Troubleshooting PHP Errors In WordPress: Step-By-Step

Have you ever encountered an unexpected error while working on a WordPress website? If yes, you are not alone. PHP errors are common, and it is essential to know how to troubleshoot them to find the right solution quickly. This article will discuss how to identify and troubleshoot PHP errors in WordPress through a step-by-step approach.

Introduction

If you’re having trouble with your WordPress site, your PHP error log is one of the first places you should look. This will help you narrow down where the problem is coming from and fix it quickly.

In this article, we’ll show you how to troubleshoot PHP errors in WordPress step-by-step so you can get your site back up and running in no time.

First, you need to enable debugging in WordPress. You can do this by adding the following line to your wp-config.php file:

define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );

Once you’ve saved that file, reload your WordPress site. If there are any PHP errors, they will be displayed on the screen instead of being hidden away.

Now that we know how to enable debugging, let’s look at some common PHP errors and how to fix them.

Step 1: What kind of error does your WordPress site throw?

When troubleshooting PHP errors in WordPress, the first step is identifying what kind of error your site throws. Is it a 404 error, a 500 error, or something else?

404 errors are usually caused by a misconfiguration or trying to access a page that doesn’t exist. If you see a 404 error, check your URL and make sure you’re trying to access the correct page.

500 errors are server-side errors that a number of things, such as a plugin or theme conflict or a corrupted database, can cause. If you see a 500 error, you must check your server logs to see what is causing the error.

If you see a different kind of error, it’s likely due to a specific plugin or theme on your site. To troubleshoot this error, deactivate all plugins and themes on your site and then try reaccessing the page. If the problem persists, it’s likely due to a configuration issue on your server.

Step 2: Is this an old or new problem?

If you’re seeing a PHP error for the first time, it’s likely that something has changed on your WordPress site that is causing the error. You could have just updated to a new WordPress version or installed a new plugin or theme. If you need to remember making any changes to your site recently, another user (such as a developer working on your site) made changes that are causing the error.

In either case, looking at your site’s logs is the best way to find out what is causing the error. Ask your hosting provider for assistance if you need help finding where your logs are located. Once you have access to your logs, look for any recent entries that mention PHP errors. These entries will usually include the file and line number where the error occurred, which can help you track down the problem.

If you don’t see any recent log entries mentioning PHP errors, the problem isn’t with your WordPress site. Sometimes, browser extensions or other software can interfere with how WordPress loads and displays pages, which can result in PHP errors being displayed. In these cases, try disabling any browser extensions or other software that might be interfering and see if that fixes the problem.

Step 3: Does the error disappear when you disable plugins?

If the error you’re seeing on your WordPress site still appears after following Steps 1 and 2, the next thing to check is whether or not the error disappears when you disable all plugins.

You’ll need to connect to your WordPress site via FTP and navigate to the ‘wp-content/plugins folder. Once there, rename the ‘plugins’ folder to something like ‘plugins_old.’ This will effectively disable all plugins on your WordPress site.

Now try loading the page on your WordPress site that previously showed the error. If the error is gone, it means that one of the plugins you had activated was causing the issue. To find out which plugin it is, you can start renaming each folder back to ‘plugins,’ one at a time. After renaming each plugin folder, check the page on your WordPress site again to see if the error reappears. The plugin that causes the error to reappear is likely the culprit.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting PHP errors in WordPress can be daunting, but with the proper steps and knowledge, it doesn’t have to be. We hope that this guide has helped you understand how to troubleshoot these errors and get your website running smoothly again. From identifying the error type to finding the source of the problem, we have covered everything you need to know about PHP error troubleshooting in WordPress. Now go out there and get those annoying bugs fixed!

Learn more WordPress errors here!

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