How to Fix Common WordPress Errors (2025 Troubleshooting Guide)

Even the most beautifully designed WordPress websites can sometimes run into issues — a broken plugin, a white screen, or a database error.

But don’t worry.
Every problem in WordPress has a solution, and if you understand why it happens, you can fix it quickly and confidently.

At OliveGrid, we believe structure and stability are the backbone of great design — and that includes knowing how to troubleshoot your site effectively.

Here’s a guide to fixing the most common WordPress errors in 2025 — step by step.

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⚪ 1. The White Screen of Death (WSOD)

Symptom: Your website loads a completely blank white page — no errors, no dashboard.

✅ Causes:

• PHP error or memory limit reached
• Faulty plugin or theme
• Corrupt functions.php file

✅ How to Fix:

1. Access your site via FTP or File Manager.
2. Rename your /plugins folder to plugins_old — this disables all plugins.
3. If the site loads, rename the folder back and activate plugins one by one to find the culprit.
4. If not fixed, switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Five).
5. Add this to wp-config.php for debugging: define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); Check /wp-content/debug.log for errors.

💡 OliveGrid Tip: Always test changes in a staging environment first.

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🔁 2. Internal Server Error (500 Error)

Symptom: “500 Internal Server Error” appears when visiting your site or admin dashboard.

✅ Causes:

• Corrupted .htaccess file
• Faulty plugin/theme
• PHP memory exhaustion

✅ How to Fix:

1. Rename .htaccess to .htaccess_old.
2. Reload your site — if it works, regenerate a new one by saving Permalinks in Settings.
3. If not fixed, increase memory limit: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
4. Deactivate plugins or switch themes if the issue persists.

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🗃️ 3. Error Establishing Database Connection

Symptom: A white screen with “Error establishing a database connection.”

✅ Causes:

• Wrong database credentials
• Corrupted database tables
• Hosting issue

✅ How to Fix:

1. Check credentials in wp-config.php: define('DB_NAME', 'yourdbname'); define('DB_USER', 'yourdbuser'); define('DB_PASSWORD', 'yourdbpassword'); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
2. Access phpMyAdmin → Repair tables.
3. If not fixed, contact your hosting provider to verify the database server status.

💡 OliveGrid Tip: Always keep a backup before editing your database.

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⚙️ 4. Memory Exhausted Error (Allowed Memory Size Exhausted)

Symptom: Error message like “Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted.”

✅ How to Fix:
Add this to wp-config.php:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

If that doesn’t work, increase memory in your hosting control panel or php.ini file.

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🔗 5. 404 Error on Posts or Pages

Symptom: Homepage works fine, but posts or pages show 404 not found.

✅ Fix:

1. Go to Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes to rebuild .htaccess.
2. If still broken, manually add this to .htaccess: # BEGIN WordPress <IfModule mod_rewrite.c> RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] </IfModule> # END WordPress

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🔒 6. Locked Out of Admin (Login Redirect Loop)

✅ Causes:

• Incorrect URL settings
• Plugin conflicts

✅ Fix:

1. Access phpMyAdmin → open wp_options table.
2. Check siteurl and home values — ensure they match your domain.
3. Clear browser cookies and cache.
4. Rename the plugin folder via FTP to disable log-in related plugins.

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💾 7. Upload Limit Too Low

✅ Fix:
Increase upload size by adding this to .htaccess:

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

💡 Pro Tip: Also increase limits in your PHP configuration file for larger backups or media uploads.

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🧰 8. WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode

Symptom: “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” appears after an update fails.

✅ Fix:
Access your site via FTP and delete the .maintenance file in your root directory.
Reload the website — it’ll return instantly.

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🧠 9. Syntax Error (After Code Edit)

✅ Fix:
If you recently edited a file and broke your site:

• Use FTP to open the file you edited.
• Remove or fix the problematic line (the error message usually shows the file and line number).
• Reupload and refresh.

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🔐 10. Mixed Content / HTTPS Issues

✅ Fix:
If your site shows insecure icons or broken padlock:

1. Update your site and home URLs to HTTPS.
2. Replace all old http:// URLs in your database with https:// using a search-replace tool.
3. Force HTTPS in .htaccess: RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

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🌿 Final Thoughts

WordPress is powerful, but like any platform, it needs maintenance and awareness.
The key is not to panic — just identify, isolate, and fix step by step.

At OliveGrid, we teach that problem-solving is a designer’s superpower — understanding both form and function.

“Good design looks great. Great design works perfectly.”