Query string parameter `name=` (and many others) result in 404

[pkwooster]

If the query string contains a parameter named name a 404 not found error is returned.

This has been reported numerous times in the support forums without any proper answer or explanation. All such reports that I saw are closed. The oldest I could find was from 6 years ago on version 2.2 ​http://wordpress.org/support/topic/name-variable-in-url-creates-404, I can't verify that as I don't have a system that old.

This problem can not be solved by the website author as we have no control over the parameters sent by users and form packages.

Because of the name of the parameter that cause the problem being name this is extremely difficult to research, producing thousands of false positives. At the very least this should be documented and the questions in the support forum answered with a workaround.

[UmeshSingla]

@pkwooster name is a reserved keyword, you can check it here: ​http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/register_taxonomy#Reserved_Terms.

On codex it is mentioned that usage of reserved keywords will give you 404, without providing any reason.

[pkwooster]

That is a very obscure place to put such an important piece of documentation.

This list of very common words as reserved words in Get and Post requests is foolish and should be fixed or at least documented in a more obvious place. No one using a form plugin and getting a 404 would think to look in "register taxonomy".

This should be re-opened as a documentation issue.

[ocean90]

There is also ​https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Query_Vars.

[DrewAPicture]

I've requested this item be added to next week's docs team chat agenda. This has been kind of a long-standing point of contention.

Perhaps we should look at doing a more generic, top-level page for reserved terms in the Codex and/or handbook(s).

[kpdesign]

A new Codex page has been added (​Reserved Terms) to address this issue.

[epeleg]

Replying to kpdesign:

A new Codex page has been added (​Reserved Terms) to address this issue.

I don't know how do you think that adding documentation addresses the issue.

It is 4 years after the above comment, and I have just wasted almost a day because of this issue.

If some parameters are illegal then the error should say "illegal parameter 'parms' sent to page, see list of illegal params here: <link>" and not return a 404 error !!!!