You open your WordPress site and something is wrong. A white screen. A database error. A 500 message that tells you nothing useful. Your heart rate spikes. Your first instinct is to panic.
Take a breath. WordPress errors look scary, but most of them follow predictable patterns. Once you know why an error happens, the fix usually takes under 10 minutes. I have seen every error on this list multiple times across dozens of WordPress sites, and every single one has a straightforward solution.
This guide covers the 12 most common WordPress errors that beginners actually encounter, with the exact steps to fix each one. No coding skills needed. No expensive developer required.
1. White Screen of Death (WSOD)
What it looks like: Your site shows a completely blank white page. No error message. No content. Just white. On WordPress 5.2 and above, you may see “There has been a critical error on this website” instead of a blank screen.
Why it happens: A plugin or theme has a fatal PHP error. Your site ran out of PHP memory. A core WordPress file got corrupted.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Disable all plugins. If you can access your dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, select all, and choose “Deactivate” from the bulk actions menu. If you cannot access your dashboard, connect to your site via FTP (your hosting control panel has a file manager). Navigate to /wp-content/ and rename the “plugins” folder to “plugins_disabled.” Reload your site. If it works, the problem is a plugin. Rename the folder back to “plugins” and reactivate plugins one at a time until you find the culprit.
Step 2: Switch to a default theme. If disabling plugins did not help, your theme may be the problem. Via FTP, navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and rename your active theme folder (like “generatepress” to “generatepress_disabled”). WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme. If your site loads, your theme has an issue. Contact the theme developer for support.
Step 3: Increase PHP memory. Add this line to your wp-config.php file (before the line that says “That’s all, stop editing!”):
If none of these steps work, contact your hosting provider. With Hostinger, their support team can diagnose server level issues that you cannot access from WordPress.
2. Error Establishing a Database Connection
What it looks like: Your site shows a plain white page with the text “Error establishing a database connection.” Both the front end and the admin dashboard are inaccessible.
Why it happens: Your database login credentials in wp-config.php are incorrect. Your database server is down. Your database is corrupted.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Verify database credentials. Open your wp-config.php file (in your site’s root directory via FTP or file manager). Check these four values: DB_NAME (your database name), DB_USER (your database username), DB_PASSWORD (your database password), and DB_HOST (usually “localhost” but varies by host). Compare them with the actual database credentials in your hosting control panel.
Step 2: Check if the database server is down. If credentials are correct, the database server may be temporarily down. Try creating a new test site on the same hosting account. If the test site also cannot connect, the server is the problem. Contact your hosting provider.
Step 3: Repair the database. If the server is running but the database is corrupted, add this line to wp-config.php:
Then visit yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php and click “Repair Database.” After the repair completes, remove that line from wp-config.php for security.
3. 500 Internal Server Error
What it looks like: A generic error page showing “500 Internal Server Error” or “HTTP Error 500.” The server knows something went wrong but cannot tell you what.
Why it happens: A corrupted .htaccess file. A plugin or theme conflict. PHP memory limit exceeded.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Check .htaccess. Connect via FTP and rename your .htaccess file to “.htaccess_old.” Reload your site. If it works, the .htaccess file was corrupted. Go to Settings > Permalinks in your dashboard and click “Save Changes” to generate a fresh .htaccess file.
Step 2: Increase PHP memory limit. Same fix as the WSOD. Add define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’); to wp-config.php.
Step 3: Disable plugins and theme. Follow the same plugin deactivation process from Error #1. If a specific plugin causes the 500 error, update it or find an alternative.
Step 4: Check PHP version. An outdated PHP version can cause 500 errors with newer plugins. In your hosting panel, ensure you are running PHP 8.1 or higher. With Hostinger, change this in hPanel > Advanced > PHP Configuration.
4. 404 Error on Posts (Page Not Found)
What it looks like: Your homepage works fine, but individual posts show “404 Page Not Found.” The content exists in your database but visitors cannot reach it.
Why it happens: Your permalink structure is broken or misconfigured. This commonly happens after a plugin update, server migration, or hosting change.
How to fix it: Go to Settings > Permalinks. Do not change anything. Just click “Save Changes.” This regenerates the rewrite rules in your .htaccess file. Visit one of the broken posts. It should load now.
If it still does not work, check that your .htaccess file is writable. Some hosting configurations restrict write access. You may need to manually add the WordPress rewrite rules to your .htaccess file or contact your host for help.
