No matter how carefully you manage your site, encountering some of the common WordPress errors at one point or another is almost unavoidable. It’s easy to panic and get stressed out when this happens, but you shouldn’t. This is because most WordPress errors can be fixed quickly with the right knowledge.
This detailed guide covers the most common WordPress errors, showing you their visual appearance, common causes, and steps to resolve them so you can get your site up and running again quickly.
Table of Contents
- How To Find and View WordPress Errors
- White Screen of Death (There Has Been a Critical Error on Your Website)
- 400 Bad Request Error
- 403 Forbidden Error
- 404 Page Not Found Error
- 500 Internal Server Error
- 502 Bad Gateway Error
- 503 Service Unavailable Error
- Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected
- Error Establishing a Database Connection
- WordPress Fatal Error: Out of Memory
- “This Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection” Error
How To Find and View WordPress Errors
Speaking of errors, debugging and troubleshooting them can be pretty time-consuming without the right tools. If you want to find and fix your WordPress errors more quickly, the WP Debug Toolkit plugin is the solution you need.
WP Debug Toolkit offers an intuitive interface that lets you easily toggle debug mode with a single click. The plugin starts logging every PHP error, warning, and notice on your site immediately.
What makes it really useful is the log viewer app that works independently of WordPress. The clean interface shows all your errors in one place, with filters to help you find specific issues fast. The built-in file viewer shows exactly where each error occurred in your code, so you don't have to guess.
And if you ever get locked out or your site crashes, the crash recovery system lets you disable all plugins and themes instantly to get back in.
For more information on finding and viewing WordPress errors with the WP Debug Toolkit plugin, check out WordPress Error Logs: How to Find and View Them.
Now, let’s show you how to fix the most common WordPress errors you may encounter as you manage your site.
1. White Screen of Death (There Has Been a Critical Error on Your Website)
The White Screen of Death is one of the most common WordPress errors that many users face while managing their site. It is essentially a blank, white screen that appears when you attempt to access a part of your WordPress site that is experiencing an issue. If you’re on WordPress versions 5.2 and above, rather than a completely blank screen, you'll see an error message stating, “There has been a critical error on this website.”
The White Screen of Death is especially frustrating because it provides no context for why a particular page isn’t working, making it seem almost impossible to fix. However, it’s not as intimidating as it appears.
This error usually occurs when there's a PHP or database error on your site. Below are some common causes.
Common Causes of the White Screen of Death WordPress Error
- Poorly coded plugins or themes.
- Conflicts between plugins and themes.
- A script that exceeds the allocated PHP memory limit for your site.
- A core WordPress file, such as index.php or wp-config.php, getting corrupted.
- Issues with your site’s server, such as an outdated PHP version or misconfiguration.
How To Fix the White Screen of Death WordPress Error
Fixing the White Screen of Death requires a systematic approach to identify and eliminate the many potential causes. Following these steps should help resolve the issue:
- Check if your website’s server is down by using an online status tool like Is This Website Down. This can provide insights into whether a temporary outage with your hosting service is affecting your website. If it is down, contact your hosting provider for assistance.
- Use WordPress recovery mode to regain access if the error comes from a plugin or theme. The recovery link is usually sent to the site’s admin email with details about the problematic plugin or theme.
- Increase your site’s PHP memory limit by editing the wp-config.php file. This can help if the error is script-related, as it then provides the scripts with sufficient memory to run properly.
- Use FTP to access your plugins folder and deactivate it by renaming the folder. If this resolves the issue and allows you to access your admin dashboard, reactivate each plugin one by one to identify the cause.
- Clear your WordPress cache.
- Enable debug mode and error logging to catch errors if all other steps fail.
2. 400 Bad Request Error
When you send a request to the server that it can't understand, it returns a 400 Bad Request error. This type of error is categorized as a client error because it occurs due to a mistake made by the client, rather than the server. The error will persist until the mistake is found and corrected.
Common Causes of the 400 Bad Request Error
- URL string has a syntax error.
- Conflicts with installed add-ons or browser extensions.
