How to Fix the Most Common WordPress Errors in 2025

How to Fix the Most Common WordPress Errors in 2025

WordPress is reliable, but errors happen. Knowing how to fix common WordPress errors quickly can save you hours of frustration. Here’s a comprehensive troubleshooting guide for 2025.

1. The White Screen of Death (WSOD)

The white screen of death shows a blank white page with no error message.

Causes: Plugin conflict, PHP memory limit, theme issue

Fix:

1. Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php: define('WP_DEBUG', true);
2. Deactivate all plugins via FTP (rename the plugins folder)
3. Switch to a default theme
4. Increase PHP memory limit: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

2. Error Establishing Database Connection

Causes: Wrong database credentials, corrupted database, server issue

Fix:

1. Check wp-config.php for correct DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_HOST
2. Contact your host to verify the database server is running
3. Repair the database via phpMyAdmin

3. 500 Internal Server Error

Causes: Corrupted .htaccess, PHP memory limit, plugin conflict

Fix:

1. Rename .htaccess to .htaccess_old
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save to regenerate .htaccess
3. Increase PHP memory limit
4. Deactivate plugins one by one

4. 404 Page Not Found

Causes: Permalink structure issue

Fix:

1. Go to Settings > Permalinks
2. Click Save Changes (regenerates .htaccess)

5. Maximum Execution Time Exceeded

Fix: Add to wp-config.php: set_time_limit(300);

Or in .htaccess: php_value max_execution_time 300

6. WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode

Fix: Delete the .maintenance file from your WordPress root directory via FTP.

7. SSL/HTTPS Mixed Content Warning

Fix:

1. Install the Really Simple SSL plugin
2. Update your WordPress URL settings to https://
3. Run a search-replace to update all URLs in the database

Prevent Future WordPress Errors

• Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated
• Use a staging site to test updates
• Take regular backups with UpdraftPlus
• Choose quality hosting

Need More Help?

Browse our collection of WordPress plugins including security and maintenance tools. Also check out our well-coded themes that minimize error risks.

Also find free WordPress resources at our partner: WP Unlocked.