Buzz
All websites indexed on the Internet are hosted on dedicated servers, and WordPress is arguably the most popular blogging platform in the world. Hosting services play a vital role in the success of a website. A range of important ranking factors such as page speed and security are closely related to your hosting service.
Guide to Fixing Common WordPress Hosting Errors
Common hosting-related issues frequently arise, and the following article will highlight the most common WordPress hosting errors and their corresponding fixes so that you can promptly address them in case of any incidents.
Common WordPress Hosting Errors and Solutions
1. The Dreaded White Screen of Death
Among WordPress errors, the White Screen of Death (WSoD) holds the top spot. It's called so because when it appears, all you see is a pitch-black screen without any error messages.
WSoD error comes with numerous calamities. It can affect your website's front-end interface, your admin area, or both. If the error only appears on the front-end, it's likely due to an issue with one of your plugins or themes.
To troubleshoot the issue, navigate to your WordPress dashboard and browse through the active plugins. Deactivate each plugin one by one and check if the error has been resolved.
Your aim during this process is to isolate a misbehaving plugin. If this doesn't fix the error, try switching to one of WordPress's default themes. Alternatively, if you don't have access to the dashboard, you'll need to manually deactivate plugins and themes. You can do this using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client like FileZilla, for example.
Connect to your website via FTP and navigate to the public_html/wp-content/plugins directory. Inside, you'll find multiple directories, one for each plugin of the website.
Renaming a plugin directory to anything other than the default name will automatically deactivate the plugin in WordPress. To do this, right-click on the folder you wish to rename and select the Rename option.
After renaming each directory, check if the WSoD has disappeared. Once you've identified the troublesome plugin, remember to revert the directories back to their original names when you're done. If not, WordPress won't recognize them.
This process is similarly done to deactivate your current WordPress theme - simply go to wp-content/theme via FTP. When you change the directory name of the active theme, WordPress will switch to one of the default options.
2. Internal Server Error
Unlike WSoD, the Internal Server Error in WordPress provides you with some information. Essentially, you know there's an issue with your server, which is a good starting point.
Internal Server Error typically arises from 3 main reasons:
- Issues with plugins and themes.
- Low PHP memory limit, preventing your website from executing essential commands.
- Corrupted .htaccess file.
*For the first cause: You perform the troubleshooting similarly to fixing WSoD.
*For the second cause: There are several ways you can increase your WordPress PHP memory limit. The simplest approach is to access the root directory of your website via FTP and locate the wp-config.php file. Open it with a Text Editor and add the following lines of code:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '128M');
ini_set('post_max_size', ' 128M ');
ini_set('upload_max_filesize', ' 128M ');
Save the changes in wp-config.php and check if the error has disappeared.
*For the third cause: Take the time to examine the .htaccess file of your website. This file contains instructions on how your website interacts with the server. You can find it inside the same directory as wp-config.php.
When it comes to editing the .htaccess file, you need to be extremely careful. A wrong configuration can potentially destroy your website. Don't make any changes unless you're certain.
In this case, the safest troubleshooting method is to reset the .htaccess file to its default configuration. Once done, save the changes and close the file.
Lastly, double-check to see if the Internal Server Error has disappeared. If not, it's best to contact your hosting service provider to determine if the issue lies on the server's end.
3. Database Connection Setup Error
Every WordPress website uses a single database to store all its information. When someone tries to access your website, it connects to the database to fetch any necessary information. If for any reason it can't establish a connection with the database, you'll encounter this error.
In most cases, you'll encounter the Error Establishing a Database Connection due to one of the following reasons:
- WordPress is attempting to use incorrect login information for your database.
- There are issues with your database server.
- The database is corrupted.
The first reason is quite rare unless you've made changes to the wp-config.php file, where your database information is stored. Similarly, issues with your database server are uncommon unless you're using an unreliable web server.
So, only the third reason remains. While not typical, it can occur without any fault of yours. In fact, simply updating your website can lead to a corrupted database.
The good news is WordPress includes a feature that allows you to repair corrupted database tables. To use it, you'll need to activate the feature via wp-config.php.
- You access the wp-config.php file on the server using FTP.
- Add the following line of code: define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);
- Then, save the changes, enter your domain name in the browser, and append /wp-admin/maint/repair.php to the end (Example: https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php).
- Here, WordPress will ask if you want to repair your database. Click on Repair Database to confirm. This process doesn't take much time, but it depends on the size of your database.
After the repair process is complete, try accessing your website again. Don't forget to remove the line of code you added to wp-config.php. That way, others won't be able to perform database repair function without your permission.
4. Your Website Stuck in Maintenance Mode
When you update your website, WordPress automatically puts it into maintenance mode while the process is ongoing. Usually, you might not even notice this as it only lasts for a few seconds while WordPress completes the update process.
However, if there's an issue during the update process, your website can get stuck in maintenance mode. To fix this, you'll need to navigate to your WordPress root directory and find a file named .maintenance.
WordPress automatically creates this file every time it switches to maintenance mode. To bring your website back to normal, all you have to do is delete the .maintenance file.
5. Missed Schedule Error
As you may know, WordPress allows you to schedule posts for any date you desire. This feature enables you to plan ahead for your content and not worry about manually publishing posts.
To accomplish this, WordPress relies on what's called cron jobs, which are scheduled tasks. The platform uses cron jobs to simulate publishing posts according to the schedule. In essence, sometimes it misses the publication date. You'll encounter this error when checking your Posts tab.
If you're someone who prefers scheduling ahead, then this error can be considered significant. The best way to completely avoid it is by using a plugin, such as Scheduled Post Trigger. This plugin checks for posts that WordPress might have missed publishing and then completes that task. It's a handy plugin, so all you need to do is activate it and let it do the job in the background.
If you're seeking a CMS experience without any errors, you'll be disappointed. Managing and developing websites means encountering errors regardless of the platform. Fortunately, WordPress generally operates stably and securely when properly maintained.
Additionally, you can refer to How to Fix WordPress Displaying Localhost IP Address here.
