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Fix Common WordPress Errors

WordPress is easy to run most of the time — but occasionally something breaks. The good news: a few errors are very common and have simple fixes. This page walks through the ones you're most likely to hit.

Always make a backup first. Before changing anything, create a backup so you can roll back — see Backups.

The white screen of death / 500 error

If your site suddenly goes blank — a plain white page, or a 500 Internal Server Error — it's usually one of these:

  • A plugin or theme broke it. The quickest way to confirm: temporarily rename the plugins and themes folders (in your File Manager) — see Upload files. If the site works, one of them is the culprit; re-enable your most recent changes.
  • Out of memory. A plugin or a heavy script ran out of server memory. Contact support to check if a bigger plan or memory limit would help.

The "Error establishing a database connection"

This means WordPress can't reach your database. The usual fix:

  1. Check your database details match — WordPress has a configuration file (usually wp-config.php) with the database name, username, and password. Make sure these match what's in your control panel — see Create a database.
  2. If you just set up a new database, double-check those four values.

WordPress login loop ("too many redirects")

If you log in and it bounces you back to the login page, it's usually this:

  1. On the Settings → General page, make sure WordPress address and Site address use the same protocol — either both http:// or both https://. A mismatch causes a redirect loop.
  2. Clear your browser cache and try again.

Updates fail or the site breaks after updating

Updating plugins or the theme can occasionally cause problems:

  • Before updating, create a backup (see Backups).
  • If an update breaks the site, restore the backup and wait for the plugin/theme author to release a fix.
  • Keep updates current to avoid security and compatibility problems — see Keep your website safe.

Still stuck?

If these fixes don't sort it, contact support with:

  • Your domain
  • Exactly what you were doing (a screenshot of any error)
  • Whether it worked before your last change

We'll help you get it sorted.