- Locally stored DNS data does not match registered DNS information.
- Browser cache and cookies are expired.
- A file being uploaded exceeds the server’s size limit.
- Temporary server issues or misconfigured server settings.
How To Fix the 400 Bad Request Error
- Double-check the submitted URL: Look for typos or unwanted characters in the URL string. If it's a long URL that's difficult to verify manually, use an online URL encoder/decoder, such as URL Encoder, to detect illegal characters automatically.
- Disable all browser extensions: If you have add-ons installed, some may interfere with your website requests. Temporarily disable each one to see if that fixes the error.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies: Your cache and cookies can expire or become corrupted, which can cause a 400 Bad Request error. To fix this, go to your browser settings and clear the cache and cookie data for the specific site you're visiting.
- Compress large files before uploading: If you try to upload a large file that exceeds the server’s size limit, you'll get a 400 Bad Request Error. Fix this by compressing the file using a free online tool, then re-upload it.
- Clear your DNS cache: Your DNS cache can also become expired or corrupted over time. Try clearing it if the previous steps don’t work. This guide on "Clearing the DNS cache on your computer" will help.
3. 403 Forbidden Error
Unlike the 400 Bad Request, where the server is unable to understand a request sent, the 403 Forbidden Error indicates that the server does understand the request but refuses to authorize access to the requested resource. So basically, the server knows exactly what you want to access, but refuses to let you access it. This error is also categorized as a client-side error and is often temporary in nature. It can be triggered by one of the various reasons listed below.
Common Causes of the 403 Forbidden Error
- Incorrect file or folder permissions.
- A corrupted .htaccess file.
- The index.html or index.php file is missing.
- A malware scanner that blocks access to specific resources to prevent malicious attacks.
- Conflicts with plugins on your website.
- Your domain points to an incorrect IP address.
- Security settings on your website server.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN) conflicts.
How To Fix the 403 Forbidden Error
- Clear your browser cache and cookies: If a webpage’s link changes, a mismatch with the cached link can cause the 403 Forbidden error. Your first step should be to clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then check if the error disappears. You can do this through your browser settings.
- Update your file and folder permissions: Your site’s file and folder permissions are usually configured correctly by default. However, these permissions can become corrupted and lead to access errors. To fix this, access your site’s files via FTP and modify the permissions as needed. This detailed guide on WordPress File Permissions explains how to do it.
- Delete and re-add the .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is the core site configuration file used by the Apache web server (a standard web server used by most hosting providers). If it becomes corrupted, it can trigger a 403 Forbidden error. You’ll need to force WordPress to create a new file to fix this. Check out "Corrupted .htaccess File WordPress: Troubleshooting Made Easy" for detailed instructions on deleting and re-adding the file.
- Temporarily deactivate all plugins on your site: If the 403 error is caused by plugin conflicts, temporarily deactivating and then reactivating them one at a time will help identify the problematic plugin. This allows you to replace the plugin with an alternative or contact the developer for support.
- Check your site’s A records to verify if your domain points to the correct IP address. If it doesn’t, update the records or add a new one.
- Temporarily disable your CDN: If your website uses a CDN, it might cache a 403 Forbidden error caused by file permission issues. Turning it off and on again could fix the problem if that's the case.
- Contact your hosting provider: If other steps fail, the 403 Forbidden error may be due to security settings on your server. Reach out to your hosting provider for help in updating those settings.
4. 404 Page Not Found Error
The 404 Page Not Found error is thrown when the website’s server is unable to find the page or resource that you are requesting. In this case, the server is working correctly, but a link on the site is broken.
Common Causes of the 404 Page Not Found Error
- A deleted page with no 301 redirect in place.
- Mistyped URL or broken site links.
- Changing your site’s domain name without updating internal links.
- Corrupted .htaccess file.
- Domain name not correctly pointing to the server.
How to Fix the 404 Page Not Found Error
- Set up 301 redirects whenever you move, delete, or rename a page. This makes sure that site visitors are always directed to the correct page and don’t encounter annoying 404 errors. You can easily set this up using plugins like Rank Math and Yoast SEO.
