Rewrite Rules Inspector
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is Rewrite Rules Inspector?
Rewrite Rules Inspector is a free utility plugin developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. It has been available for 14 years, making it one of the most mature tools for managing URL routing. The plugin currently holds 5.0/5 stars from 26 ratings, with 96% of those being five-star reviews and 0% one-star ratings. It serves 10K+ active installs.
This tool lets you see every rewrite rule on your site and test how specific URLs resolve. It was last updated on Jan 6, 2026 to version 1.6.0. Developers and site owners use it to debug 404 errors, verify custom post type URLs, and understand which plugin or theme is generating a particular rule.
Key Features of Rewrite Rules Inspector
- Complete Rule Listing — View every rewrite rule your site uses, sorted by match priority and source.
- URL Tester — Enter any full URL or path to see exactly which rule matches first, plus all matching rules in priority order.
- Query Variable Inspector — After testing a URL, examine the extracted query variables and the final query WordPress would execute.
- Permastruct Browser — Browse a table of all known permastructs, including their structure patterns and human-readable descriptions.
- Soft Flush Button — Regenerate all rewrite rules with a single click, including security checks and cache clearing.
- Missing Rule Detection — Rules marked with a red background indicate they are missing from the database and need a flush.
- Subdirectory Support — The URL tester automatically handles sites installed in a subdirectory, accepting both full URLs and relative paths.
- Source Filtering — Filter the rule list by source, such as custom post types, taxonomies, or plugins.
Who Should Use Rewrite Rules Inspector?
This plugin is for anyone who manages a WordPress site with custom permalinks. It suits developers debugging custom post type URLs, site owners who change permalink structures, and support staff diagnosing 404 errors. With 10K+ installations, it is the go-to tool for understanding how to see rewrite rules in WordPress.
If you have ever asked "how to see rewrite rules in WordPress" after a plugin update broke your URLs, this tool answers that question directly. It is also the best rewrite rules plugin WordPress users can install for free, as it provides both inspection and a safe flush mechanism. The interface lives under Tools → Rewrite Rules, making it accessible to anyone comfortable with the WordPress admin panel.
Installation & Setup
Install the plugin from within WordPress by going to Plugins → Add New and searching for "rewrite-rules-inspector". After activation, navigate to Tools → Rewrite Rules to see your full rule list. No configuration is needed — the plugin works immediately and is beginner-friendly.
Support & Community
Rewrite Rules Inspector is developed openly on GitHub, where pull requests and bug reports are welcome. The plugin has 96% five-star ratings from 26 total reviews, reflecting consistent reliability. The support forum shows open threads over the last two months, indicating the plugin requires minimal troubleshooting for most users.
Because Automattic maintains the plugin, updates arrive regularly — the most recent was Jan 6, 2026 for version 1.6.0. The combination of a 14-year track record and near-perfect ratings makes this the standard tool to inspect rewrite rules WordPress administrators rely on.
Pros & Cons
- With 10K+ active installs and a 5.0 rating from 26 ratings (96% five-star), it is a highly trusted debugging tool for developers.
- Its URL tester shows all matching rewrite rules in priority order, revealing exactly which rule WordPress would use and the resulting query variables.
- The permastructs table lists every registered permastruct (e.g., for posts, taxonomies, authors) with its structure pattern and description for easy reference.
- The flush button regenerates rules via `flush_rewrite_rules(false)` after clearing the cached rewrite rules, confirming exactly what happens under the hood.
- With support threads and a resolution rate, the plugin relies on GitHub issues for feedback rather than the WordPress forum.
- The plugin only works for administrators with the `manage_options` capability, excluding editors or other roles from inspecting rewrite rules.
- It does not allow editing or deleting individual rewrite rules directly from the interface—only inspection and a full flush.
- The tool provides no visual graph or diagram of rule matching logic, relying solely on text-based lists and tables.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 6.4+
- Requires PHP
- 7.4+
- Tested up to WP
- 6.9.5
- First Released
- 2012 (14+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 0 threads
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Rewrite Rules Inspector is completely free and available on WordPress.org. It has 10K+ active installs and is rated 5.0/5 from 26 ratings.
The plugin has over 10K+ active installs according to the WordPress.org plugin directory. It also maintains a perfect 5.0/5 rating from 26 user reviews.
Rewrite Rules Inspector requires WordPress 6.4 or higher, and it has been tested up to WordPress 6.9.4. It was first released in 2012 and is developed by Automattic.
Yes, the plugin was last updated on Jan 6, 2026 and is currently at version 1.6.0. It is actively maintained by Automattic on GitHub, where pull requests and issue reports are welcome.
The plugin requires PHP 7.4 or higher to run properly. This ensures compatibility with modern WordPress installations and security standards.
Support is provided through GitHub issues, and in the last 2 months there have been support threads with resolved ( resolution rate). The plugin has a perfect 5.0/5 rating from 26 users.
Yes, it is beginner-friendly and accessible from Tools → Rewrite Rules in the WordPress admin. It includes a URL tester that shows matching rules in priority order, making it easy to understand how WordPress resolves URLs.
Key features include a URL tester that checks if a URL would be a 404 or which rule matches first, a permastruct browser showing all registered permalink structures, and a Flush Rules button to regenerate rewrite rules. It also filters rules by source and displays query variables from matches.