Last Updated on April 20, 2021 by monk
There is no doubt that WordPress is a user-friendly platform for building websites. There are some issues, though, that may occur while you use WordPress.
Any user can encounter these common WordPress errors from time to time. Learning the basics of troubleshooting these common WordPress errors that come in different forms will help you handle the problems when they arise.
Before you begin troubleshooting, it is a good idea to back up your site to protect yourself from losing all your data.
How to Troubleshoot WordPress Errors
Even though WordPress is known for some common errors, the good news is they are easy to troubleshoot.
Read on to discover these common WordPress errors and their solutions. We will provide a step-by-step guide on troubleshooting each of these common errors.
PS – I have got a YouTube tutorial discussing this topic in more detail so if you prefer a video format, check it out below.
WordPress Error No. 1: The White Screen of Death
The so-called “white screen of death” happens when WordPress displays blank pages, which means that your site cannot load properly. The main reason for this is usually that you have incompatible plugins and themes enabled on your site. The problem can also be due to a lack of memory space.
The “white screen of death” does not usually show the exact location of the problem. When your WordPress site displays an error without an error code, it might mean you need to play detective to figure out the source.
Following these quick troubleshooting steps can help you track down your WordPress errors.
The Solution
- Deactivate all plugins and themes — Incoherent plugins and themes are most likely the culprits behind the “white screen of death.” Try disabling the plugins or switching to the default themes to see if that fixes the problem.
- Enable the WordPress to debug mode — The WordPress debug mode feature can help by showing errors directly on each page.
- Clear your cache data — Caching solutions are responsible for keeping a static version of your site. However, these caching solutions may cause another error even after fixing the “white screen of death” error. It is a must to clear your cache and see if that troubleshoots the issue.
- Expand memory capacity — Having too little space on your site may also cause the “white screen of death.” To expand your memory storage, go to the php.ini file, and increase storage space to its maximum limit.
If you are still experiencing this issue despite following these steps, it is best to ask your hosting provider’s customer support team for assistance.
WordPress Error No. 2: Internal Server Error
One of the most common and confusing WordPress errors is the internal server error message. This error happens when you cannot access an individual page on your website.
The internal server error can happen because your site has exceeded its memory limit, usually due to your permalink settings.
The Solution
- Check if your .htaccess file is corrupted using the FTP located in the control panel.
- Try renaming the file, then go back to your website to see if that resolved the problem.
- If this method was successful, you might go to WordPress and then go to Settings >> Permalinks and click the “Save Changes” button to create a new .htaccess file.
Other solutions you might want to try
Boosting Your PHP Memory Limit — Exhausted PHP memory limit may cause an internal server error.
Deactivate all Plugins — If your inspection for a corrupt .htaccess file and your boost in PHP memory limit doesn’t work, the error may be due to a specific plugin or a mix of plugins. Deactivate all WordPress plugins at once to help determine which one is causing the problem.
WordPress Error No. 3: Error Establishing Data Connection
If the problem “error establishing data connection” appears on your screen, it means that your website is having trouble connecting to its database.
Your database serves as storage for all your site’s content, so this error means that your site cannot access your database. When this disconnect happens, your website cannot operate properly.
Since your database holds all your site’s content, you may experience problems due to incorrect details, including your password, username, and database host.
The Solution
- To troubleshoot this common WordPress error, the first thing you need to do is check whether the same error appears on both your website’s front and backend pages.
- If a different error occurs on your backend page (also known as your wp-admin page), you should follow the steps your site suggests to repair the problem.
- To troubleshoot “error establishing data connection,” go to your wp-config.php Check if the encoded details are correct.
- If they are incorrect, replace them with the correct version. You will find the accurate information in your phpMyAdmin page.
WordPress Error No. 4: 502 Bad Gateway and 504 Gateway Timeout
A 502 bad gateway error means that a server is taking too long to process your request to access a website. You may troubleshoot this common WordPress error by refreshing your page and clearing your cache browser.
A 504 gateway timeout error, on the other hand, means that the server is managing more than what it can handle.
Both problems are due to server mistakes.
The Solution
You may try fixing this error by following any of these methods:
- Disable plugins
- Convert themes to default
- Expand Memory limits
If none of these steps work, you must reach out to the WordPress customer service team and ask for help.
WordPress Error No. 5: 404 Page Not Found
The 404 page not found message usually appears when a website you are trying to access does not exist or has changed its URL code. This error may also occur in existing web pages.
The Solution
- Double-check whether the URL you entered is correct. Check for jumbled or missing letters.
- Check permalink settings for two reasons. It may be that your permalink settings require reconfiguration, or there was an error with your .htaccess file. It may have either been removed or corrupted.
WordPress Error No. 6: The “Briefly Unavailable for Scheduled Maintenance” Error
A “briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” message is not an error but rather a notification. This notification most often appears after you have updated your WordPress site.
If WordPress struggles to update changes due to slow servers in your area or lack of memory space, this message appears.
The Solution
- An easy way to fix this is to get your site out of maintenance mode. Do this by removing the .maintenance file from the root directory.
- It is essential that you update your WordPress before deleting the .maintenance
- Deleting the file before updating your WordPress site may cause more severe problems.
Conclusion
While nobody likes facing errors, these WordPress issues may inevitably occur. These WordPress errors are some of the most common ones you might encounter when using the website creation platform.
It may seem at first that troubleshooting common WordPress errors is difficult, but knowing where and how to begin will help you fix the problem yourself.
If you found this post helpful, browse through our blogs for more WordPress-related information! Our team is committed to providing valuable information on how you can build a top-notch WordPress site.
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