- Check for typos in the URL or broken links. Use tools like Ahrefs or Google Search Console to quickly identify all broken links on your site so you can fix them at once.
- Update your site’s permalinks to regenerate the .htaccess file, especially if you recently changed domain names. This forces WordPress to generate new rewrite rules and fix any 404 errors caused by corrupted permalinks.
- Verify your DNS settings to ensure they are correct. Even small mistakes can make a requested URL on your domain inaccessible. You can find the DNS configurations in the cPanel provided by your hosting service provider.
- Create a custom 404 error page for your website. You can include links to your website’s homepage, a search bar, or your contact details to improve the experience for your site users if they ever encounter the 404 error.
5. 500 Internal Server Error
When your website’s server experiences an internal problem that cannot be specifically identified, it displays a 500 Internal Server Error. This error indicates that your website is inaccessible to visitors and even to you if you try to log into your admin dashboard. It is one of the more generic errors that can occur for many different reasons. Some of the most common causes are outlined below.
Common Causes of the 500 Internal Server Error
- A temporary glitch with your site’s server or an overload on its resources if there are too many visitors at once.
- Poorly coded plugins or conflicts with multiple plugins.
- Outdated themes.
- The wrong PHP version being used on the site.
- Corrupted website database, .htaccess file, or WordPress core files.
- A broken script or PHP syntax errors.
- Incorrect file and folder permissions.
- Incorrect login credentials for the database.
How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error
- Reload the webpage: This is the simplest fix for the 500 Internal Server Error, especially when a temporary server glitch causes it. A quick page refresh can resolve the issue.
- Deactivate your plugins and reactivate them one by one. You will need to do this via FTP since you cannot access your admin dashboard. If your site loads correctly after deactivating the plugins, you have found the culprit. Reactivate them one at a time to identify which plugin causes the error.
- Audit your website theme to see if it is causing the error. Access your site’s files via FTP, go to the wp-content folder, find your active theme’s folder, and rename it to activate WordPress’s default theme. If the 500 error disappears, your theme needs to be updated or reinstalled.
- Change your site’s PHP version to a newer or older one and see if the error goes away. If it does, keep the latest working version.
- Check your .htaccess file for syntax errors and regenerate it if necessary. The .htaccess file is located inside your site’s public_html folder when you access your site files via FTP.
- Enable debug mode and error logging to review your WordPress error logs. You can do this easily with WP Debug Toolkit by enabling debug mode with one click instead of editing wp-config.php files manually.
6. 502 Bad Gateway Error
When a site visitor requests a page on your website, the browser sends a request to the proxy server to fetch the data that needs to be displayed. WordPress sites operate on multiple servers, so various layers of interaction are required for the request to be fulfilled. If any of the servers sends an invalid response, the proxy server returns to the browser and displays the 502 Bad Gateway Error.
Common Causes of the 502 Bad Gateway Error
- Network issues that interrupt communication between servers.
- Server becomes overwhelmed with too many requests during traffic spikes.
- Problems with DNS configuration.
- Corrupted cache files.
- Security measures like firewalls blocking legitimate server communications.
How to Fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error
- Reload the page: Since 502 Bad Gateway Errors are sometimes temporary, a simple webpage reload can fix the problem.
- Check the site status: If reloading the page doesn’t work, use tools like IsItDownRightNow or DownForEveryoneOrJustMe to see if your server is down, which might cause the 502 error. If it is down, it's probably an issue with your web host or CDN setup.
- Clear your browser cache: If corrupted cache files are causing the 502 error, clearing your browser cache will fix it instantly.
- Flush your DNS cache: This is similar to clearing your browser cache but done through your computer’s command line. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to clear the DNS cache on your PC for detailed instructions.
- Temporarily disable your firewall: If you use a security plugin like Wordfence, you can turn off the firewall temporarily and check if the error goes away.
- If you have WP Debug Toolkit installed, check the error logs to see if a specific plugin is causing communication failures between servers.
