest. Make sure you highlight the blog post’s topic or a key benefit of reading it.

In the next section, I’ll share my favorite tips on how you can optimize your pins for Pinterest SEO to make them more discoverable.

Use Rich Pins to Automatically Pull Metadata From Your Blog Posts

You can save time creating content on Pinterest by using rich pins for articles, recipes, and products. These automatically pull metadata straight from a website URL.

Rich pins help your content stand out and get noticed. The extra metadata can encourage users to visit your website, boosting your traffic.

For example, here’s a recipe rich pin from my client, Pinch of Yum. When you hover your mouse over the image, you will see a button that takes you straight to the recipe on their website.

To use this Pinterest feature, you need to add Open Graph metadata to your website so that Pinterest and other social media websites can get information about your WordPress posts.

This can become quite technical, so I suggest using All in One SEO, a popular WordPress SEO plugin that can enable Open Graph markup with a simple setting.

Or if you have a cooking blog, then you can also use the Tasty Recipes plugin on your website to easily create recipe rich pins.

3. Optimize Your Pins and Boards for Pinterest SEO

Remember that Pinterest is part social media platform and part search engine. That means it’s important to consider Pinterest SEO when creating your pins.

Optimizing your pins for Pinterest search is very similar to optimizing your posts for search engines like Google. The goal is for your pins to appear near the top of the results when users search Pinterest using related keywords.

Here are my top tips:

• You’ve already done lots of keyword research when planning your blog content. You can use these same keywords to optimize your pins and boards on Pinterest. Make sure you include those keywords in your pin titles and descriptions.

• On Pinterest, I strongly recommend including your primary keywords in the first sentence or two of your pin description. Pinterest considers this for search rankings.

• Better still, use 2-5 relevant hashtags in your pin descriptions. Pinterest hashtags act like keywords and can improve the ranking of your pins. They’re also used when Pinterest decides which content to recommend to users interested in similar topics.

Would you like to see more hints on creating high-ranking pins? I asked my team to put together a post listing the most helpful Pinterest SEO traffic secrets.

4. Consistently Pin and Engage With the Pinterest Community

Boosting traffic with Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take patience and consistent effort to see results.

I carefully studied Pinterest traffic to several blogs over a number of years. In my experience, you can expect it to take 6 months or more before you see results.

This means you will need to regularly create high-quality, engaging content on Pinterest and take time to engage with interested users on Pinterest.

Regularly Promote Your Blog Posts on Pinterest

I’m often asked about the ideal frequency of posting on Pinterest. Well, there’s no magic number, but I find that aiming for 5-10 pins per day is a great starting point for maintaining visibility.

This can include links to your own content and re-pinning relevant pins by other users. Make sure you spread the pins out throughout the day, and I don’t recommend pinning the same blog post more than once a week or it can look spammy.

Now, 5-10 pins per day sounds like a lot of work, so many of my clients use tools like Tailwind, an online tool that lets them create pins in batches and schedule them in advance.

You can also use the Tasty Pins plugin to pin your content straight from your blog.

Like and Comment on Relevant Content From Other Users

You should also regularly engage with Pinterest users who have an interest in your blog’s topic.

These users may be commenting on your pins, so be sure to respond by thanking them for their comments and answering their questions.

You can also find like-minded Pinterest users by searching for pins using the same keywords and tags as yours and then engage with them by liking and commenting on their pins.

Building relationships with these users may encourage them to check out your profile and potentially your blog.

Like retweeting on X (Twitter), you can also repin content from other users when you feel it aligns with your brand and resonates with your followers.

This can build trust and establish you as a credible source of information because you’re not just promoting your own blog or pushing your own agenda.

Participate in Group Boards Relevant to Your Blog Content

Another way to establish yourself as an authority and collaborate with other Pinterest users is by joining or creating group boards around your blog’s niche.

These are shared spaces on Pinterest that can expose your pins to a wider audience interested in the topic. More users seeing your pins means more traffic to your blog.

5. Make Your Blog Content Pinnable to Encourage Sharing

The good news is that you don’t need to do all of the work promoting your blog on Pinterest. To get the maximum exposure, you need to make it easy for your readers to pin your content, too.

The best way to do that is to display a Pinterest button on your images. These appear automatically when you hover your mouse over an image.

Pinterest hover buttons drastically simplify the task of pinning your content. Users simply click the button and then choose which board to pin the post to.

You can create these buttons by adding code to your website. However, in my experience, most users find it easier to use a plugin like Tasty Pins.

The plugin doesn’t just add a Pinterest button to each image on your website. It also displays a follow box that invites your website visitors to follow you on Pinterest.

Besides that, Tasty Pins lets you customize the title, description, and style of each pin right from the WordPress editor and use image dimensions that work best with Pinterest.

