WordPress is a website-creation platform that has allowed countless people to start their own websites, businesses, and careers online. It is the most popular platform used by web designers, freelancers, and even hobbyists because of its ease of use.
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In spite of its massive popularity, as with any technology, you may still run into error messages as you use it. There are a number of common WordPress problems for new users, but because of the large user base and supportive community, other users have documented solutions to those problems.
Word of caution: before you attempt to fix any WordPress problems, back up your site. That way, if something goes wrong in the process, you will be able to recover what has been lost.
The following are common WordPress problems and their solutions:
- WordPress syntax or parse error – This problem occurs when eding your template files. When you reload your website after an edit and it doesn’t load properly, don’t panic. Avoid this error by not pasting code snippets into your live site to begin with. Instead, insert code using a plugin like the popular Insert HTML Snippet. Or, if you need to edit your site design, use a dynamic template like Divi from Elegant Themes. It provides a friendly, modular interface so you can drag and drop your website design however you’d like.
- Error in database connection – It is quite common that WordPress cannot connect to its own database where all of your content is saved. Faulty credentials inside your wp-config.php often cause this error. Fix the problem by checking wp-config.php or by accessing wp-admin. If the error persists, get in touch with your host. The problem could be on their side.
- Connection timed out – This happens when it takes too long for your site to load. It is a common problem in shared hosting environments. There are several potential fixes to this, which include deactivating all plugins one-by-one to test if a specific plugin is contributing to the problem, switching to a default theme to see ifthe theme is the problem, or increasing your PHP memory limit.
- White screen of death – WSOD is probably the most annoying problem because you do not see any error message to suggest what the problem is. Like previous fixes, you can fix the error by trying several things such as increasing the memory limit, using a default theme, disabling all plugins, and enabling the debug mode.
If you have other issues with WordPress, reach out to the WordPress community for guidance. This large body of users can help you troubleshoot most any challenge on the platform.