Why am I getting a 404 error on my Webflow collection pages despite having the template page built out and linked to the fields?

If you’re seeing a 404 error on your Webflow Collection Pages even though the Template Page is designed and fields are connected, it typically points to an issue with the Collection Items themselves, not the template. Here's how to troubleshoot:

1. Check if Collection Items Are Published

• Verify that at least one item in the Collection is created and set to Published status.
• If all items are in Draft or Archived, Webflow won't generate live URLs, and visiting their slugs will trigger a 404 error.

2. Confirm Collection Item Status

• Go into the CMS collection inside Webflow Designer or Editor.
• Make sure the items you want are not tagged with Draft or Archived.
• If needed, publish the Collection Items individually or through the Site Publish button.

3. Verify the Item Slug

• Check that the Collection Item’s Slug field (URL) is correctly populated and doesn’t contain invalid or restricted characters.
• Avoid spaces, special symbols, or duplicate slugs (each item’s slug must be unique).

4. Re-Publish Your Website

• After updating Collection Items, click the “Publish” button and publish the site again.
• Sometimes, even minor CMS updates require a full-site publish to reflect properly online.

5. Check for Custom Domain Configuration Issues

• If you're visiting the page under a custom domain, ensure your DNS setup is correct and the domain is fully connected, or fallback pages might trigger unexpected 404 errors.
• Try checking the Collection page under the Webflow.io staging domain to isolate whether it's a domain or Webflow publishing issue.

6. Confirm Collection Page Settings

• Open the Pages Panel.
• Under Collection Pages, confirm that you have the correct Template Page designed for that Collection.
• Even if the page design exists, if the Collection type or source was recently changed, it might be disconnected internally.

7. Look for Visibility Conditions

• If you’ve added Conditional Visibility to major elements inside your Collection Template (for example, only showing content if a field exists), and the field is missing on particular items, this won't cause a 404, but the page could appear blank. Useful to rule out.

Summary

A 404 error on a Webflow Collection Page usually happens because (1) there are no published Collection Items, (2) slugs are missing or incorrect, or (3) the site/publication is out of sync. Publish your Collection Items and re-publish your site to fix it. Always validate under the .webflow.io domain to separate domain errors from page errors.