Undebated, Wordpress has the most user-friendly interface and flexibility compared to other platforms. Fixing most WordPress errors are not always difficult if you can find your way around them. But, before we go into fixing errors, I want you to first backup your data to avoid any loss of data before you start making changes to your WordPress. Alright, I believe you must have done that. So, here are 15 most common WordPress errors and solutions.
1. ERROR ESTABLISHING A DATABASE CONNECTION
As a WordPress user, I am very sure that you are probably familiar with this error. This error is just telling you that WordPress cannot connect to the site’s database. In case you don’t know what is a database, a database is where all your contents are being saved by WordPress.
The usual cause may be that your WordPress database path is incorrect or your database server is down. When there is no connection, it means your site is down.
Solutions :
- Use the WordPress Repair Tool :
Right from your WordPress dashboard, you may see a message indicating that the database needs repair, you can use the WordPress repair tool suggested to fix it.
- Contact your Hosting Provider :
If that those not work or you were not able to access your dashboard, kindly contact your hosting provider about the problem. They should be able to tell you if there is issue with the server or the database shutdown because it has reached the maximum size given to it.
- Check your wp-config.php :
If neither of the solutions is working, then you need to check wp-config.php using File Manager from your Cpanel or using FTP as this file holds data that was entered during installation. Check if your database name, username, password, and server are correct, if they are not, then edit and correct them.
Following any of the above-suggested solutions can correct this WordPress error.
2. 505 INTERNAL SERVER ERROR
This is another common WordPress error that any WordPress user must come across once in a while. It is a very confusing error as it has no specific cause. It can be caused by an exhausted PHP memory limit, theme or plugins functions, or corrupted .htaccess.
Solutions :
- Deactivate Plugins :
Connect to your dashboard via FTP or File Manager and deactivate all your plugins. It might be a particular plugin that must be causing it. Refresh the site and check if the error is gone. If it is, reactivate plugins one after the other to see the particular plugin causing it.
- Increase the Memory Limit :
Since this is regarded as one of the cause, it is recommended that the PHP memory limit is increased. Edit your wp-config.php file via FTP adding the following line of code:
define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘64’);
This increases your memory limit to 64M. You might need to contact your host before you do it as some host don’t allow it from your end.
- Switch to a Default Theme :
Another solution to Internal Server Error is by replacing your current theme with the default WordPress theme. This can be done by accessing your wp-content/themes folder via FTP and renaming the folder.
3. WHITE SCREEN OF DEATH
This is straightforward as it only happens either when a script reaches the PHP memory limit or during a plugin or theme conflict. This can be very frustrating as the screen will just display a plain white screen with no error message.
Solutions :
- Increase the Memory Limit :
Follow the same step mentioned above to increase the memory size.
- Deactivate all your Plugins :
Connect to your site via FTP and rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_old to deactivate all your plugins.
- Try the Debug Feature :
If you try any of the solutions mentioned above and the problem still persist (which might be impossible), insert this code into your wp-config.php file: define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true);.
Using this feature will let you know the true cause of the error.
6. IMAGE NOT UPLOADING
Most times WordPress users suddenly observe that they cannot upload image anymore and that images on their site are either broken or not displaying. When the user even tries to upload an image, it shows error. This commonly happens due to wrong file permissions.
Solutions :
- Connect to your site via FTP and change the permissions level to 744. You may also have to change it to 755 if the error still persists.
7. ALLOWED MEMORY SIZE
This error happens when your plugin or script exhaust the default memory size. An indication could be a white screen of death. If you are on a shared cheap hosting, the default memory is not always enough to handle heavy plugins as the memory is limited.
Solutions :
- Increase PHP memory size :
Whenever this happens, you will have to increase your PHP memory limit. Follow the step explained in previous error to do that.
- Deactivate Plugins :
Connect to your dashboard via FTP or File Manager and deactivate all your plugins. It might be a particular plugin that must be causing it. Refresh the site and check if the error is gone. If it is, reactivate plugins one after the other to see which of the plugin is consuming much space.
8. CONNECTION TIMED OUT
This error is very common in a shared hosting environment. This happens when a shared server is overloaded and can’t connect your site to the internet. It means your server is experiencing heavy usage and can’t process your request. It has a similar solution like others.