5. Memory Exhausted Error
What it looks like: “Fatal error: Allowed memory size of XXXXX bytes exhausted.” Your site crashes because it ran out of PHP memory.
Why it happens: Resource heavy plugins consuming too much memory. Unoptimized images being processed server side. Too many plugins running simultaneously.
How to fix it: Add this to wp-config.php:
If the error persists, your hosting plan may have a hard memory cap. Shared hosting plans often limit PHP memory to 128MB or 256MB. Contact your host or upgrade to a plan with more resources. Cloudways gives you dedicated resources where memory limits are within your control. See our hosting comparison.
Also review your plugins. Deactivate plugins one by one and monitor memory usage. A single poorly coded plugin can consume more memory than 10 well coded ones combined. See our recommended plugins list to keep only the essentials.
6. WordPress Login Page Refreshing or Redirecting
What it looks like: You enter your username and password on the login page. Instead of logging in, the page just refreshes and shows the login form again. No error message.
Why it happens: Browser cookies are blocked or corrupted. WordPress URL settings are incorrect. A plugin conflict.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Clear your browser cookies and cache. This fixes the problem in about half of cases.
Step 2: Try a different browser or incognito mode. If you can log in using a different browser, the issue is your browser’s cookies.
Step 3: Check WordPress URL settings. Your WordPress Address and Site Address in Settings > General must match exactly. If they are different (for example, one has www and the other does not), the login redirect loop occurs. If you cannot access your dashboard, add these lines to wp-config.php:
define(‘WP_SITEURL’, ‘https://yoursite.com’);
Replace “yoursite.com” with your actual domain.
7. Stuck in Maintenance Mode
What it looks like: Your site shows “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” But it has been way longer than a minute.
Why it happens: WordPress creates a temporary .maintenance file during updates. If an update fails or gets interrupted, this file remains and your site stays in maintenance mode.
How to fix it: Connect to your site via FTP or your hosting file manager. Go to your site’s root directory (where wp-config.php lives). Look for a file called “.maintenance” and delete it. Reload your site. It should be back to normal.
After fixing this, go to Dashboard > Updates and complete any pending updates that may have been interrupted.
8. “Are You Sure You Want to Do This?” Error
What it looks like: When trying to upload a theme, plugin, or media file, WordPress shows “Are you sure you want to do this? Please try again.”
Why it happens: A plugin or theme is failing a security check (nonce verification). The file you are uploading exceeds the maximum upload size.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Increase upload limits. Your PHP configuration may be capping uploads at 2MB or 8MB. Ask your hosting provider to increase upload_max_filesize and post_max_size to at least 64MB. With Hostinger, change this in hPanel > Advanced > PHP Configuration.
Step 2: Disable plugins. If upload limits are fine, a plugin may be interfering with the upload process. Deactivate plugins one by one to identify the conflict.
9. Image Upload HTTP Error
What it looks like: When uploading images through the media library, WordPress shows a generic “HTTP error” with no additional explanation.
Why it happens: Server timeout during upload. PHP memory limit too low. File permissions issue. Image file too large.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Reduce image size before uploading. Resize large images to under 2000 pixels wide and compress them with TinyPNG.com before uploading. This is good practice regardless of errors because it keeps your site fast. See our speed guide.
Step 2: Try a different browser. Some browsers handle large uploads better than others.
Step 3: Increase PHP memory and execution time. Add both of these to wp-config.php:
If the issue continues, contact your hosting provider. Some shared hosts have strict execution time limits that cause uploads to fail on larger files.
10. “Your Connection Is Not Private” SSL Error
What it looks like: Browser shows “Your connection is not private” or “NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID.” A red padlock or “Not Secure” warning appears.
Why it happens: Your SSL certificate has expired. SSL is not properly configured. Your site has mixed content (HTTP elements loading on HTTPS pages).
How to fix it:
Step 1: Check SSL in your hosting panel. Make sure your SSL certificate is active and not expired. With Hostinger, go to hPanel > SSL and verify the status. Renew or reinstall if needed.
Step 2: Update WordPress URLs. Go to Settings > General and make sure both the WordPress Address and Site Address use https:// (not http://).
Step 3: Fix mixed content. Install the Really Simple SSL plugin. It automatically detects and fixes mixed content issues by rewriting HTTP links to HTTPS.
For the complete SSL setup, read our How to Add Free SSL to WordPress guide.
11. Sidebar Appearing Below Content
What it looks like: Instead of appearing next to your content, the sidebar drops below it. Your site looks broken even though the content is technically still there.
