Common WordPress Mistakes and How to Fix Them

WordPress is a massive website-building platform with over 20 billion web pages in existence thanks to its services.

As one of the best do-it-yourself website-building solutions, WordPress attracts many users who are expanding their businesses and portfolio. But what if there is a bug or bug in WordPress?

Let’s take a look at common WordPress error fixes.

With these tips, new and experienced WordPress users will be able to fix these issues in no time.

What are common WordPress mistakes?

With the number of people using WordPress, there are many WordPress errors that come up.

So let’s take a look at common WordPress errors and bug reports.

1. Internal server error.

Internal server errors, also known as 500 error codes, are usually related to server issues.

What is this

An internal server error refers to a managed issue on the server side. The causes of these errors can be very diverse, and it takes several steps to find and fix them.

How to fix it

Wait for the troubleshooting to fix the internal server error.

As a general rule, you must first enable debug mode and disable plugins to find the source of the problem. There may also be file problems. .htaccess or memory usage requires technical know-how to resolve the issue.

2. Technical difficulties

When a WordPress site displays an error message related to technical difficulties, there is not much information to work with.

What is this

This error message is displayed when a fatal error occurs in WordPress that requires access to the logs to restore the website.

How to fix it

In order to access the website’s logs, you need to be logged into WordPress using an admin email address.

An easy way to check if the email address you use to log in has admin rights is to check your inbox and see if you can receive email notifications from WordPress.

3. Syntax error

Unlike the previous fatal errors listed above, the syntax error will have a clearer answer to its problems.

What is this

Syntax errors report problems in the code structure of a website. Typically, a syntax error occurs due to custom code or new code. A WordPress plugin that doesn’t work the way it was designed.

How to fix it

The easiest way to fix a syntax error is to remove the custom code or plugin and recheck the code for errors. If the problem is new, you can also revert the website or plugin to a previous version using backup data.

4. Error 404

One of the most common errors that users see is the 404 error code.

What is this

A 404 error is a subset of the 400 error codes, which are all related to errors. HTTPS client side. Specifically, 404 errors refer to the web browser not finding the website at the specified URL.

How to fix it

As far as client-side errors go, 404 errors should be fixed on the user side, not the host side. Check the URL for typos or errors in the domain name. If users are reporting a 404 error on a page on your site, go to your WordPress admin tools and make sure the corresponding web page is published.

Sometimes pages can be hidden or disabled by accident, resulting in 404 errors.

5. Out-of-memory error

Just like a computer, websites use a certain amount of memory to run.

What is this

Out-of-memory errors refer to a website trying to use more PHP memory than it has allocated.

How to fix it

To fix this issue with WordPress, you need to navigate to the wp-config.php file using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) application to change the memory allocation.

At the bottom of the file, you need to change the line starting with ” define (‘WP-MEMORY-LIMIT) to a new memory value, usually 256MB.

6. RSS Feed Error

RSS feeds refer to the Really Simple Syndication feeds.

RSS feeds are used to update their favorite websites and are widely used in the WordPress website.

What is this

An RSS feed error causes the update information to be incorrectly sent to the user’s RSS feed, causing the website notification to be lost.

How to fix it

When setting up an RSS feed plugin on your website, make sure the plugin’s grammar is correct. RSS feeds use XML, a coding language that is notoriously finicky in its syntax.

Also, you can disable the RSS plugin on your website if you choose to remove this feature. This process is done from your site’s WordPress dashboard.

6. Not available for scheduled maintenance

Although maintenance is not the most exciting process, it is an important part of keeping your site running smoothly.

What is this

WordPress sometimes needs to perform maintenance on its servers in order to provide web hosting services. This notification appears when your site is down due to maintenance on the WordPress side.

You will see a screen that says ” Unavailable for scheduled maintenance soon “.

How to fix it

There is no fix for this as it is not a bug. Instead, this page appears when WordPress goes down for maintenance. The only solution to this problem is to wait for the scheduled maintenance to finish.

Usually, WordPress does not stop its web hosting services. Double-check that you have enabled WordPress service email notifications to be alerted when maintenance arrives.

7. WordPress white screen of death

The white screen of death is one of the worst errors you can get. This screen blocks people from accessing your site.

What is this

This error occurs when there is a critical rendering issue with your site. Usually, the problem is caused by a WordPress plugin or theme.

How to fix it

If you’ve added a new theme or plugin to your website, removing that add-on should put something good back into your website. Rolling back to a previous version after an automatic update can also help.

8. Sidebar Below Content Error

Sidebar ads and notifications are related to the content, but due to a bug, they may appear below the content.

What is this

This error is a web page formatting issue, caused either by incorrect syntax in the sidebar or incorrect formatting of the WordPress theme included on the page.

How to fix it

This error is one of the common WordPress issues for people monetizing their site. To fix this issue, check your HTML and CSS code to make sure you’ve closed all tags and set the appropriate pixel width for the ad.

9. WordPress keeps shutting down

This WordPress error prevents you from staying logged into your account for an extended period of time, interrupting your workflow.

What is this

WordPress uses cookies to authenticate users when they log in. If the cookie contains URL data that does not match the URL you want to log in from, the website will log you out after a few seconds.

This feature prevents anyone from interfering with the operation of the website.

How to fix it

Go to the general settings via the WordPress dashboard and make sure the “WordPress Address” and “Site URL” fields match.

This method ensures that the URL matches all cookies generated by the website, regardless of the field it pulls data from.

10. Common WordPress Image Issues

Images are an important part of website design, which means problems with this tool can be frustrating.

