WP errors, explained
What each error means, what to do first, and how to have it caught next time.
Needs WP 6.3 to 7.1 and PHP 8.0 or newer. What it installs
Needs WP 6.3 to 7.1, PHP 8.0 or newer, and an administrator login. One site per install.
The download is a plugin. Turning it on connects your site to cmshands.com and adds 3 small rescue files. Deleting the plugin removes them and everything it stored. What we send
Plugins are installed from a computer. Get the plugin here instead
- A person approves every repair
- No account, no password to share
Common WP errors and what they mean
Most WP errors point to one broken thing. Get your site back by hand first.A plugin update crashed my WP site
The update brought code your site can't run.“HTTP ERROR 500”
The server hit an error before WP could show your page.“503 Service Unavailable”
Your server couldn't answer, or WP is stuck in maintenance.“There has been a critical error on this website.”
Something in your site's code crashed and WP stopped.“Error establishing a database connection”
WP can't log in to its database, so no page loads.Where is my WP error log, and what does it say?
Your error log is where WP writes what went wrong. Find it by hand first.“Fatal error: Uncaught Error”
PHP, the language WP runs on, hit code it couldn't run. Get your site back by hand first.“Updating failed. The response is not a valid JSON response.”
Your editor's save got a reply it can't read. Get it saving by hand first.My WP plugin stopped working. Is it a conflict?
Usually, yes: it clashes with another plugin or your theme. Find the clash by hand first.Your WP site is down or not loading
Something on your site or at your host stopped working.“Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.”
A leftover file from an update is holding WP in maintenance mode. Delete it by hand first.“yoursite.com redirected you too many times.”
Your site loops, so the browser gives up.WP white screen of death
Your site's code stopped before it could show anything.
Be ready for the next one
- A person approves every repair
- No account, no password to share