10 Common WordPress Errors and How to Fix Them
Nothing kills momentum like opening your site and seeing the white screen of death. After fixing hundreds of broken WordPress sites for clients, I can tell you: almost every common WordPress error has a straightforward fix. Here are the ones I see most often — and exactly how I fix them.
1. White Screen of Death
A blank white page with no error message. This is almost always a PHP fatal error caused by a plugin or theme conflict. The fastest way I diagnose it: rename the plugins folder via FTP to deactivate everything at once. If the site comes back, reactivate plugins one by one until you find the culprit.
2. “Error Establishing a Database Connection”
This one looks scary but is usually simple. Nine times out of ten, the database credentials in wp-config.php are wrong — often after a host migration. I check the DB name, username, password and host first. If those are correct, the database server itself might be down, which means contacting your host.
3. 500 Internal Server Error
The vague one. I start by checking the .htaccess file — renaming it and letting WordPress regenerate it fixes this surprisingly often. If not, I increase the PHP memory limit in wp-config.php and check for a corrupted plugin.
4. Stuck in Maintenance Mode
You’ll see “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance.” If an update was interrupted, WordPress never removed the .maintenance file. I just delete that file from the site root via FTP and the site comes straight back.
5. 404 Errors on Pages That Exist
Your pages are there but return 404s. This is a permalink issue 99% of the time. I go to Settings → Permalinks and hit Save — that flushes the rewrite rules and fixes it instantly.
6. “Are You Sure You Want to Do This?”
This appears when a nonce check fails, usually from low PHP memory or a plugin conflict. I bump the memory limit first, then test plugins if needed.
7. Image Upload “HTTP Error”
Frustrating when you’re on a deadline. Common causes: file size limits, mod_security rules, or Imagick issues on the server. I check the PHP upload limits first, then ask the host about mod_security if it persists.
8. Login Page Refresh Loop
You enter correct credentials and the login page just reloads. Usually a cookie or siteurl mismatch — often after moving a site. I check wp-config.php for hardcoded URLs and clear browser cookies.
9. Sidebar Below Content
A classic theme layout break, almost always caused by an unclosed <div> in a post or widget. I validate the recent content and fix the stray tag.
10. “Briefly Unavailable” After Updates
Same family as #4 — interrupted auto-updates. Delete .maintenance, then re-run the update manually to make sure it completed.
When to call an expert
Most of these take me under an hour to fix because I’ve seen them so many times. If your site is down and every minute costs you business, don’t guess — tell me what’s broken and I’ll get you back online fast.
