WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, but like any platform, it’s not immune to technical hiccups.
From the dreaded white screen to plugin conflicts, WordPress errors can be frustrating—but they’re often easy to fix
once you know what’s going on.
Here are the
10 most common WordPress errors
, what causes them, and step-by-step solutions to fix each one.
1. The White Screen of Death (WSOD)
Problem:
Your website shows a blank white screen—no error message, nothing.
Causes:
Plugin/theme conflicts
PHP memory exhaustion
Fix:
Increase
memory_limit
in
wp-config.php
Disable plugins via FTP or your file manager
Switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four)
2. Error Establishing a Database Connection
Problem: Site can’t connect to the database.
Causes:
Incorrect database credentials Corrupted database Server issues
Fix:
Check
wp-config.php
for DB name, user, password, and host
Repair the database via
phpMyAdmin
or add
define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);
to
wp-config.php
3. Internal Server Error (500 Error)
Problem:
A generic error that doesn’t tell you much.
Causes:
Corrupted
.htaccess
file
Plugin/theme conflict PHP memory limit
Fix:
Rename
.htaccess
to
.htaccess_old
and reload
Increase PHP memory
Enable debugging:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
4. 404 Error on Posts or Pages
Problem:
Homepage works, but other links show 404 errors.
Fix:
Go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” to flush rewrite rules
Check
.htaccess
rewrite rules if using Apache
5. WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode
Problem:
You see: “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance.”
Fix:
Delete the
.maintenance
file from your site root via FTP or File Manager
For a deeper walkthrough of every possible cause and fix, see this dedicated guide: How to Fix a WordPress Site Stuck in Maintenance Mode.
6. Image Upload Issues (HTTP Error)
Problem: You get an “HTTP error” while uploading images.
Causes:
Memory limits File size restrictions Try a different browser or image format
Fix:
Increase memory in
php.ini
Disable mod_security Try a different browser or image format
7. You’re Locked Out of the Admin Area
Problem:
Can’t log in, password reset doesn’t work.
Fix:
Reset the password via
phpMyAdmin
Disable login restriction plugins temporarily
Create a new admin user via FTP and
functions.php
(carefully)
8. Changes Not Showing (Caching Issues)
Problem:
You made changes, but the site looks the same.
Fix:
Clear browser cache Clear WordPress and server cache (e.g., W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed, etc.)
Use
CTRL + SHIFT + R
to force-refresh
9. Plugin or Theme Conflict After Update
Problem:
Website breaks or throws errors after an update.
Fix:
Roll back to previous version using a plugin like WP Rollback Disable the conflicting plugin/theme Review plugin
documentation or changelog
For a systematic, step-by-step method to isolate which plugin is at fault, see Identifying and Fixing Plugin Conflicts.
10. Too Many Redirects Error
Problem:
“This page isn’t redirecting properly” message in the browser.
Fix:
Check
site_url
and
home
settings in the database
Remove redirect plugins temporarily Ensure HTTPS/SSL isn’t misconfigured
Bonus Tip: Enable Debug Mode
To get better error visibility, add this to your
wp-config.php
:
define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true); define(‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true); define(‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false);
It saves errors in wp-content/debug.log for diagnosis without showing them to users.
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