Nginx: Fix Pagination Page 2 Redirects to Home

In some Nginx configurations, pagination pages such as /?paged=2 or /page/2/ may redirect to the home page if rules are incorrect, especially on search or archive pages.

1. Symptoms

• When accessing page 2 (or 3, etc.) of an archive:
  • The URL changes correctly, but the content remains the first page.
  • Or it redirects to the home page.

2. Ensure Permalink Structure Is Correct

1. Go to Settings → Permalinks.
2. Choose the desired structure.
3. Click Save Changes.

3. Check Nginx Configuration

Ensure the server block includes the main WordPress rule:

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

Nginx configuration tutorial:

• https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/server/web-server/nginx/

If you use custom configuration:

• Ensure no other rule forces page/2 to redirect to root.
• Avoid generic redirects that send all unrecognized requests to the home page without checking the paged query.

4. Restart Nginx

After changing the configuration:

• Reload or restart Nginx to apply changes.

If you don’t have access to the configuration:

• Contact hosting support and explain the WordPress pagination issue.