18 Common WordPress Errors (And How To Fix Them)

Nothing can smash your day quite like an unexpected WordPress error.

Thankfully, WordPress is generally a well-oiled machine that lives as much as its popularity and isn’t prone to throw errors without reason. Alas, that could make it all of the more frustrating when an issue does appear, especially when you don’t know learn how to fix it.

Many errors are intimidating at first glance, especially to WordPress beginners. Luckily, most errors stem from minor issues which can be easy to cope with, and when you understand the source of the issue, all it takes is a few basic troubleshooting to get your site back up and running.

So, let’s get into it! This text will show you learn how to diagnose essentially the most common WordPress errors, but we’re not stopping there! We’ll also walk you thru learn how to fix the WordPress errors, step-by-step, to get your site back to normal. And remember, when you don’t see your error listed here, you’ll be able to all the time head to WordPress’ official list of common issues to seek out more help.

Let’s start from the highest!

1. This Site Is Experiencing Technical Difficulties

WordPress introduced fatal error protection features in WordPress 5.2. In case your site encounters a fatal error, you’ll get a straightforward message: “This site is experiencing technical difficulties.”

Luckily, WordPress also has built-in features to repair these errors. You’ll receive a full report with the explanation for the error to your admin email address, together with a link to access your site’s backend, where you’ll be able to fix it.

2. Parse Error/Syntax Error

Here’s one other easy one — While lots of the errors we’ll be learning about might be frustrating due to how little information they offer you, the ‘parse error’ (or ‘syntax error’), a style of PHP error, is no less than helpful enough to inform you exactly what’s unsuitable.

This error occurs when there’s a difficulty together with your site’s code, normally if you’ve added a code snippet with some incorrect syntax (mostly within the functions.php file.) As an alternative of loading your page, a straightforward message appears, explaining what the difficulty is and where it occurred.

To repair the issue, you’ll have to access the required file using SFTP. In our example, we might be using FileZilla, because it’s a free and open-source tool. Just use the SFTP credentials provided by your web host to access your site’s backend.

Then, it’s essential to find the file in query. In the instance pictured above, you’ll be able to see that the issue is within the functions.php file for the positioning’s current theme. As such, we’ll access that theme’s folder, right-click on functions.php, and choose View/Edit.

If you happen to check the Parse error message, you’ll be able to see it even tells you the precise line of code where the issue exists. Now, we just need to seek out that line and fix the issue. In our example, it’s a straightforward case of a missing parenthesis, so let’s sort that out.

Save your file, and choose Yes when your FTP client asks if you wish to replace the present file on the server. It’s best to now find a way to envision your site and see that it’s back to normal.

3. Maximum Execution Time Exceeded

One of the common PHP errors you’re prone to encounter is expounded to the cut-off dates set for a way long a PHP script can run. These cut-off dates are set by WordPress hosting providers and may vary – some providers set them to higher values, while some set them lower. When a site processes data, if it may well’t finish throughout the maximum closing date, it is going to day trip and display this error: “Fatal error: Maximum execution time exceeded.”

There are two ways to resolve this issue.

The primary way is to seek out the script that’s running too long and take away it. This is probably going a part of a plugin or theme, so deactivating plugins and reverting to a default theme are good places to begin.

The simpler way could also be to increase your maximum closing date. To do that, add the next code to your php.ini file:

max_execution_time = 300

You can too contact your hosting provider to ask about their maximum and in the event that they can increase it for you.

4. White Screen Of Death (WSoD)

One of the infamous and cryptic errors is the dreaded WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD). This error replaces your entire site with a blank, white nothing. You get no error messages or further assistance.

This problem can occur for many various reasons, but it surely normally means your site couldn’t be loaded properly. Since there isn’t much information to go off, there are several methods for troubleshooting it.

We’ve covered learn how to fix the WSoD in-depth on this blog, so we recommend trying out that tutorial when you encounter this error. Nevertheless, here’s a fast summary of the steps you’ll be able to take if you encounter this particularly tricky problem:

1. Disable your plugins. The most probably offender behind the WSoD is a faulty plugin, so try disabling all of them and see if that fixes the issue.
2. Disable your theme. Your WordPress theme may cause this issue, so use SFTP to switch it with one in all WordPress’ default themes.
3. Activate WordPress debug mode. It is a useful feature that allows you to see errors directly on each page, which may assist you to pinpoint the underlying explanation for the WSoD.
4. Purge your cache. Your site’s caching solution could cause you to see outdated files, even when the WSoD has been fixed. Subsequently, you’ll need to clear your cache and see if that resolves the issue.
5. Raise your memory limit. It’s possible your site has run out of memory. You possibly can raise your maximum limit by editing your php.ini file.

