One of the reasons for WordPress’s growing popularity is how much it has simplified creating a beautiful, functional website. Instead of writing complex code, you can click buttons, enable toggle switches, and install plugins to expand functionality. No wonder WordPress is the most preferred CMS, powering over 450 million websites to date.
But behind the simplicity of WordPress lies a highly complex system. The WordPress core alone has over 430,000 lines of code, and that’s without factoring in the multitude of plugins and themes you can add later. All these components must work together perfectly, but sometimes things go wrong—particularly on the server side.
If you’ve been struggling with server issues on your WordPress site, this guide is here to help. We’ll cover the most common server problems and how to fix them so your website stays running smoothly.
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ToggleWhy a Good Server Configuration is Crucial for Your WordPress Website
Your WordPress website relies on the server that hosts it. If the server experiences problems, your website will, too. A well-configured server is essential for great performance, fast load times, and high uptime.
The beauty of WordPress is its ability to run on even modest hardware. However, once you start adding third-party plugins, themes, and increased traffic, the server’s resources are put to the test. In addition, threats like cyberattacks and traffic spikes can destabilize your site if the server isn’t up to the task.
To avoid these issues, it’s crucial to work with a reputable hosting company. A quality WordPress hosting provider can offer a powerful server, robust security, and a team of experienced administrators to manage your WordPress setup. Still, even with a great host, problems can arise.
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Explore: How to do Emergency WordPress Troubleshooting of Issues
Common Server Issues with WordPress and How to Fix Them
Let’s dive into some of the most common server-related problems WordPress users encounter, what causes them, and how to solve them.
Slow Page Loading Times
A slow website can frustrate users and harm your SEO rankings. If your site’s pages are loading slowly, and the issue isn’t related to your home network, it’s often due to server problems.
Causes:
- Shared hosting can cause resource overload if another website is hogging the server’s resources.
- A sudden surge in traffic or a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack can overwhelm the server.
- Excessive bandwidth usage, especially if your hosting provider throttles access when traffic spikes.
Solutions:
- Contact your hosting provider to check if there’s scheduled maintenance or resource overload. They can provide insights or suggest adjustments.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare to distribute bandwidth usage and reduce load times. A CDN can also help mitigate DDoS attacks.
- Consider upgrading to a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated hosting if your website outgrows shared hosting.
- You can also opt for a WordPress site speed optimization service to improve overall performance. Seahawk’s site optimization service specializes in speeding up WordPress sites, reducing load times, and enhancing the user experience.
Contact Form Not Sending Emails
If your contact form isn’t working, it’s often a server-related issue, even if it looks like the WordPress plugin is properly configured.
Causes:
- The plugin may not be configured to send emails to the correct address.
- The recipient’s inbox might be full, or the server may not support the PHP mail() function.
Solutions:
- Double-check the plugin’s settings to ensure emails are being sent to the correct address.
- If you’ve enabled email forwarding, ensure that it’s set up correctly.
- If all settings seem fine, test by sending emails to different inboxes. If emails aren’t arriving, contact your host’s support team to ensure the mail() function is enabled on your server.
Find: How to Fix WordPress Not Sending Emails Issues: Easy Solutions!
Plugin Updates Not Working
Plugins bring critical updates and security patches, but sometimes they fail to update, leaving your site vulnerable.
Causes:
- The PHP version of your server may be outdated or incompatible with the plugin update.
- WordPress or the web server may not have sufficient write permissions to update the plugin files.
Solutions:
- Check if your hosting provider offers an updated PHP version. You can switch to a newer version through your hosting control panel.
- Verify the write permissions of your WordPress directories using an FTP client or the hosting file manager. Ensure that WordPress has the necessary permissions to update files.
Learn: Safely Update WordPress from Version PHP 7 Without Breaking the Site
The White Screen of Death (Blank Page)
Seeing a blank page on your WordPress site is a dreaded sight. Often called the “White Screen of Death,” this issue usually happens due to server memory limits or plugin conflicts.
Causes:
- Memory limits exhaustion.
- Conflicting or outdated plugins.
Solutions:
- Increase your WordPress memory limit by editing the wp-config.php file. Add the following line of code just before the “stop editing” comment:
define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’); - If the problem persists, deactivate plugins one by one to find the conflicting plugin. You can do this through the WordPress dashboard or by renaming plugin folders via FTP.
Error Establishing a Database Connection
When WordPress can’t connect to its database, you’ll see an “Error Establishing Database Connection” message.
Causes:
- Incorrect database credentials in the wp-config.php file.
- The server has exceeded resource limits, causing the database connection to fail.
Solutions:
- Check the database credentials in the wp-config.php file. Ensure that the database name, username, password, and hostname are correct.
- If the database credentials are correct, contact your hosting provider to see if resource limits have been exceeded or if the database server is down.
Find: Best WordPress Database Plugin
Memory Exhausted Error
When WordPress runs out of allocated memory, you’ll receive a “memory exhausted” error, often during theme or plugin installations.
Causes:
- Resource-hungry plugins or themes.
Solutions:
- Increase your memory limit using the same method as with the White Screen of Death.
- If the problem persists, replace the plugin or theme causing the issue, or upgrade to a more powerful hosting plan.
Explore: How to Fix a WordPress Fatal Error?
Maximum Execution Time Exceeded Error
This error occurs when a script takes too long to execute, exceeding the maximum execution time set by your server.
Causes:
- Scripts that are too complex or take too long to run.
Solutions:
- Increase the maximum execution time by adding this line to your .htaccess file: php_value max_execution_time 60
- Alternatively, you can ask your hosting provider to adjust the max_execution_time variable in the server’s php.ini file.
Internal Server Error (Error 500)
The internal server error (500) is a generic error indicating something has gone wrong on the server, but the cause isn’t immediately clear.
Causes:
- Corrupted .htaccess file.
- Memory limits exhaustion.
Solutions:
- Rename your .htaccess file to .htaccess1 and generate a new one by going to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and clicking “Save.”
- If the error persists, replace the wp-admin and wp-includes folders with fresh copies from a new WordPress installation.
How to Prevent Future Server Issues with WordPress Website
To avoid facing server issues in the future, take these preventive measures:
- Keep everything up-to-date: Regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to avoid vulnerabilities.
- Choose a managed WordPress host: Managed WordPress hosting takes care of server-related tasks for you, ensuring optimal performance.
- Use monitoring tools: Use plugins or third-party tools to monitor website performance and detect issues before they become serious.
- Backup regularly: Always maintain an offsite backup of your website so you can quickly restore it in case of an issue.
Read: Hiring a WordPress Support Agency? Crucial Questions to Ask
Conclusion
Server issues with WordPress can seem intimidating, but with the right approach, most problems can be easily diagnosed and resolved. Whether it’s a slow-loading page, a White Screen of Death, or a database connection error, these common problems have well-established solutions.
Always remember to keep your WordPress site updated, monitor performance, and work with a reliable hosting provider to ensure that server-related problems are minimal. When in doubt, reach out to your host’s support team, and don’t forget to maintain regular backups to protect your data.
By following these guidelines, your WordPress site will continue to run smoothly, ensuring a great experience for your visitors.