Top 10 Most Common WordPress Issues and How to Resolve Them

WordPress, while incredibly versatile and widely used, can sometimes present users with a range of technical issues. Whether you’re a website owner, tech enthusiast, or looking for a better WordPress hosting solution, understanding these common problems and their resolutions is crucial. This article will walk you through the top 10 most common WordPress issues and how to resolve them.

1. Blank White WordPress Page (White Screen of Death)

Symptoms:

When you visit your site, all you see is a blank white screen with no error messages.

Causes:

This issue often occurs due to PHP errors or memory limit exhaustion.

Solution:

• Increase Memory Limit: Add define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M'); to your wp-config.php file. This increases the memory allocated to PHP and can resolve the issue if it’s due to memory exhaustion.
• Deactivate all Plugins: If increasing the memory limit doesn’t work, deactivate all plugins via the WordPress admin or by renaming the plugins folder via FTP. This helps identify if a specific plugin is causing the issue.
• Switch to Default Theme: Change your theme to a default one like Twenty Twenty-One to check if your theme is the problem. If the issue resolves, it’s likely a theme-related problem.

2. Internal Server Error (500 Error)

Symptoms:

Seeing a generic 500 Internal Server Error when trying to access your site.

Causes:

This can be due to a corrupted .htaccess file, exhausted PHP memory limit, or plugin/theme conflicts.

Solution:

• Check .htaccess File: Rename your .htaccess file to .htaccess_old and try reloading your site. If this fixes the issue, generate a new .htaccess file by going to Settings > Permalinks and clicking ‘Save Changes.’
• Increase PHP Memory Limit: Similar to the white screen issue, increase your PHP memory limit by adding define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '64M'); to your wp-config.php file.
• Deactivate All Plugins and Switch Theme: If the above steps don’t work, deactivate all plugins and switch to a default theme. This helps isolate if a specific plugin or theme is causing the error.

3. Posts Returning 404 Error

Symptoms:

Your site’s posts return a 404 error when accessed.

Causes:

This issue is generally due to a misconfiguration in the permalink settings.

Solution:

• Re-Save Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and click ‘Save Changes’ without making any alterations. This often resets the permalink structure and resolves the issue.

• Update .htaccess Manually: Ensure your .htaccess file has the correct rules for handling permalinks:

# 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

4. Error Establishing Database Connection

Symptoms:

Your website cannot connect to the database.

Causes:

Incorrect database credentials in the wp-config.php file, or a non-responsive database server.

Solution:

• Check Database Credentials: Ensure that the database name, username, password, and host in your wp-config.php file are correct. Contact your hosting provider if you’re unsure.
• Repair Database: Add define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true); to your wp-config.php file and visit http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php. This allows you to repair the database.

5. Sidebar Below Content

Symptoms:

Sidebar appears below the main content instead of beside it.

Causes:

HTML/CSS errors in your theme.

Solution:

• Check for Unclosed HTML Tags: Ensure all HTML tags are properly closed. Unclosed tags can break the layout.
• CSS Issues: Inspect CSS float properties and clear any floats that might be causing the issue. Use developer tools in your browser to debug and identify problematic CSS.

6. Failed Auto-Upgrade

Symptoms:

Automatic updates fail, leaving your site in maintenance mode.

Causes:

This can be due to server timeouts, incorrect file permissions, or insufficient memory.

Solution:

• Remove .maintenance File: Delete the .maintenance file from your WordPress root directory to bring your site out of maintenance mode.
• Manual Update: Perform a manual update by uploading the new version of WordPress via FTP. This involves downloading the latest WordPress version, extracting the files, and uploading them to your server.

7. Locked Out of Admin Area

Symptoms:

Unable to access the WordPress admin dashboard.

Causes:

Forgotten password, plugin conflicts, or incorrect URL redirection.

Solution:

• Reset Password: Use the ‘Lost your password?’ link on the login page to reset your password via email.

• Deactivate Plugins: Rename the plugins folder via FTP to plugins_old to deactivate all plugins. Access the admin area, then reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

• Correct URL: Ensure the wp-config.php file has the correct site URL:

define('WP_HOME','http://example.com');
define('WP_SITEURL','http://example.com');

8. Memory Exhausted Error

Symptoms:

An error message stating “Allowed memory size exhausted.”

Causes:

PHP memory limit being exceeded.

Solution:

• Increase PHP Memory Limit: 

Add the following line

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M'); 

to your wp-config.php file. If the issue persists, you may need to further increase the limit or optimize your site’s performance.

9. Image Upload Issues

Symptoms:

Errors while uploading images or images not displaying correctly.

Causes:

Incorrect file permissions, plugin conflicts, or memory issues.

Solution:

• Check File Permissions: Ensure the wp-content/uploads directory is set to 755. Incorrect permissions can prevent files from being uploaded.
• Deactivate Plugins: Check for plugin conflicts by deactivating all plugins. Reactivate them one by one to identify the problematic plugin.
• Increase PHP Memory Limit: Add define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M'); to your wp-config.php file to ensure there’s enough memory for file uploads.

10. Stuck in Maintenance Mode

Symptoms:

Your site displays a maintenance mode message even after an update is complete.

Causes:

An interrupted or incomplete update process.

Solution:

• Remove .maintenance File: Delete the .maintenance file in your root directory. This should take your site out of maintenance mode and back to normal operation.