If you have a WordPress powered website, you know how user-friendly and flexible this platform can be. However, there are some common errors that can make it difficult to use at times. The good news is that other users have probably had the same questions, which means there are answers you can refer to.
Here are five of the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.
1. Error Establishing Database Connection
Error establishing database connection lets you know that the connection with the database is broken. This could happen for a number of reasons, such as a problem with your hosting provider or an error in the wp-config.php file.
Start by talking to your hosting provider to determine if there’s a problem with the server. If you find out that everything is fine, check your wp-config.php file. Open up this file and make sure all information is correct, including the database name, host, username and password.
If everything checks out, scan your site to see if it has been compromised. If it has, change your login details and restore your website from the backup.
2. White Screen of Death
Everyone knows the white screen of death. This usually comes with no error message, which makes it even more frustrating. Generally speaking, a white screen means you have a poorly coded theme or plugin or an exhausted memory limit.
If the problem is a theme or plugin, disable all plugins and replace your theme with the default WordPress theme. Activate one plugin at a time so that you know which one is causing the problem. If it’s the memory limit, increase your memory limit.
3. 500 Internal Server Error
Another common error is the Internal Server Error, which can be caused by an exhausted memory limit or corrupted plugins or themes. To fix this problem, you’ll follow the same steps as listed above for the white screen of death.
If it’s an exhausted memory limit, increase the limit by adding the proper line of code. If it’s a corrupted plugin or theme, deactivate your plugins and refresh them one by one to see which one is causing the problem.
4. Connection Timed Out
If your connection times out, it’s often because the shared server is overburdened. This typically happens because of heavy plugins, theme function errors or exhausted memory limits. To address this issue, increase your memory limit, deactivate and reactivate plugins (look for the one that is causing the problem) and switch to a default WordPress theme.
5. 404 Page Error
404 page errors usually occur when the website can’t find the page you’re looking for. Reconfigure your permalinks or manually rewrite the rules to overwrite the default permalink settings. To be clear, 404 errors indicate that the server itself is reachable, but the page showing the error is not.
Even though these errors are common, you need a background in WordPress to fix them. If you’re not fluid in WordPress, contact Magna Technology for a fast diagnosis and solution.
