Overview
If you click View Story from an assignment email and land on an error page showing Oops We can't find that page! (HTTP 404), this is typically caused by a permissions change after the email was sent.
The assignment email may have been generated when the story step was assigned to a team that included you (for example, a Contributors team), but a publication manager later updated the workflow and reassigned step(s) to other individuals/teams—removing your access. This is expected behavior, not a platform defect.
Solution
Issue
You receive an assignment email and, when selecting View Story, you are taken to an error page showing:
Oops We can't find that page!This typically appears as an HTTP 404. In some cases, the direct story URL also returns the same 404 for that user.
Why this happens
The email notification can be triggered when a story is assigned to a team that includes you (for example, a Contributors team). If the publication manager later updates the story’s workflow and reassigns the relevant step(s) to specific individuals (or a different team), your access to the story may be removed.
When you click the original email link, Contently checks your current permissions. If you no longer have access, the story URL correctly returns a 404.
How to diagnose
- Confirm the link in the email points to a story URL like:
https://contently.com/stories/<story_id>
- Attempt to open the link while signed in.
- If you see
Oops We can't find that page!, ask the publication manager to confirm:- whether the workflow step was reassigned after the email was sent, and
- whether you are still intended to have access.
Resolution (publication manager actions)
If you should have access to the story, the publication manager can restore it by doing any one of the following:
-
Add the user as a participant on the story
- Adds the user explicitly to the story so they can access it based on participation.
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Reassign the relevant workflow step to include the team again
- For example, re-add the Contributors team to the applicable workflow step(s) so team members regain access.
If the workflow reassignment was intentional and the user is not supposed to access the story anymore, no change is required.
Validation
After access is re-granted (via sharing, participant addition, or workflow reassignment):
- Have the user sign out and sign back in (or refresh the session).
- Open the same story URL again.
- Expected result: the story loads without any error
- Optionally, send a fresh story link from within the platform to ensure the user is using an up-to-date entry point.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. How can I tell if my “View Story” error is permissions-related?
- If the story link loads for the publication manager (or other permitted users) but shows
Oops We can't find that page!(404) for you, it’s commonly due to access being removed after the email was sent (workflow reassignment, team changes, or story sharing changes). -
- 2. Is this a Contently defect or outage?
- No. In this scenario the 404 is the expected result when you no longer have permission to view the story at the time you click the link.
-
- 3. What specifically needs to change to restore access?
- The publication manager can restore access by sharing the story directly with you (adds a shared affiliation), adding you as a participant, or reassigning the relevant workflow step to include the appropriate team again.
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- 4. The email says I was assigned—why doesn’t the link work anymore?
- The assignment email reflects the story state at the time the notification was generated. If the workflow/assignment was changed afterward, your current permissions may no longer allow access, and the original link will then return a 404.
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- 5. What if I still think I should have access but I’m not the publication manager?
- Confirm with the publication manager whether the reassignment was intended. If you should be working on the story, request that they re-grant access via sharing, participant addition, or workflow reassignment.