Solutions :
- Increase PHP memory size :
Follow any of the same step mentioned above to increase the memory size.
- Deactivate Plugins :
Connect to your dashboard via FTP or File Manager and deactivate all your plugins. It might be a particular plugin that must be causing it. Refresh the site and check if the error is gone. If it is, reactivate plugins one after the other to see which of the plugin is consuming much space.
9. LOCKED OUT OF WORDPRESS ADMIN
Sometimes you may forget your password and can’t remember the email you normally use to log into your WordPress site maybe because you have more than one site.
Solutions :
- Reset your email and password via phpMyAdmin :
This can only be possible when you connect to your site via your cpanel. Click on phpMyAdmin, locate the database that belongs to your site and reset the admin address.
10. LOGIN PAGE REFRESH
This is an error that occur when you try to log into your WordPress account and it redirect you back to the login page over and over again. This can be a problem from the .htaccess file or incorrect value for site URL.
Solutions :
- Delete the .htaccess file
- Delete cookies on your computer.
- Deactivate plugins via your site FTP
Any of these three or a combination will help fix this WordPress error.
11. 403 FORBIDDEN ERROR
This is one annoying WordPress error that is mostly encountered by users that are new to WordPress. It only displaces when your permissions deny access to a specific page. It can be as a result of poorly configured security plugin.
Solutions :
- Deactivate Plugins :
If the error is caused by a WordPress plugin , deactivate all your plugins. Refresh the site and check if the error is gone. If it is, reactivate plugins one after the other to see which of the plugin is creating the error.
- Fix the corrupt .htaccess File :
This option is only useful if the error is caused by corrupt .htaccess file. Fixing the file needs you to connect to your website via FTP. Locate the .htaccess file in the root folder. Download the file to your computer and delete it from your server.
- Enable Index.php :
This option is for WordPress users that their blog is hosted on Windows server. It might possibly be that there is an error with Directory Indexes.
Go to your Cpanel, locate and click on Web Options. Go to Directory Indexes, add index.php to the Directory Indexes.
- Contact Hosting Provider :
If after you have tried the two options above and the error is not solved, then it was caused by file permissions. Kindly contact your hosting provider to help correct the file permissions.
12. CAN’T DELETE A PLUGIN
You tried deleting a plugin from your dashboard but it is still appearing. You even deleted the directory via FTP but it is still there. Don’t worry, here is the solution.
Solutions :
- Delete Plugin via Secure Shell (SSH) :
If you have SSH access to your blog, log into your site via SSH and use it as a command to navigate “../wp-content/plugins/”. Locate the particular plugin and delete with rm (Folder name).
13. WORDPRESS SIDEBAR BELOW CONTENT
Your sidebar is supposed to appear at either the right or the left. But, when it now appears below your content, that is an error that needs to be address. It can be caused by too much div tags open or closed. When these opens and close in the wrong place, it can completely disturb your site layout.
Solutions :
- Use HTML Validator to find where the problem is from and fix it.
14. PARSE OR SYNTAX ERROR
This is another common WordPress error that usually happen when you are trying to insert code snippets into your functions.php file. The message is telling you that there is an error in your code that need to be corrected.
Solutions :
- Since the browser will tell you the exact file with issue and the line the parsing error occurs, connect to your site via FTP and remove the line of code.
15. FATAL ERROR
When you see a message like this on your browser “Fatal error: Call to undefined function get_header() in /example/site/wp-content/themes/yourtheme/index.php on line_14, this is as a result of plugin conflict.In most cases, the fatal error will always tell you the problem and in which file. It is very easy to interpret just looking at it alone. The above example tells us that the fatal error was caused by a theme using a function hook.
Solutions :
- If you know how to code, you can check the file indicated and solve the problem.
Conclusion:
Sometimes the solution to most of these WordPress errors are just either increasing the PHP memory limit, deactivating and reactivating them one after the other, deactivate current theme to defaul, or fix the corrupt .htaccess file.
Is there any WordPress error that you are experiencing that was not shared in this post? If there is and it was not mentioned, kindly drop it as a comment and someone will attend to it.You can reach us at Perception System Our Twitter and LinkedIn Page.
This post first appeared on Perception System Official Blog | Latest IT Indus, please read the originial post: here