These methods will fix the WSoD within the overwhelming majority of cases. Nevertheless, when you’re still experiencing issues, it’s best to contact your hosting provider’s support team for more help.

5. 400 Errors

400 Bad Request

A 400 Bad Request error is type of a catch-all for when your server has a difficulty, but it surely doesn’t fall into a selected category. Meaning it could have a variety of different causes – and a variety of different solutions. Listed below are some solutions to try:

• Check the URL for typos
• Clear your browser cache and cookies
• Clear your DNS cache
• Deactivate browser extensions

403 Forbidden

WordPress has a variety of built-in measures that help keep your site secure, including various levels of “permissions.” These help bar people from accessing your site who shouldn’t, but when the permissions aren’t set appropriately, you’ll be able to get errors like a 403.

The everyday cause is the .htaccess file. In easy terms, .htaccess is a file that dictates how your WordPress site communicates with its server. This file might be used to extend your site’s security and override a number of the default server settings.

To repair a 403 error, you’ll be able to reset your permissions. Or, an easier way could also be to generate a brand new .htaccess file. You possibly can try this by going into your admin dashboard and accessing Settings > Permalinks.

You don’t have to make any actual changes here. Just click on Save Changes to generate a brand new .htaccess file.

404 Not Found

The 404 Error code needs to be familiar to most web users.

It means the server was unable to seek out the requested page. This error is mostly related to broken links and adjusted URLs, but it may well still occur if the page you’re in search of needs to be available. It’s an additional frustrating error, since it may well negatively affect your site’s user experience and web optimization.

When this happens, the most probably offender is, once more, the .htaccess file. This file also handles your site’s hyperlink structure, so it has the potential to redirect your URLs incorrectly. Your first step is to generate a brand new .htaccess file using the steps we outlined above.

Within the unlikely event that this doesn’t resolve the error, chances are you’ll have to re-upload .htaccess. The simplest strategy to do that is to create a brand new file, name it .htaccess (don’t forget the period, and don’t add a file extension), and paste in the next code:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Then, upload the file to your site’s root folder. Normally, this could resolve the 404 error you’re seeing.

405 Method Not Allowed

A 405 error signifies that your server got a request out of your browser but rejected it for some reason. Unfortunately, this might be brought on by a variety of things, which implies there are a variety of potential solutions. Listed below are some fixes to try:

• Roll back any recent theme or plugin updates
• Deactivate plugins
• Revert to a default theme
• Check your server’s configuration and error logs
• Debug your application code

6. 500 Errors

500 Internal Server Error

The Internal Server Error is one other issue that might be frustratingly opaque in regards to the underlying problem.

Fortunately, this error has fewer potential causes than the WSoD. It would appear when an unknown issue occurs with the server and is usually brought on by one in all the next:

• There’s an issue together with your site’s .htaccess file.
• Your site has reached its memory limit.

To check in case your .htaccess file is causing the Internal Server Error, all it’s essential to do is disable the file. You possibly can do that by once more using SFTP. The file is often situated in your site’s root directory, which is commonly titled public_html.

To disable the file, just change its name. For instance, rename it .htaccess-disabled, then check your site to see if the difficulty is resolved.

If this does fix the issue, all it’s essential to do is generate a brand new, bug-free .htaccess file. Follow the steps outlined above (go into your admin dashboard and access Settings > Permalinks, then click Save changes).

If disabling your .htaccess file doesn’t fix the error, chances are you’ll need to extend your PHP memory limit – and we’ve a complete guide on learn how to try this. If you happen to find that you could’t increase your limit any further, chances are you’ll want to succeed in out to your web host about upgrading your current hosting plan.

502 Bad Gateway

Each time one server acts as a proxy (or “gateway”) for one more, there’s a probability that you just might run right into a 502 error, which happens when the proxy server gets an invalid response from the inbound server.