For more options, you can see the WPBeginner guide on how to add a Pinterest “Pin It” button in WordPress.

6. Track Your Success Using Pinterest’s Analytics Dashboard

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Luckily, it’s easy for business users to access Pinterest analytics to track their performance and identify what’s working and what’s not. This will let you adjust your strategy over time to optimize your pins for maximum traffic.

By carefully studying your Pinterest analytics, you can discover the pins that get the most impressions and clicks and the optimal time of day for maximum pin engagement.

You can then use these insights to boost your blog traffic from Pinterest. For example, if your most successful pins are about a certain topic or niche, then you can focus on creating posts and pins on the same topic.

I hope this post got you thinking about using Pinterest to drive more traffic to your WordPress blog. You may also want to see these guides on how to double your SEO traffic in 6 months and the best WordPress plugins to quickly help you get more traffic.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Is Pinterest Dead? How to Supercharge Pinterest Traffic to Your Blog first appeared on WPBeginner.

The file tells how to handle things like permalinks and security measures. Unfortunately, this file can get corrupted for various reasons, leading to issues like broken links or a white screen of death.

Our experience in the WordPress industry has taught us that editing the file can be tricky, especially for beginners. But don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to access the file easily and make changes to resolve any issue.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to fix the WordPress .htaccess file.

Here is a quick overview of everything we will cover in this guide. You can click the links below to jump to any section:

What Is the .htaccess File?

The .htaccess file is a hidden configuration file that plays a vital role in how your WordPress site operates. It’s essentially a set of instructions for the Apache web server, the software that is typically run by your WordPress hosting.

One of its core functions is creating user-friendly URLs for your blog posts and pages. These are the clean and descriptive addresses you see in your browser bar instead of long, cryptic strings.

You can also use a .htaccess file to set up security measures like password-protecting certain directories or blocking access attempts from suspicious IP addresses.

Besides that, some plugins use .htaccess to implement caching, which can improve your site’s loading speed.

That said, let’s look at some of the signs that’d tell your .htaccess file needs fixing.

How to Tell If Your .htaccess File Is Corrupted

The .htaccess file might become corrupted for a few reasons. It could be due to a plugin conflict, accidental edits, or even a server glitch.

Here are some signs you might notice on your WordPress site that suggest the .htaccess file is broken:

• Broken links: A broken link occurs when the user is not taken anywhere, or they see strange error messages.
• White screen of death: This is when your website displays nothing but a blank white screen.
• Plugins not working properly: Some plugins rely on specific instructions in the .htaccess file to function correctly, but due to an error, they don’t perform as they’re intended.

Now, let’s look at different ways you can access and edit the .htaccess file in WordPress.

How to Access and Fix .htaccess File in WordPress

The .htaccess file is located in the root directory of your website. There are different ways to access and edit the file.

For instance, you can use the hosting provider’s cPanel and access the file using the File Manager. You can also connect to your site using an FTP client and view different files and folders. Another way is to use a plugin to view and edit the .htaccess file content.

Let’s look at each of these methods in detail.

1. Fix .htaccess File using File Manager or FTP Client

If you’re unable to access the WordPress dashboard, then you can use a File Manager or FTP service to locate the .htaccess file.

To start, you can open cPanel of your WordPress hosting service. For example, in Bluehost, you can open the website settings.

After that, you’ll need to switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab.

From here, scroll down to the ‘cPanel’ option and click the ‘Manage’ button.

Once the cPanel opens, you can navigate to the ‘Files’ section.

Go ahead and click the ‘File Manager’ option.

Next, you will see different files and folders on your website.

The .htaccess file is located in the public_html folder. Simply open the folder from the menu on the left and scroll down to find the .htaccess file.

You can then right-click the .htaccess file and select the ‘Edit’ option to fix any issues.

Note: If you cannot find your .htaccess file, then see our guide on how to find the .htaccess file in WordPress.

Next, a popup will open, warning you to back up the original file before editing. Go ahead and click the ‘Edit’ button.

On the next screen, you will see the .htaccess file editor.

Here, you can make changes and fix the file. For example, you can check for any typos, incorrect syntax, or incompatible code that can cause errors.

Alternatively, using an FTP (file transfer protocol) client is another option for accessing the file.

You can find the file in the root directory. Simply right-click the .htaccess file and click the ‘View/Edit’ option.

If you haven’t used FTP before, then please see our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.

Next you can edit the file in notepad software on your computer.

Once you’ve fixed the .htaccess file, you can upload it back to the root directory using the FTP service.

2. Fix the .htaccess File Using a Plugin

If you’re able to view the WordPress dashboard, then another way of accessing and editing the .htaccess file is by using a plugin like All in One SEO (AIOSEO).

