If you visit /members/, /account/, /@yourhandle/, or any other MemberMode-created page and get a 404 — Page not found, your WordPress rewrite rules are stale. This is a one-time issue that resolves with a single click.
Why it happens
WordPress caches its URL routing rules in wp_options. MemberMode adds new rules whenever:
- You activate a module that introduces a URL pattern (Profiles, Member Directory, Account, Access).
- You change the username slug for vanity URLs.
- You disable the Pretty URLs module then turn it back on.
The plugin tries to flush automatically on activation and on those config changes. Some hosts (and certain caching layers) can prevent that auto-flush from sticking, in which case the new URL pattern returns 404 until you flush manually.
The fix
In wp-admin, go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save changes without changing anything. That single action flushes the rewrite rules cache.
/members/, /account/, /@yourhandle/ should immediately resolve.
You don’t need to repeat this — once the cache is fresh, it stays fresh until something else invalidates it.
When it can recur
A few situations can reset the cache and re-trigger the 404:
- Switching themes — some themes flush rewrites on activation
- Activating other plugins that add CPTs — they may flush on their own activation hook
- Importing a database from another site — option values get overwritten
If 404s come back, the same fix applies: Settings → Permalinks → Save.
What to check first
Before assuming it’s a rewrite issue:
- Did you change the slug for one of MemberMode’s pages? Re-check MemberMode → Settings → Pages that the slug matches the actual page URL.
- Did the page get deleted? MemberMode auto-creates
/account/,/login/,/members/, etc. on activation but does not silently re-create them after deletion. If the page was trashed, restore it from Pages → Trash or recreate it with the matching shortcode. - Is the URL right?
/@username/works only when the Profiles → Pretty URLs option is on. With it off, profiles live under?author=42-style URLs.