If you happen to get a 502 error, it’s best to act fast since it may well negatively impact your site’s web optimization. Start by reloading the page and clearing your browser’s cache. If that doesn’t solve the issue, check for issues together with your DNS and take a look at disabling your CDN or firewall. If those don’t solve the issue, it’s best to reach out to your host for help.

503 Service Unavailable

A 503 error signifies that your server can’t be reached. Despite the fact that your site is technically up, users won’t find a way to access it until the error is solved.

There are a couple of reasons this might occur. One in all them is easy: routine maintenance. If that is the issue, the error will resolve by itself once maintenance is complete.

Other causes can include high traffic levels or, in rarer cases, a more serious issue together with your server. To resolve a 503 error, try these fixes:

• Deactivate your plugins
• Switch to a default WordPress theme
• Disable your CDN
• Limit the WordPress Heartbeat API
• Increase your server’s resources
• Enable WP_DEBUG

In just about all cases, one in all these will solve the error and make it so users can access your site again.

504 Gateway Timeout

Like a 502 error, a 504 error happens when there’s an issue with the communication between a proxy server and an inbound server. This time, though, the error signifies that the proxy server timed out while waiting for the inbound server to reply to a request.

Generally, one in all these actions will solve this error:

• Reloading the page
• Disabling any energetic proxy settings
• Checking your DNS for problems
• Temporarily disabling your CDN

7. Error Establishing A Database Connection

Because the name suggests, this error will appear in case your site can’t access its database, which is where all of the content, including posts, pages, and user information, is stored. In case your site can’t access the database, it won’t find a way to operate in any respect.

There are a couple of reasons this error can occur, but most of them stem from a single file in your site: wp-config.php. This file comprises all the data about your site’s database, so it’s the most probably origin for this sort of issue.

To repair the database connection, access your site’s wp-config.php file, which needs to be situated in the foundation folder.

Right-click on the file and choose View/Edit. You’ll first want to envision that the credentials within the file are correct. To try this, it’s best to access your phpMyAdmin to seek out the precise details. If the file’s hostname, username, password, or database name are incorrect, replacing them should fix the error.

Nevertheless, if the error persists, chances are you’ll have to activate WordPress’ automatic database optimization tool. This feature might be used to repair corrupted databases and might be turned on by adding the next line to your wp-config.php file:

define( ‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true );

After saving the file and uploading it back to your server, you’ll be able to run the brand new script by navigating to https://yourwebsiteurl.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php in your browser. The resulting page will appear to be this:

All it’s essential to do is click on either of the buttons to run the repair tool. When the method is complete, the page will reload, and it’s best to see a message telling you that the database tables have been fixed.

This could resolve your database connection error. Just don’t forget to remove the road WP_ALLOW_REPAIR from wp-config.php if you’re done.

8. Connection Timed Out Error

You’ve probably seen this error appear after a site has tried (unsuccessfully) to load for a while. It signifies that after struggling to load the positioning, the server has given up.

This may occur for a wide range of reasons. Essentially the most common reason is that your site just doesn’t have the resources it needs to operate; for instance, when you use shared hosting, one other site could possibly be hogging your server’s resources. Alternatively, your site can have exceeded its maximum allowed bandwidth.

That’s why you would possibly want to think about upgrading your hosting plan when you see this error occur. A better-tier plan will assist you to avoid slowdowns and downtime since your site can have more server resources and won’t be affected if other sites see a surge in traffic.

The ‘connection timed out’ error may occur in case your site is causing a variety of strain on the server. We recommend that you just optimize your site for speed, deactivate any resource-hogging plugins, and switch to the default WordPress theme to see if that helps. You may additionally need to increase your PHP memory limit.

9. Secure Connection Error

A secure connection error can occur when your server isn’t configured appropriately and isn’t able to hook up with WordPress.org. This may prevent you from updating your site’s core files.

This generally is a tricky one to diagnose and fix. It’s possible to get this error because your server is under a DDoS attack, through which case the error should resolve by itself in a bit while. It’s possible to unravel the issue yourself in some cases by pointing your server toward WordPress.org through Secure Shell Protocol (SSH), but when you’re a beginner and aren’t comfortable with SSH, it’s best to contact your host as an alternative.

