WordPress is a productive platform, but sometimes it can drive us a little crazy. While it’s generally incredibly user-friendly, everyone has struggled with WordPress errors at one time or another. It could be a more fun experience.
Fortunately, there are many ways to solve these problems – some by troubleshooting yourself.
The important thing here is to understand the root cause of the problem, as most WordPress issues stem from relatively small and easy-to-fix problems. Once you get a handle on it, your WordPress website will run as usual again.
This guide will reveal to you how to identify and fix WordPress errors quickly and effectively.
Are you ready to go? Then let’s get started.
What are the leading WordPress errors?
There are four main errors in WordPress: HTTP, PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript. These errors can be due to an incompatibility between plugins, a corrupted file, a server or memory problem, etc. Some of the most popular errors are the 500 error, the White Screen of Death, and the database connection error.
Let’s start with HTTP errors, which mean that a web server failed to transfer information to a browser.
HTTP errors are the ones you will encounter most often. They have a number, the HTTP code, which consists of 3 digits (e.g., 301, 404, 500, etc.).
- Information codes start with 1 (e.g., 100 and 101).
- Success codes, which start with 2 (e.g., 200).
They are divided into five prominent families:
- Redirection codes that start with 3. Among them, you need to know the 301 code, which denotes a permanent redirect (it indicates to Internet users and search engines that content has been moved or permanently deleted).
- Web client (your browser) error codes start with 4, for example, the 404 error that denotes a page not found.
- Server error codes start with 5, e.g., the famous 500 error, which denotes an internal server error. We will come back to this later.
- Then there are PHP errors, the programming language WordPress is written with.
- PHP errors can occur when you fiddle with the code or when a theme or plugin developer makes an update (this is rare, but it can happen).
For example, your code may have syntax errors (forgotten brackets, added spaces, or characters).
Why detecting and fixing WordPress errors is so essential?
An unexpected error on their website is among the worst things that can occur to a website owner. And considering how diverse WordPress errors can be, you need to know how to diagnose and fix them.
Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with a poorly functioning website or one that needs to be fixed, which is terrible news. You may be left with an outdated website, rapidly declining conversion rates or sales, or need help to provide a satisfactory customer experience.
For example, if you experience a database connection error, it’s usually because either the server is down, you have a corrupted database, or you’re simply entering the wrong credentials. Although these are easy problems, you can’t ignore them and hope they will fix themselves – you need to act immediately.
Similarly, other issues include 404 Not Found Error or the White Screen of Death. These errors affect the front end, meaning the content exists on the server but cannot be reached. And what is a website without its content, right?
It would be best if you had immediate action, such as disabling and then reactivating all plugins, resetting the theme, changing links, or correcting WordPress rules.
You need to take action depending on the type of WordPress errors you encounter.
If your website is down or working correctly, you will retain revenue. Also, there is a high chance that your visitors will switch to your competitor.
To make matters worse, according to Akamai, websites that stop working have an average of 9% permanent abandonment. Losing reputation – online and offline – is one of the most usual consequences of outages.
We must also remember that WordPress failures can compromise your website’s security, as hackers always try to commit cybercrimes like DDoS, DNS spoofing, and DNS poisoning.
For this reason, you need to do everything possible to detect and fix WordPress errors as soon as possible.
Quick tips to fix WordPress errors today
The customizable and intuitive WordPress dashboard is no guarantee of freedom from errors. Even the most innocuous errors can expose your site to vulnerabilities and security threats.
The great news is that you can prevent them with a few steps. Let’s take a look.
1. Install a cache plugin
Every WordPress website must have a cache plugin. This tool stores copies of web pages that are frequently accessed, ensuring faster loading times for users.
When choosing a plugin, you need to consider certain factors. First, you should compare the benefits with the costs incurred and check whether the plugin is updated frequently. Secondly, you should consider the free caching plugins from the start because they have their advantages.
2. Install WordPress updates regularly
As a WordPress beginner, the term “update” can seem intimidating. However, it would be best if you adopted new updates as soon as they are released to prevent possible hacking attacks on your website.
Your initial hesitation in updating your website can make the process more difficult later. Besides, you don’t need to wait because the process is simple and requires only a single click. Proper coding of themes and plugins will also ensure the smooth functioning of your website.
In other words, you should update your WordPress as soon as you learn that updates are available to maximize the security of your website.
Managing your WordPress site is as essential as installing updates to keep your site up to date with the latest performance and security standards.
However, make sure you have made backups before updating to ensure security.
3. Avoid editing your website in live mode
Live website editing is problematic whether you are a beginner or an expert. If you avoid it, you can minimize abnormal behavior on the live server, which protects your brand’s credibility, popularity, and SERP ranking.
You must always test any changes you have made to your WordPress website in a staging environment. Install WordPress as a local copy on your computer and make the necessary changes to your website.
Once you are done, upload a copy of the website directly from the local host to the live server.
This subdomain restricts access but provides a platform for testing any changes made to the site. It is also possible to test the newly added features or other changes before uploading the change to the web version and testing how it works in the staging area.
