Troubleshooting WordPress - 15 Common Errors and Their Solutions

WordPress, the most widely used content management system (CMS) in the world, powers millions of websites across the globe. It holds 64.2% of the CMS market share. Its ease of use, flexibility, and numerous features make it the most convenient platform for bloggers, business, and eCommerce websites.

However, as with any software, users of WordPress may need help that bring down the speed and functionality of their websites. In this blog, we will discuss 15 common WordPress problems and give solutions that will guarantee your website performs at its best.

Top 15 WordPress Common Errors and Their Solutions

Troubleshooting WordPress errors often involves identifying common issues like 404 errors, RSS feed errors, fatal errors, or server misconfigurations. A systematic approach offered by a professional WordPress development company will offer customized solutions, continuous support, and strategic advice. So your WordPress site will not only run smoothly but also bring long-term profits to your business.

White Screen of Death (WSOD)

Issue: A white screen without any error message.

Solution: Boost the memory limit of PHP in your wp-config.php file or deactivate all plugins to find out if the problem is in a specific plugin.

Database connection error

Issue: WordPress is unable to connect to the database.

Solution: Make sure that wp-config.php file contains the correct database credentials. If this problem continues, please contact your hosting provider.

404 error on posts

Issue: Posts and pages produce 404 errors.

Solution: Go to Settings > Permalinks and click "Save Changes" to reset the permalinks structure.

Admin Dashboard is not loading

Issue: The WordPress admin panel is unreachable.

Solution: Deactivate plugins through FTP by renaming the plugins folder to recognize a plugin that could cause the error.

Mixed content error

Issue: Mixed content error after migrating from HTTP to HTTPS.

Solution: Use a plugin to change HTTP URLs to HTTPS URLs or replace the links in the database manually.

Issue: The page displays a message "Logging in..." or it redirects to itself.

Solution: Clear cookies and cache, deactivate the themes and plugins via FTP and also check the wp-config.php file for the proper site URL.

The sidebar below the content error

Issue: Sidebar appears below the content rather than on the side of the content.

Solution: This is most likely a theme issue. Check for HTML or CSS errors, and make sure that the widgets are located in the right places.

Theme installation failed

Issue: The theme cannot be installed because the style.css stylesheet is missing or exceeds the maximum upload size limit.

Solution: Check the theme package to ensure that the style.css file is included. For upload size problems, raise the maximum upload size limit in the 'php.ini' file.

CSS changes are not working

Issue: After making CSS changes, they don't reflect on the website.

Solution: Clear your browser and server cache. Ensure that the version number in your CSS file link forces browsers to load the latest version (e.g. 'style.css?ver=1.1').

Maintenance mode error

Issue: Stuck in maintenance mode after the update.

Solution: Remove the ‘.maintenance’ file from your WordPress root directory.

Unable to send emails

Issue: WordPress or plugins can't send emails.

Solution: Install an SMTP plugin and send emails using the proper credentials of a SMTP server.

WordPress RSS feed showing error

Issue: The RSS feed of your WordPress website is not loading or shows errors.

Solution: See if there are any wrong characters or spaces in your ‘functions.php’ file. You can try a plugin that fixes RSS feed errors.

Fatal error: Maximum execution time exceeded

Issue: The scripts go beyond the maximum execution time.

Solution: Raise the maximum execution time in the php.ini file.

"Upload: Failed to Write File to Disk" error

Issue: WordPress is not allowed to write files to disk.

Solution: Check permissions for the uploads directory or clear disk space if the server is full.

Failure to modify wp-config.php and .htaccess file

Issue: You need to change these important files but cannot find them or are unable to edit them.

Solution: They are hidden by default. Make sure the option to see hidden files in your FTP client is enabled.

While the provided solutions solve most of the common WordPress issues, some of them may require a more specific approach. This is where the expertise of WordPress development services comes in handy.

Conclusion

Creating a website using WordPress is a great experience but you should know that the digital world is not always perfect. Knowing common problems and their solutions, you can keep the WordPress site running smoothly and well. However, for more complex issues, Shiv Technolabs as a partner can bring to you the expertise required to navigate the issues of WordPress, thus enabling you to focus on your business objectives.