Soft 404 Issues on Newsup Pro Theme – Tried Multiple Fixes, Need Advice

  • Unknown's avatar
    newsfanglednews · Member ·

    Hello WordPress Community,

    I’m experiencing persistent soft 404 errors on my site (https://www.newsfangled.co.uk) while using the Newsup Pro theme (version 3.9.9.39) on WordPress 6.8.2 with PHP 8.0.30. The Issue:

    • When visiting non-existent URLs, instead of returning a proper 404 HTTP status code, the site redirects to the homepage, causing “soft 404” warnings in search console tools.
    • This negatively impacts indexing and SEO.

    What I’ve Tried:

    • Added custom code in functions.php to prevent redirects on 404 pages:

    add_action(‘template_redirect’, function() {
    if (is_404()) {
    remove_all_actions(‘template_redirect’);
    status_header(404);
    nocache_headers();
    }
    }, 1);

    • Verified and updated the 404.php template to ensure it calls status_header(404);
    • Cleared all caching layers (SiteGround cache, Cloudflare CDN, browser cache)
    • Disabled all plugins and switched to default WordPress theme to isolate the issue
    • Reinstalled Newsup Pro theme fully and verified no missing files
    • Enabled WP_DEBUG and checked logs — no fatal PHP errors detected related to 404 handling

    Environment:

    • Hosting: SiteGround with Cloudflare CDN
    • PHP Version: 8.0.30 (considering upgrade)
    • WordPress Version: 6.8.2
    • Theme: Newsup Pro 3.9.9.39

    Question:

    • Has anyone else experienced this issue with Newsup Pro or similar themes?
    • Are there known conflicts or fixes to ensure WordPress returns proper 404 headers instead of redirecting to homepage?
    • Any tips on debugging or server-level settings that could interfere with proper 404 handling?

    Thanks in advance for any guidance or pointers!

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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