You can use local servers like XAMPP or Wamp to create the staging environment and upload the edited website to the live server. Also, remember to change the localhost links after uploading to the live server.
4. Update the host PHP
PHP is among the most popular scripting frameworks and underlies most online websites.
Suppose you still need to update your website to the latest PHP version. Then you might run into problems installing the latest WordPress plugin, as the outdated script can cause login installation issues.
The biggest problem with this is that it can severely affect the performance of your website.
That is why you must update your PHP to the latest version. Access the PHP Configuration, or PHP Settings – the name of the menu varies depending on the hoster – after logging into your hosting account to check the PHP version and update it if needed.
Here are brief step-by-step instructions on how to update the host PHP:
- Log into the cPanel and locate the Software section.
- Click on PHP configuration or PHP settings.
- Select Update.
5. Create a backup of your website
Creating a WordPress website backup can take time and effort for some. Compared to updating, the process is quite the opposite. But regular backups are worth the effort.
Your website can crash when you make an essential change to it. It’s also possible for your WordPress themes or plugins to malfunction when you update them.
Considering how costly downtime can be, you need to take immediate action to fix the error. If you have made a backup, you can quickly restore your website to an earlier functional date.
A great way to do this is to install and activate a free WordPress backup plugin that automatically creates backups on your behalf at specific intervals.
Long-term strategies for detecting and fixing WordPress errors
Fixing WordPress errors can be avoided if you stick to a maintenance plan for your website. Below, we have listed some steps that you should regularly perform to maintain a smoothly functioning website.
1. Get a reliable web hosting provider
Finding a reliable web hosting provider should be at the top of your to-do list once you create a WordPress website.
It can be tempting to opt for web hosting providers that offer cheap services, but it’s only worth it if they don’t compromise the security of your website and, thus, your popularity.
Your website or blog is already a powerful medium to attract potential customers and retain existing ones, which is excellent. However, more than focusing on compelling content is required.
Before you go for the most expensive offer, you must find out about the hosting requirements. Ensure that your potential web host doesn’t undermine your website’s security, usability, and responsiveness.
At the same time, go for something other than the most expensive offer.
Don’t just think about your wallet; make a decision based on your website’s goals and the amount of traffic you’ll see in the long run. Do thorough research before making a decision.
2. Clear cache
Here you are dealing with two types of cache: Browser cache and WordPress cache.
The purpose of a cache is to reduce loading times by downloading a version of your website.
However, your browser may not recognize that a WordPress site or post has been updated and will continue to upload the previous version instead of the changed version. To avoid this problem, you should clear your browser’s cache to see the latest version of your site.
The same goes for your WordPress cache.
If you follow our advice and install and activate a WordPress cache plugin, you may see a cached version of your site. Moreover, some leading WordPress hosting companies like Bluehost and Siteground offer caching to improve performance.
Therefore, you should clear your WordPress cache to be sure that your website contains the latest version.
4. Keep an eye on your WordPress plugins and themes
Conflicts with plugins are one of the most common reasons for WordPress errors. Therefore, you can resolve the problem by disabling your WordPress plugins to find the culprit and then reactivate the plugins.
Here’s how you need to proceed:
- On the main admin dashboard, click Plugins.
- Select all plugins, and click the Disable button in the Bulk Actions drop-down menu.
- Click the Apply button to disable all the selected plugins.
You can re-enable the plugins after you find the faulty plugin.
The same goes for your WordPress themes. You can find out if your theme is causing a problem by switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty.
If your theme causes the error, you must be able to log in to your WordPress website without any problems.
5. Scan for malware and backdoors
If you believe your WordPress website is affected by malware, you can scan it with website security monitoring tools for WordPress website owners.
While there are many of them, we recommend Sucuri because it is not only feature-rich but also incredibly efficient and reliable.
6. Setting up a WordPress debugging system
You can enable WB-DEBUG to log issues on a WordPress website.
You can find WP_DEBUG in the wp-config.php file. The log can record all website activity and also troubleshoot potential problems. Considering how easily this constant can trigger “debug” mode in WordPress, it’s a surprise that most developers forget about this.
You can also install WordPress debugging plugins.
Below is a list of two of the most popular tools you can try
1. New Relic
New Relic is the more robust debugging tool that helps you monitor the user experience and analyze and improve the performance of your website. You can also use this premium tool to map your WordPress architecture and detect anomalies before they occur.
2. Query Monitor
Query Monitor provides a developer tool panel for WordPress that allows you to enable database queries, HTTP API calls, PHP errors, hooks and actions, stop editor blocks, queued scripts and stylesheets, and much more. It is incredibly efficient and helps you keep your website running smoothly.
Wrapping up
WordPress is a powerful system. But as with most things, there are certain limitations or bugs. You may experience WordPress errors like memory exhaustion, lost admin and password, white screen of death, and more. But the good thing is that simple methods can quickly fix all the errors.
For even more protection, check out Fix Hacked Site. This website security checker scans your site for malware, removing it automatically and protecting your site from attack.