Fix common WordPress errors: Top 10 issues

If you’re working on a website, you are very likely to run into problems. Though it can be extremely frustrating, they always have quick and easy fixes, so today we will be looking over some common WordPress errors and how to fix them!

There can be many possible reasons that cause issues on your website. The key is to identify the root of the problem, and then come up with a solution accordingly.

While there can be many different problems that you could run into, there are ones that are more common than others. Today we will summarize fixes to common WordPress errors, what causes them so that they can be solved in a few simple steps. 

It is important that you solve problems with your website immediately after you notice them, or it can lead you to lose traffic and engagement.

Here are the 10 most common WordPress errors and how to debug them!

How to solve common WordPress errors

Here’s how to Fix common WordPress errors!

1. 404 error

The 404 error is one of the most common errors that you can come across when working on a website. When a page is unavailable on the internet, this is the page that shows up. Here are the common reasons for this error.

  • If you’ve migrated your website to a different host.
  • Poorly coded plugins or themes.
  • Incorrect URL’s of pages. 
  • Deleted pages.

If you find your website causing this issue, you can try the following tips and see what works.

You can try clearing your browser’s cache and browser history and check if it solves the problem or not.

Your website’s URL can also cause problems, therefore you should try setting up a permalink. You can do this by logging into your WordPress dashboard, navigate to setting permalink, then set to default and save changes. 

Since plugins can also be a cause of this error, try deactivating all your plugins. If this solves the problem, it means that there’s a certain plugin that causes this issue. Activate all the plugins one by one and see which one gives rise to the error. After recognizing the plugin that causes the issue, get rid of it.

Updating your WordPress URL can also solve this problem. Go to PHPMyAdmin and navigate to wp-option. Change the URL from here.

2. The connection timed out error

Another common issue that you may come across is the connection timed-out error. It is most commonly caused by an overburdened shared server. This can occur if you have a heavy theme or plugin installed on your website, as it can exhaust your PHP’s memory limit.

You can generally fix this by increasing your memory limit, or the maximum execution time. 

If that doesn’t work, try bulk deactivating all your plugins. If the issue seems to be gone, individually re-activate every plugin and see which causes the problem to reappear and get rid of it.

Try switching to your default theme and check whether the theme you’re currently working with is causing the problem. If the problem is solved, then consider switching to a different theme.

3. WordPress failed to auto-update.

The WordPress failed to auto-update issue is usually caused by changes in your file permission. It can also be the result of a script timeout, or an exhausted PHP memory limit.

Again, fixing this is fairly simple. You can try checking file permissions and see whether there’s a change there and set it back to its original setting. If that doesn’t work, try turning off the safe mood for your website. 

4. Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance error

This is usually an issue that occurs when you’re updating the WordPress core, theme, or plugin. It fails the update and goes into the maintenance mood. Low memory can also cause this problem.

You can often fix this by deleting the .maintenance file from your file manager. To do so, open the WordPress root directory and navigate the .maintenance file, and simply delete it. 

You can also consider shifting to a higher web host, which may fix the problem if its root is low memory.

5. WordPress not sending email issue

If WordPress is failing to send the emails you intend to send, then it can be a result of incorrect server configuration. The emails may even be sent, but they probably end up falling in the spam folder of your target.

Firstly, make sure that the email is not landing in the spam folder of your receiver. Consider moving to a safer email address and setting up email authentication to fix that issue.

You should start by sending test emails to see whether the clients are receiving your emails at all. If they’re not reaching your client then you should consider contacting your plugin developer.

6. Too many redirects error

When your website causes too many redirects, this page appears. I.e there are misconfigured redirects in your website that are causing errors. 

You can start by clearing your website’s cache. If that doesn’t seem to do the trick, try deactivating your plugins and see if anything changes. If it solves the problem, then activate each plugin individually and see which causes the problem to rise.

You can also fix this via the file manager. Navigate to the function.php file and enter this code into your website.

update_option( ‘siteurl’, ‘https://example.com’ );

update_option( ‘home’, ‘https://example.com’ );

Where the example website is the URL of your website.

7. WordPress keeps logging out

Your WordPress website is likely to keep logging out if your website has a mismatched URL, or you have a cookie that WordPress sets to authenticate the login.

You troubleshoot this by clearing your website’s cache. You can then try going to settings > advanced > privacy and security > permissions > allow the site to save and read cookie data > toggle off the block button. 

That doesn’t work? Try disabling and re-enabling plugins to see which one causes the problem and delete it.

8. Image upload issue

Struggling to upload images to your website? Incorrect file permissions and misconfigured servers can be the causes of this issue. 

Now, if the problem only arises if you try to upload a certain image, then try to resize or rename your image before uploading. 

when all images are causing this problem, then increase the memory limit by pasting the following URL in the wp-config 

define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ ); 

If that doesn’t work either, then try deactivating plugins and reactivating individually to catch the issue.

9. ‘Are You Sure You Want To Do This’ error

The failure of a plugin to operate is what can cause this issue. 

You can check which one by deactivating all plugins and see if the issue is fixed. Fixing indicates that the problem is within the plugins. Activate each one individually to check which one gives rise to the problem. 

You can also try to set the theme to default. If that fixes the issue, you should consider shifting to a different theme.

10. “Not Secure” warning

Not having a valid SSL certificate is the root of this issue. This means that any data that a user shares is accessible to third parties while it’s being transferred. 

Not only does this make your site appear skeptical to your visitors and automatically make them lose trust, but it also significantly impacts your rankings by search engines.

You can quickly get rid of this warning by installing an SSL certificate for your website.

There you go! These were Fix 10 common WordPress errors that you may encounter as a website developer and ways to fix them.

Conclusion 

It is vital that your website’s visitors have a pleasant experience when they visit your website, it impacts the way they view your brand significantly.

To make sure that they enjoy what they come across, you need to make sure that they don’t come across any errors. Make sure that they have a smooth, trouble-free experience during their encounter.

Today we gave you an overview of the top 10 Fixes to common WordPress errors you’re likely to come across when using WordPress, and quick fixes to them. 

We hope we helped you fix common WordPress errors!

Table of Contents

Request for proposal