Common WordPress Errors and Solutions

WordPress has revolutionized web hosting and blogging. Millions of blogs are hosted on WordPress and it keeps counting with each increasing day. Some of the facts that make WordPress adorable to many people are that it is easy to navigate and free of persistent errors.

Except for some minimal administrative and technical errors, WordPress is a perfect hosting platform. So what are some of these errors that occasionally hinder the use of this interactive platform and how can they be solved? It is discovery time.

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500 Internal Server Error

500 Internal Server Error

It is probably the most notable WordPress error. After using your WordPress site for several consistent days, you wake up one day and find a message detailing that the server encountered an internal error.

The renowned cause of this error is internal corruption of .htaccess files. Additionally, incorrect WordPress installation can also result in this error. The other possible cause of 500 internal server error is suspicious plugin or theme. It is also worth noting that at times limited PHP memory can also result to this error.

In order to fix this error, you will need to find out where the problem lies. One easier way of achieving that is by enabling automatic WB_DEBUG checking of error logs. In case the error turns out to corrupt .htaccess file, you will have to access FTP on your server. Get to the root directory of WordPress installation and find this file. Give the file a new name like .htaccess_used. Try reloading your website again after doing this. Most definitely it will work.

Another simple solution lies in deactivation of plugins and themes. Additionally, you can also try increasing the PHP memory because limited memory can also cause this error.

White Screen Error

White Screen Error

This happens when one tries to access his website but sees nothing short of a white blank page. It is commonly referred to the White Screen of death owing to its nature.

One possible cause of this error is incompatibility of a theme or plugin. More specifically, a given plugin might not be compatible with another plugin within the site or it might not be compatible with the WordPress version you are using. Especially after an update, a theme might also experience compatibility issues with the website.

To solve this error, you need to carry out plugins directory isolation. Achieving this means going accessing the WordPress installation feature via FTP. Find the plugins folder and rename it. Consequently, you should create yet another folder and name it plugins. Doing this will achieve the initial objective of isolating the plugins. After these changes, your website should be able to work perfectly.

In case there are incompatibility issues with the theme, try to access the themes folder and rename the folder contain the active theme. Go ahead and open the WordPress admin panel to access the theme page. The effect is that WordPress will revert to the default theme and the problem would have been solved.

Error Establishing Database Connection

Database Error

This implies WordPress is experiencing technicalities in accessing your database.
One major cause is incorrect entry of essential details in the wp-config.php file. It can also occur when you surpass the data limits. This is mostly common with web share hosting plans. There is also a possibility of this error occurring when your server is technically down. Database connection errors also occur when websites have been hacked.

To correct the error, you will have to locate the wp-config.php file using PHP. Thereafter, you can make confirmations of the database credentials and ensure they are correct. These include the username, database name, database host, and password. In case of website hacking, you might need to check the security of your site using softwares like Sucuri SiteCheck.

In case your web server is down, you might need to get in touch with your web host for rectifications. This is also applicable in cases where you have surpassed the allocated data quotas.

Connection Timed out Error

Timeout Error

You might have encountered this couple of times. It results from overloaded or inappropriately configured server.

As hinted already, the error occurs when the website server is overloaded. As such, it might not be possible to accomplish your browser’s request. In basic terms, your website might be trying to do more than the server can allow.

To rectify this error, you will first need to deactivate all your plugins and then reactivate all of them one by one; trying to identify the faulty plugin in the process. You might also want to activate the current WordPress theme to resolve this issue. Other viable rectification options include increasing the maximum execution time and increasing PHP memory limit.

There might be other issues but these are the mostly encountered WordPress errors. Next time, you find yourself trapped in one of the errors, do not spend money trying to get solutions. Simply follow the aforementioned steps and save your cash.