WordPress Troubleshooting: Common Errors and Fixes

WordPress Troubleshooting Guide

Most WordPress errors have simple fixes. Let’s troubleshoot systematically!

Before You Start

Golden Rules

1. BACKUP FIRST (if possible)
2. One change at a time
3. Document your steps
4. Test after each fix
5. Be patient!

Tools Needed

• FTP access (FileZilla)
• cPanel access
• Text editor
• Browser incognito mode

Top 10 Common Errors

1. White Screen of Death (WSOD)

Symptoms: Blank white screen, no error message

Causes: Memory limit, plugin conflict, theme issue

Fixes:

1. Increase memory: wp-config.php add define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);
2. Enable debug mode to see actual error
3. Deactivate plugins via FTP (rename plugins folder)
4. Switch to default theme via database
5. Reinstall WordPress core files

2. Internal Server Error (500)

Symptoms: Generic 500 error message

Causes: Corrupt .htaccess, memory limit, plugin conflict

Fixes:

1. Delete .htaccess, regenerate via Settings → Permalinks
2. Increase PHP limits in .htaccess
3. Deactivate plugins
4. Check file permissions (755 folders, 644 files)
5. Contact host if persists

3. Database Connection Error

Symptoms: Error establishing database connection

Causes: Wrong credentials, database server down, corrupted database

Fixes:

1. Verify wp-config.php database credentials
2. Check DB_HOST (might not be ’localhost’)
3. Repair database: add define(‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true); to wp-config.php
4. Visit yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php
5. Contact host if database server down

4. 404 Error on Posts

Symptoms: Homepage works but posts show 404

Cause: Permalink structure issue

Fixes:

1. Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes (regenerate)
2. Manually fix .htaccess with proper rewrite rules
3. Contact host to verify mod_rewrite enabled

5. Login Problems

Symptoms: Cannot login, logout loop, cookie errors

Fixes:

1. Clear browser cache and cookies
2. Deactivate plugins (security/cache plugins often cause this)
3. Reset password via database (phpMyAdmin)
4. Check site URLs in wp_options table
5. Disable all plugins via database if needed

6. Mixed Content Warning (HTTPS)

Symptoms: Broken padlock, not secure warning

Fixes:

1. Update site URLs to HTTPS in Settings → General
2. Search and replace HTTP to HTTPS in database
3. Force HTTPS in wp-config.php
4. Use Really Simple SSL plugin (quick fix)
5. Check for hard-coded HTTP URLs

7. Images Not Displaying

Symptoms: Broken image icons, missing images

Fixes:

1. Check file permissions (uploads folder 755)
2. Regenerate thumbnails plugin
3. Check .htaccess not blocking images
4. Verify upload path in Settings → Media

8. Max Execution Time Exceeded

Symptoms: 30 seconds exceeded error during updates/imports

Fixes:

1. Increase in .htaccess: php_value max_execution_time 300
2. Or wp-config.php: set_time_limit(300);
3. Contact host to increase limits server-wide

9. Upload File Size Limit

Symptoms: File exceeds upload_max_filesize

Fixes:

1. Increase in .htaccess: php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
2. Or contact host to increase
3. Use plugin: Increase Upload Max Filesize

10. Scheduled Posts Not Publishing

Symptoms: Posts stay scheduled, don’t publish

Fixes:

1. Disable WP-Cron, use real cron job
2. Install WP Missed Schedule plugin
3. Check timezone settings match your location

Debugging Tools

Enable Debug Mode

In wp-config.php:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Check /wp-content/debug.log for errors.

Useful Plugins

• Query Monitor (see database queries)
• Debug Bar (performance metrics)
• Health Check (troubleshooting mode)

Browser Console

Press F12 → Console tab to see JavaScript errors

Prevention Tips

• Keep regular backups
• Use staging site for testing
• Update carefully
• Limit plugins (quality over quantity)
• Monitor site health
• Use good hosting
• Install security plugin

Getting Help

If stuck:

1. WordPress Support Forums
2. Plugin documentation
3. Hosting support
4. Stack Overflow
5. Hire expert if critical

Conclusion

Most WordPress errors are fixable! Follow systematic troubleshooting process and don’t panic. Every expert has broken sites while learning.

When in doubt: restore from backup and try again!