10. Your Site’s Sidebar Appears Below The Principal Content

Ever loaded your site and located the sidebar has moved to the underside of every page, under the content?

This error is nearly all the time the results of a difficulty together with your theme’s HTML or CSS code, so the primary query to ask yourself is when you’ve made any recent changes to your theme. If you may have, try reverting them to their previous states and see if that resolves the issue.

If that doesn’t work, you’ll be able to dig a bit deeper and search for the 2 predominant culprits which can be normally behind this error:

• Leftover
  tags: These tags are used so as to add HTML elements, and if one is just not opened or closed appropriately, it may well cause the sidebar to maneuver.
• Incorrect margins in CSS: If the margins usually are not set appropriately in your style.css file, the sidebar may not have the space it needs to suit beside your predominant content.

Check your theme for these issues and it’s best to find a way to seek out the source of the issue. You can too run the affected page through the W3C Markup Validation Service to assist you to find the source of the error a bit quicker.

11. You’re Unable To Upload Images



There are a couple of alternative ways images can ‘break’ in your WordPress installation. They could appear incorrectly after you upload them, or you would possibly not find a way to upload them in any respect. Either way, the difficulty most probably stems from incorrect file permissions.

This implies the positioning doesn’t know that you just’re allowed so as to add and access the files you’re attempting to work with. This may occur in case your site gets hacked, or if a plugin interferes with WordPress core or by accident rewrites your permissions. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix.

Once more, you’ll need to access your site using SFTP. This time, you’ll want to seek out the uploads folder, which is situated within the wp-content directory.



Nevertheless, don’t open this folder. As an alternative, right-click on it and choose File permissions.



Set the Numeric value to 744. This may let the owner (i.e., you) read and write uploads. Click OK, and the brand new permissions might be applied.

You’ll have to repeat this process for all files contained in the folder, so right-click on uploads and choose File permissions again. This time, set the worth to 644 and check the Recurse into subdirectories option. You furthermore may need to pick Apply to files only.



Once you save your changes, your site’s Media Library should once more work as normal, allowing you so as to add latest images. You possibly can check this by uploading a picture in your admin dashboard. If there are still issues, you’ll be able to repeat the above process, but set the uploads folder’s permission value to 755 as an alternative of 744.

12. Changes Aren’t Visible On Your Live Site

You’ve been working hard in your site, but you then switch to live mode – Suddenly you realize that you could’t see any of the changes you’ve made! Well, don’t panic! This might be one of the frustrating errors to come across, but normally, it’s quite simple to repair since it’s almost all the time the results of a caching issue.

The very first thing to try is clearing your browser cache. If that doesn’t work and also you’re using a caching plugin, check its documentation and clear its cache, too. This could solve the difficulty.

13. You’re Unable To Access The WordPress Admin Area

The errors we’ve discussed to this point have all been attributable to technical issues. Nevertheless, getting locked out of your WordPress dashboard is a bit different – it generally only happens if you forget your password.



There’s no have to panic if this happens to you. Just click the Lost your password? link on the login page. This may assist you to recuperate your password by entering your username or email address.



Normally, that is all it takes to regain access. Nevertheless, in rare cases, this may increasingly not be enough to get you back into WordPress, especially when you don’t have access to the e-mail address you signed up with.

If that’s the case, it is feasible to make use of phpMyAdmin to reset your password. Nevertheless, using this method might be dangerous as it may well by accident cause problems together with your site or database, so it should only be a final resort. The method itself will vary depending in your web host and setup.

14. WordPress Is Stuck In Maintenance Mode

Maintenance mode is an automatic feature that temporarily disables your site while it’s being updated. This avoids situations where users try to interact together with your site during an update, which could cause problems.

Normally, updates occur so quickly that you just don’t even notice the downtime. Nevertheless, if the update has to cancel before it’s complete, your site can get stuck in maintenance mode indefinitely.

The excellent news is that that is a very simple problem to repair. All it’s essential to do is fan the flames of SFTP or cPanel, access your site’s root folder, and delete the .maintenance file.



This file is what prompts maintenance mode, so removing it is going to revert your site back to normal. Nevertheless, you’ll also have to retry any failed updates since this error means the your update wasn’t successfully accomplished.

