WordPress Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction

WordPress is a robust platform, but like any software, it can encounter issues that disrupt functionality or user experience. Troubleshooting WordPress problems requires a systematic approach to identify and resolve issues related to performance, plugins, themes, or server configurations. This comprehensive guide covers common WordPress issues, their causes, and step-by-step solutions. Designed for beginners and intermediate users, this article equips you with the knowledge to diagnose and fix problems efficiently.

Common WordPress Issues and Solutions

1. White Screen of Death (WSOD)

Symptoms: The site or dashboard displays a blank white screen.

Causes: - Plugin or theme conflicts. - PHP memory limit exhaustion. - Syntax errors in code.

Solutions: - Increase Memory Limit: - Edit wp-config.php and add: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');. - Contact your host to increase the PHP memory limit. - Disable Plugins: - Access your site via FTP or hosting file manager. - Rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_old to disable all plugins. - Rename it back and reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit. - Switch to Default Theme: - Rename your active theme’s folder in wp-content/themes (e.g., twentytwentyfive_old). - WordPress will revert to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Five). - Enable Debug Mode: - In wp-config.php, set: define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

• Check the debug log in wp-content/debug.log for errors.

2. Error Establishing Database Connection

Symptoms: The site displays “Error establishing a database connection.”

Causes: - Incorrect database credentials in wp-config.php. - Corrupted database. - Server issues.

Solutions: - Verify Database Credentials: - Check wp-config.php for correct DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST. - Confirm credentials in your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel > MySQL Databases). - Repair Database: - Add define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true); to wp-config.php. - Visit example.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php and select “Repair Database.” - Contact Host: - Ensure the database server is running. - Check for server outages or maintenance.

3. 404 Errors on Posts or Pages

Symptoms: Pages or posts return a 404 “Not Found” error.

Causes: - Incorrect permalink settings. - Corrupted .htaccess file. - Plugin conflicts.

Solutions: - Reset Permalinks: - Go to Settings > Permalinks and select a structure (e.g., “Post name”). - Click “Save Changes” to regenerate permalinks. - Update .htaccess: - Replace the .htaccess file in the WordPress root directory with: