Troubleshooting Your WordPress Website

aka Troubleshooting 101

How about the WSOD (white screen of death),

or the ugly orange error,

... or the all-encompassing 'Internal Server Error'.

WordPress Troubleshooting

Why Do You See These Errors
What You Can Do
Basic WordPress Fixes & Tips
Finding Help
WordCamp Happiness Bar

You Need Some Things To Get You Started

  • Know Your Website Host
  • What Was The Last Thing You Did
  • SFTP/ FTP/ SSH/ cPanel

White Screen of Death

  • Plugin / Theme Conflicts
  • Memory Issues

Health Check & Troubleshooting
plugin to the rescue.
Demo Upcoming.

Error Establishing a Database Connection

  • Error talking to WP db
  • Login credentials wrong
  • db corrupt
  • MySQL issue on host

wp-config.php with database credentials
Confirm all values correct

Syntax Error in WordPress

  • Pasted Code Snippet
  • Need FTP to fix
  • Remove / replace new code
  •   => Watch the quotes

Downgrade Plugin

Use Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades plugin to permit installing downloaded plugin over existing plugin.

HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

  • Not a WordPress issue
  • Corrupt .htaccess
  • . or PHP memory
  • . . or plugin conflict
  • . . . or . . .

Troubleshooting WordPress

  1. Disable all plugins
  2. Re-enable plugins 1x1
  3. Switch to default theme
  4. Refresh permalinks
  5. Refresh browser cache
  6. Turn off caching plugins

Live Demo: Troubleshoot With Health Check Plugin

Let's jump to a live local site - trouble.local
with fingers crossed

No Admin Access? cPanel as Option

Host Access Required.
Use File Manager App.

More cPanel

public_html folder
Drill down to wp-content

Live Demo: Deactivate All Plugins

Let's go back to our local site - trouble.local

404 Errors After Activating Plugin

Demo: Refresh Permalinks

Let's go back to our local site - one more time
trouble.local

Maintenance Mode Forever

  • Plugin / theme update gone awry
  • Needs server access to repair
  • Options: SFTP/FTP Client, SSH, cPanel

Manually Delete Maintenance File

Need More Help?

Finding Professional Support

WordPress Codex on Troubleshooting
  • More Technical Answers
  • Lots of detail

Formal Docs & Support

WordPress Support and Support Forums
WordPress.org forums are staffed by volunteers
Be kind.

Professional Support

WP Beginner
Fixing Common Errors

Finding Local Support

WordPress Meetups Within 90 mins

* No longer on meetup.com

The Happiness Bar - Huh?!?!

  • Think Help Desk
  • Staffed by Volunteers
  • Troubleshoot Problems
  • Answer Questions
  • Judgement-Free Zone

Right here at WordCamp Lancaster

Thanks for hanging in there!



Matt Ryan

[email protected]
@RyanCommaMatt



Q's ???

Slides: capwebsolutions.com/wclanc2020