7. 503 Service Unavailable Error
The 503 Service Unavailable error appears when the server cannot handle a request because it lacks resources or is temporarily under maintenance. If the error occurs due to high traffic, a server glitch, or a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, it is likely to resolve itself within a few minutes.
Common Causes of the 503 Service Unavailable Error
- A sudden increase in your site’s traffic.
- A problematic plugin or theme that is using more resources than usual.
- Hosting provider scheduled server maintenance.
- Distributed DDoS attacks or SQL injections.
- Server or application configuration errors.
How to Fix the 503 Service Unavailable Error
- Check your hosting provider’s status page for scheduled maintenance, as the error might be caused by ongoing maintenance. This usually doesn’t last long, and your site should be back online once the maintenance is finished.
- Monitor your server’s resource usage through your cPanel to see how much CPU, RAM, disk space, and bandwidth your site is using. If your site exceeds its limits, you should optimize resource usage or upgrade to a higher hosting plan.
- Enable debug mode and error logging to access your server logs. These logs will help you quickly identify the main cause of the error, making it easier to fix.
- Deactivate all plugins and switch your WordPress theme. If you recently installed a new plugin before the error appeared, it might be the cause. Try disabling it (via FTP if you can’t access your admin dashboard) to see if the error goes away. You can also switch to the default WordPress theme to check if it’s causing the issue.
8. Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected
The “Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected” message is one of the clearer WordPress errors that directly shows what the issue is. When you see the parse error, it tells you that WordPress is having trouble reading your PHP code because there is a syntax error that needs correction. The syntax error could be as simple as a missing semicolon, an extra bracket, or an incorrect function name.
Common Causes of “Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected”
- Mistakes such as missing commas, unclosed brackets, deleted semicolons, etc.
- Installing poorly coded plugins and themes.
- Mistakenly deleting code that your site relies on to function.
- Copying code with hidden characters or errors from a third-party website and directly pasting it into your site.
- Adding custom code in the wrong file location.
How to Fix “Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected”
- Read the error message or enable debug mode for context: The error message usually provides specific information about the problem, which you can use to fix the issue. If you need more details, then enable debug mode. WP Debug Toolkit shows the exact file and line number where the syntax error occurred in its error viewer.
- Recover your site from a backup: If you have a backup that doesn’t include your recent changes, consider restoring it to fix the parse error.
- Use a code snippet plugin when adding custom code: To avoid accidentally deleting important code or causing syntax errors, consider using a code snippet plugin like WPCodeBox. It makes adding custom code safer and includes an IDE with syntax highlighting and automatic code completion.
- Deactivate and replace poorly coded plugins and themes: If other fixes don’t work, check your plugins and themes to find the source of the syntax error. Once you identify the problem, find an alternative that works more smoothly on your site.
9. Error Establishing a Database Connection
If your site’s server has trouble communicating with the MySQL database, it prevents the web page from loading and shows the “Error Establishing a Database Connection” message. Like many other errors, this one disrupts both the front-end and back-end of your site.
Common Causes of “Error Establishing a Database Connection”
- Incorrect database access credentials.
- Corrupted database files.
- MySQL server is down.
- Website traffic spikes.
- Corrupted WordPress core files.
How to Fix “Error Establishing a Database Connection”
- Cross-check your database login credentials in the wp-config.php file to ensure they are correct. You can find the correct database credentials in your hosting provider’s control panel.
- Use WordPress database repair mode to fix corrupted database files. This guide explains how to run the built-in WordPress database repair tool.
- Create a new database and restore your backup if the database repair mode does not resolve the issue. Severe corruption of database files requires creating an empty database and importing a previous backup.
- Check your SQL server status by contacting your hosting provider. If the server is down, it's likely causing the database connection error.
- Generate new copies of corrupted WordPress core files by downloading the latest WordPress version, extracting the ZIP file, deleting the wp-content folder and wp-config-sample.php file, and uploading the remaining files via FTP to overwrite existing ones.