15. Missed Scheduled Post Error

The flexibility to schedule posts ahead of time is one in all WordPress’ most useful features. You possibly can line up posts upfront and have content robotically published on the times you select.

Nevertheless, sometimes this method fails, and also you’ll notice a Missed schedule error next to a post.



Without getting too technical, this problem is attributable to something called ‘cron jobs,’ that are tasks that WordPress uses to automate certain processes. If the suitable cron job doesn’t trigger when your post is scheduled, it is going to fail to publish and remain in your admin dashboard until you publish it manually.

The most effective strategy to avoid this error is to make use of a WordPress plugin. We recommend Scheduled Post Trigger, since it’s free, lightweight, and reliable, all the time ensuring your scheduled posts go live if you want them to.



16. WordPress Failed To Auto-Update

It is completely vital to keep your WordPress site updated in any respect times.

If you may have a managed WordPress hosting plan, you normally don’t have to update WordPress yourself – it is going to be done robotically for you. Nevertheless, occasionally something goes unsuitable, and automatic updates fail.



This isn’t common, but it may well occur. It’s normally attributable to a glitch within the server’s connection together with your WordPress files, incorrect file permissions, or an unreliable web connection.

If WordPress fails to auto-update, chances are you’ll be hit with the WSoD, or notice warning errors if you attempt to access your site. To repair this, you’ll have to manually update WordPress by downloading the most recent version of the software and installing it in your site using SFTP.

In case your site is hosted with DreamHost, this process is way easier because you’ll be able to upgrade your site straight out of your dashboard. When you manually update, every thing needs to be back to normal.

17. The Site Ahead Accommodates Harmful Programs



Google marks sites with this warning in the event that they have any suspicious code that it suspects to be malware or trojan. This might mean your site has been hacked and is now getting used to distribute malicious code. If you happen to see this error, it’s necessary to act fast – you might lose content or risk your site visitors’ personal information.

The simplest strategy to fix this error is to revive your site from a backup. If you may have a plugin-enabled plan, it’s best to have already got automatic, real-time backups from Jetpack. All you may have to do is go to your WordPress dashboard and go to Jetpack > Backup to see your full list of obtainable backups. You possibly can restore your site from before any specific motion, so search for anything suspicious, like logins or changes that you just don’t remember.

If you happen to don’t have a plugin-enabled plan, reach out to WordPress support. They will clean malware out of your site and assist you to secure it so the error gets removed as quickly as possible.

18. Your Connection Is Not Private

If you happen to’re attempting to access your site and also you get an error message that claims your connection is just not private, your SSL certificate is most probably in charge.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s a style of technology that keeps your web connection secure and protects all of the sensitive data you send and receive online. SSL certificates validate the identity of an internet site and establish a secure connection between the server and any device accessing the positioning, stopping hackers from having access to any information sent or received via that connection.

There are a variety of things that could possibly be unsuitable together with your site’s SSL certificate (we outlined nine of them in a comprehensive guide to “Your Connection Is Not Private” errors, so check that out when you want the small print). The necessary thing to know is what it’s best to do to repair it. You’ve gotten a couple of options:

• Check your SSL certificate’s expiration date: Your SSL certificate may have to be renewed. To envision its expiration date, go to the SSL certificate section in your hosting account or contact your SSL certificate provider.
• Confirm that the certificate was issued properly: Be sure your SSL certificate was issued to the suitable domain name (and be sure it’s spelled appropriately on the certificate!) Also check the certificate chain to be sure all intermediate certificates are installed appropriately.
• Run an SSL server test on your website: This may assist you to discover any issues together with your SSL certificate or server configuration. There are numerous free SSL scan tools online – take a look at SSL Labs or Qualys SSL Server Test.
• Contact your hosting provider for support: With this error, there’s only to this point WordPress users can go alone. If the above steps don’t resolve the error, it might be a difficulty together with your hosting provider’s server configuration that they’ll have to fix. Reach out to their support team to allow them to know.

Trial And Error

WordPress errors are blissfully rare, but they still occur sometimes. Luckily, fixing many of the problems you’re most probably to come across is simpler than you would possibly think.

Are you able to up the ante in your WordPress website? Consider DreamPress, our managed WordPress hosting solution. With automatic updates and powerful security defenses, DreamPress takes server management off your hands, meaning less so that you can troubleshoot. Learn more about plan options today!