It is the best SEO plugin for WordPress. It helps you optimize your site for search engines without any technical knowledge. The plugin offers various tools, including a robots.txt editor, a .htaccess editor, database tools, and more.

To start, you’ll need to install and activate the AIOSEO plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you will see the welcome screen and AIOSEO setup wizard. Simply click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button and follow the onscreen instructions.

For more details, please see our guide on how to set up All in One SEO for WordPress correctly.

Next, you can head to All in One SEO » Tools from the WordPress admin panel and switch to the ‘.htaccess Editor’ tab to edit the file’s contents.

Once you’ve made changes and fixed the file, simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the top.

Common Issues to Fix in WordPress .htaccess File

Now that you know where to find the .htaccess file and how to edit it, let’s look at different issues you can fix in the file.

1. Fixing 500 Internal Server Error

A 500 internal server error in WordPress is a general error message that indicates the server encountered an unexpected problem and couldn’t fulfill your request. It’s like a cryptic message from your website saying something went wrong, but it doesn’t give specific details about what.

The error message also looks different depending on the web server software (Nginx or Apache) your site uses. For example, here’s how it looks when using Ngnix and Google Chrome.

This error can be caused by a corrupted .htaccess file. You can fix the error by replacing the existing file with a new one.

Simply access your website’s root folder using an FTP client. Then, rename the current .htaccess file so it’s available as a backup and WordPress cannot recognize it. After that, create a new file in the directory and name it a ‘.htaccess’ file.

Now, open the new file and edit it.

Go ahead and enter the following code in the file:

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

For more details, please see our complete guide on how to fix the 500 internal server error in WordPress.

2. Fixing Error Too Many Redirects Issue

The ‘Error too many redirects’ usually occurs due to a misconfigured redirection issue in WordPress. This leads to a redirection loop, and you’ll see this error in the web browser.

One of the to fix this issue is by resetting the .htaccess file in the root directory.

First, you’ll need to visit the root directory of your site using an FTP client or File Manager. Next, locate the .htaccess file and delete it. Now, try visiting your website to see if the redirect error is fixed.

Since you just removed the .htacess file, you’ll need to recreate it. WordPress automatically creates one for you. To make sure it does, simply visit the Settings » Permalinks page from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom.

To learn more ways to fix the issue, please see our guide on how to fix error too many redirects issue in WordPress.

3. Fixing Posts Returning 404 Error

Another issue you can fix through the .htaccess file is the posts returning 404 errors. Usually, a corrupted or missing .htaccess file can cause this error.

To resolve this issue, you’ll need to update the file from the root directory and change the file permissions. Simply locate the file using an FTP client, right-click the file, and then select the ‘File permissions’ option.

Next, you will see different settings to change for the .htaccess file.

Go ahead and make the file writeable by changing its permissions and entering ‘666’ into the ‘Numeric value’ box. Once that’s done, click on the ‘OK’ button.

For more ways to fix the issue and complete steps, you may want to see our guide on how to fix WordPress posts returning 404 error.

There are many other errors that can occur on your site, and you might need to fix the .htaccess file. See our complete list of the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

Bonus: Hire a WordPress Support Agency

Working with a .htaccess file can be tricky because it sometimes involves editing code, and accessing the file can be stressful for beginners.

This is where a WordPress maintenance and support agency can help you out. You can hire WordPress experts who can fix the .htaccess file and handle everything for you.

For example, we offer Premium WordPress Support Services. For a one-time fee, our experts can fix errors and other issues on your website, including problems with .htaccess.

Alternatively, if you are looking for ongoing help, then our WPBeginner Pro Maintenance Services could be a better fit.

We have over 16 years of experience, having helped 100,000+ users with WordPress and fixing their sites.

Our team of professionals is available 24/7 to ensure your site functions properly. We will check whether the .htaccess file is correctly configured or what needs to be fixed so that your visitors have a great website experience.

You will also get access to core maintenance tasks like backups, security updates, plugin troubleshooting, theme customization, and on-demand support. 

You can also get other services for your WordPress website. See our complete list of WPBeginner Pro Services.

Additional Resources for the WordPress .htaccess File

• How to Stop WordPress From Overwriting .htaccess File
• How to Limit Access by IP to Your wp-login.php file in WordPress
• Most Useful .htaccess Tricks for WordPress
• How to Redirect a Page or URL in WordPress (2 Methods)
• How to Fix Fatal Error: Maximum Execution Time Exceeded in WordPress

We hope this article helped you learn how to fix the WordPress .htaccess file. You may also want to see our guide on eCommerce maintenance tips and our expert pick of the best WordPress support agencies.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Fix the WordPress .htaccess File (Beginner’s Guide) first appeared on WPBeginner.