Why it happens: A broken HTML tag in a post or widget (usually an unclosed div). Custom CSS that conflicts with the theme layout. Content width exceeding the available space.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Check recent content. If the sidebar was fine yesterday and broke today, look at the most recent post or page you edited. Check for unclosed HTML tags. Every opening div needs a closing div.
Step 2: Inspect widgets. Go to Appearance > Widgets and check if any custom HTML widget has broken code. Remove or fix the widget content.
Step 3: Clear cache. Sometimes the cached version shows the broken layout. Clear your cache using LiteSpeed Cache (go to LiteSpeed Cache > Toolbox > Purge All).
12. WordPress Emails Not Sending
What it looks like: Contact form submissions, password reset emails, and new user notifications are not arriving. Your WPForms entries show as submitted but the notification email never reaches your inbox.
Why it happens: WordPress uses the PHP mail function by default, which many hosting providers restrict or block. Emails sent this way often land in spam folders or never arrive.
How to fix it:
Step 1: Check spam folders. WordPress emails may be arriving but getting caught by spam filters.
Step 2: Install an SMTP plugin. The real fix is to stop relying on PHP mail and use a proper SMTP service instead. Install WP Mail SMTP (free). It routes your WordPress emails through an authenticated email service, which dramatically improves delivery.
Step 3: Configure SMTP. WP Mail SMTP supports multiple services including Gmail, Outlook, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), and your hosting provider’s email. Follow the plugin’s setup wizard to configure your preferred email service.
This fix is especially important if you use WPForms for contact forms. Without proper email delivery, you may be missing messages from potential clients and partners. See our contact form guide.
The Universal Troubleshooting Checklist
When you encounter any WordPress error, work through this checklist in order. It resolves over 90% of issues.
WordPress Error Fix Checklist
☐ Back up your site first (UpdraftPlus)
☐ Clear your browser cache and cookies
☐ Deactivate all plugins (test one by one)
☐ Switch to a default theme temporarily
☐ Check .htaccess file (rename and regenerate)
☐ Increase PHP memory to 256M in wp-config.php
☐ Verify WordPress and Site URLs match
☐ Update PHP to 8.1 or higher
☐ Reset permalinks (Settings > Permalinks > Save)
☐ Check file permissions (755 for folders, 644 for files)
☐ Contact hosting support if nothing else works
Most errors come down to three root causes: plugin conflicts, server configuration issues, or corrupted files. The checklist above addresses all three systematically.
How to Prevent WordPress Errors
Prevention is always better than troubleshooting. These habits prevent the vast majority of WordPress errors from occurring in the first place.
Keep everything updated. Update WordPress core, plugins, and themes weekly. Outdated software is the leading cause of conflicts and vulnerabilities.
Back up before every change. Before updating anything, create a backup with UpdraftPlus. If an update breaks something, restore instantly. See our backup guide.
Use quality hosting. Cheap hosting with limited resources causes more errors than any plugin conflict. Hostinger includes daily backups, automatic updates, and responsive support that can diagnose server level issues you cannot fix from WordPress. See our hosting guide.
Minimize plugins. Only install plugins you actively use. Delete everything else. 10 to 15 well chosen plugins is all most sites need. See our recommended plugins.
Use a lightweight theme. Bloated themes cause more conflicts and errors than lightweight ones. GeneratePress and Astra are fast, well coded, and compatible with everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fix It Fast, Get Back to Building
WordPress errors feel overwhelming in the moment, but they almost always have simple solutions. The 12 errors in this guide cover over 95% of issues that WordPress beginners encounter. Bookmark this page. The next time something breaks, come back, find your error, and follow the fix.
The best protection against errors is preparation: reliable hosting, regular backups, and a minimal plugin setup. If you have those three things in place, even the worst error is a 10 minute inconvenience instead of a disaster.
Prevent Errors Before They Happen
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Get Hostinger (Up to 75% Off)What to Read Next
- Back up your site: See our How to Backup WordPress guide (your safety net for every error).
- Secure your site: Read our WordPress Security Guide to prevent hacks and errors.
- Speed up your site: Follow our How to Speed Up WordPress guide.
- Set up SEO: Read our WordPress SEO Guide.
- Choose reliable hosting: See our Best WordPress Hosting comparison.
- Install essential plugins only: See our 15 Best WordPress Plugins.
- Add free SSL: Follow our Free SSL Guide.