What is this

The WordPress dashboard has built-in tools that make it easy to upload and add images. However, for new users, these tools can be confusing or non-intuitive, resulting in strange displays of images.

How to fix it

The most common problem with images in WordPress is that you don’t know how to edit images inside WordPress. WordPress offers many support pages for images dedicated to explaining the various issues that images can have on the platform.

Find image problems on these pages and find out how editing tools can solve the problem.

Why is WordPress so slow today?

One of the biggest contributing factors to a high bounce rate on your website is slow to load times. To fix this long wait time, take a look at some of these tips:

1. Slow or poor-quality hosting

WordPress is the default website option for most web hosting services. But not all hosting options are the same. Some web hosts don’t offer the same level of maintenance or hardware upgrades as faster hosts for high speeds.

Without these measures, your site will run on a slower server, which will increase the page load time. The best way to solve this problem is to prevent it in the first place.

When researching web hosts, examine the average server response time using various ping tests. The higher the ping, the slower the servers send data.

You may also want to consider moving your website to a different web host. But this requires access to the website’s FTP files and some technical know-how to transfer those files to the workers setting up your site on the new servers.

2. No caching or caching plugins

The best way to speed up your site is to use a caching plugin. Caching refers to the technical process in which data remains hidden in the storage layer for later use. This process is best suited for data that needs to be accessed repeatedly to reduce load times.

The caching plugin collects data from static web pages and stores this data for users in advance. When a user visits a website, the caching plugin releases this data faster than if the user were trying to connect to the FTP files running in the website’s database.

Caching plugins can be very technical. So check out how caching works and what you want to cache on your website before going crazy with these tools!

 

3. No CDN

 

A content delivery network (CDN) refers to a content distribution system that stores a cached version of your site and sends it to multiple servers. From there, when a user tries to access a website, they connect to the server closest to them, rather than the web hosting server.

The main goal of reducing the physical distance between the user and the server is speed. Faster download speeds mean that users can access content faster, which reduces the risk of them leaving the website.

Unlike other speed solutions listed here, CDN is easy to set up. Adding a CDN plugin to your website usually takes a few minutes to set up an account and add the plugin via the dashboard.

WordPress Bug Fixes

After discussing errors and slow pages, let’s talk about WordPress error fixes and tips.

1. Hire an expert

Not everyone who sets up a WordPress website is an HTTP wizard. For people who are building a website for their business and need help, a WordPress expert can help troubleshoot.

Feel free to contact one of these experienced professionals if needed! They are cheaper than expected and the time savings alone are worth every penny.

2. Clear cache

If you are using a caching plugin, clearing the cache can help your site.

What can it solve

Clearing the cache in WordPress can speed up your site after major changes and prevent loading issues. It will also help you see the changes you apply to the website more quickly.

How

Without the caching plugin, you need to access the FTP and SSL files and manually remove the cache from the website folder. This route requires some coding knowledge, so it’s not recommended to try without some coding experience.

Otherwise, you can use a caching plugin to clear the cache. Most caching plugins have this option in their settings, which you can access through your WordPress dashboard.

3. Site reset

Resetting your site means starting over, but that can be a good thing.

What can it solve

If your website is in need of a major overhaul or has been hacked, a website reset can give you a clean slate to work with without any caching or configuration files left behind.

How

Just like clearing the cache, resetting your site is possible with or without the plugin. The plugin will do most of the database erasing needed to create a clean slate.

Therefore, if you have no experience with databases and deleting web files, use a plugin or contact an expert.

Check your .htaccess file.

Examining the .htaccess file can reveal a lot about your site’s permissions and policies.

What can it solve

The .htaccess file of your WordPress site contains the data required for authorization and restrictions regarding:

• web hosting
• Connections
• Related compounds

Problems with these parts of your site may mean that something needs to be changed in this file.

How

Any changes to the file should only be made after your site has been backed up. Mistakes made in the .htaccess file can harm your site if you’re not careful.

From there, a plugin or FTP client can give you access to the file. Look through the file to find the line of code related to your issue.

4. Switch to the default theme

WordPress themes can make your site look attractive, but they can also cause problems.

What can it solve

If a theme is not working on your website due to resource overload or security issues, switching to the default theme ensures that your website will work.

How

In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance then Themes.

Select a default theme and save your changes. Be warned that updating your website to the default theme may take a minute or two.

5. Increase your memory limit

The PHP memory limit represents the amount of memory your website can run in the background.

What can it solve
Increasing your site’s memory limit allows more plugins and similar resources to run in the background.

How
Changing the memory limit requires the FTP file viewer to access the correct file. Once on the latter, you will find the memory limit setting at the bottom of the text file.

Change the memory limit to a value slightly higher than the maximum usage to make sure you don’t get stuck on the website.

6. Disable plugins

While many WordPress plugins improve the performance and features of your website, some of them are not worth the headache they cause.

What can it solve
Disabling plugins can reduce the number of ways hackers can try to access your site, especially if the plugins are out of date.

How
Access your plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard. For each plugin you no longer need, click the “Disable” button.

Save your changes by selecting the “Apply” option just above the list of plugins.

Conclusion

To fix WordPress errors, you need to know what error you are dealing with and have the technical knowledge to dig through your website files. Plugins can make these tasks easier or make the problem worse depending on the quality of the plugins.

In general, troubleshooting is best left to people who understand the WordPress code.

Understanding these error codes can help you tell a WordPress expert or support team where the problem is, helping you resolve the issue faster.