10. WordPress Fatal Error: Out of Memory
WordPress Fatal Error: Out of Memory is among the easier errors to fix quickly because its cause is straightforward, and you don’t need to go through many trials and errors to resolve it. This error, known as the WordPress Memory Limit Error, happens when your website tries to use more PHP memory than your hosting provider allocates for PHP scripts.
In newer versions of WordPress, the error message isn't displayed directly. Instead, you'll see a message that says “There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.” WordPress added this feature to prevent visitors from seeing technical details about your site.
There are a few reasons why the WordPress Memory Limit Error might occur. The main ones are outlined below.
Common Causes of WordPress Fatal Error: Out of Memory
- Uploading large images or other media files to your site.
- Spikes in your website traffic.
- Installing a resource-heavy theme or plugin.
How to Fix WordPress Fatal Error: Out of Memory
- Increase your WordPress memory limit by editing its value in the .htaccess file, wp-config.php file, or php.ini file. Keep in mind that this might not work if your hosting provider enforces a lower cap.
- Deactivate unnecessary plugins to free up memory and improve your site’s overall performance. Also, consider using a lightweight theme that isn't too resource-heavy.
- Optimize images with tools like TinyJPG or apply lazy loading to lessen the strain on your PHP memory.
- Upgrade your hosting plan if you've tried the other solutions and still face the error. This indicates that your website has outgrown the limits of your current plan.
11. “This Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection” Error
The “This site can’t provide a secure connection” error message is displayed when a web browser is unable to create an encrypted link that allows you to access a website safely. It means that the website does not comply with the HTTPS protocol.
Common Causes of “This site can’t provide a secure connection” Error
- Invalid or expired SSL certificate.
- Firewall or antivirus issues.
- Incorrect date and time settings.
- HTTPS not enforced on the website.
How to Fix the “This site can’t provide a secure connection” Error
- Install a valid SSL certificate on your website. This is the most effective way to resolve the error. You can easily do this through your hosting provider’s control panel.
- Reset the date and time on your computer if they are incorrect. This is important because the validity of an SSL certificate is checked against your system’s current date and time.
- Force an HTTPS connection from your hosting provider’s dashboard. This ensures users are always redirected to the secure URL when they visit your site.
- Temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus to see if the error clears up. If it does, adjust the settings to prevent the error from happening again.
Common WordPress Errors — Frequently Asked Questions
How to find WordPress errors?
You can find WordPress errors using WP Debug Toolkit, which lets you enable debug mode and view errors with one click. Or you can manually add WP_DEBUG constants to the wp-config.php file and access the debug.log file, though this requires code editing and FTP access.
How to fix WordPress memory exhausted error?
There are several ways to fix the WordPress memory exhausted error. Here are some quick solutions:
- Adjust your WordPress PHP memory limit in the wp-config.php file, .htaccess file, or php.ini file.
- Compress your website images.
- Deactivate unused plugins.
- Use a lightweight WordPress theme.
- Upgrade your hosting plan.
How to fix an error in WordPress?
Fixing an error in WordPress can be done in various ways depending on the kind of error. Some standard methods include:
- Clearing browser cache and cookies
- Deactivating all WordPress plugins
- Switching to the default WordPress theme
- Flushing your DNS cache
- Updating your site’s permalinks
- Increasing your PHP memory limit
- Resolving file permission issues
- Checking WordPress error logs
How to repair WordPress files?
You can repair WordPress files in two ways. Go to Dashboard › Updates from your admin dashboard and click Re-install version [x.x.x]. This will automatically reinstall all WordPress core files and replace any corrupted files. You can also repair the files through FTP by downloading the latest WordPress version, extracting the ZIP file, deleting the wp-content folder and the wp-config-sample.php file, then uploading the remaining files to overwrite the existing ones.
What is the forbidden error in WordPress?
The forbidden error in WordPress is the 403 client-side error. It happens when a server denies access to a specific resource for various reasons, such as incorrect file or folder permissions, missing index.html or index.php files, security settings on your website server, conflicts with plugins, among others.
Common WordPress Errors — Related Information
