This slideshow presentation was created for the WordPressKC Meetup group for the February 2015 meeting. NOTE: All links in the slideshow are clickable.
Basic WordPress Troubleshooting
[bctt tweet=”Trouble-shooting #WordPress is always difficult for beginners… Know where to start”]
Assumptions for this presentation
- A WordPress website is already Installed
- This website is a self-hosted WordPress installation (.org), not a WordPress.com website
- You know how to access your file structure, whether through your web host or FTP
Is your WordPress site backed up?
The best way to protect yourself from ANY WordPress problem is to backup your website regularly
How often should you backup?
- More often than you post new content
- Before any updates
How many backups should you keep?
- The more the better (My business websites: 10 daily, 10 weekly, 6 monthly)
My favorite backup plugin
How do I install that WordPress plugin!?
- Only self-hosted WordPress websites are allowed to install plugins
- If you do not see a “Plugins” menu, your website is hosted on WordPress.com
Error establishing database connection on WordPress
Causes
- wp-config.php configuration error
- Web host problems/exhausted resources
- Your site has been hacked
Solutions
- Make sure your database name, username, password, and host are correct in wp-config.php
- Check your web hosting account to see how much resources you’re using/allowed
- Roll your site back to a previous version
WordPress website is broken after plugin update
Likely Plugin Conflict
- Don’t assume the problem is with the plugin you just updated. Bad code in a previously used plugin may be causing the problem
- Go through plugins one-by-one, deactivating them and checking to see if the problem still exists
- If you have a solid “white screen of death” on your homepage and your admin dashboard, you will need to do this process via file manager or FTP
- xGen Plugin Date Information plugin – Gives plugin info: plugin last update, installed date, activated date, deactivated date
The connection has timed out on a WordPress website
Causes
- Resource hogging plugins
- Theme/plugin errors
- Exhausted PHP memory limit
Solutions
- Identify and replace resource hogs – P3 (Plugin Performance Profiler) plugin
- Troubleshoot your recently installed/updated plugins
- Increase your WordPress memory limit (wp-config.php, PHP.ini, .htaccess, talk to host
I think my WordPress website has been hacked
Reasons to think your WordPress site has been hacked
- The browser displays a big notice
- Your site continually experiences errors
- You get bounce-back undeliverable emails you don’t remember sending
- Your site is loading super-slow
- Your site has content you don’t remember adding
How to recover from a hacked WordPress website
- Scan your site with Sucuri Sitecheck to see if site really does have malware
- Remember that backup thing? Now’s the time to pull out the archive
- Sucuri Security plugin has hacking recovery and hardening features
- iThemes Security plugin has hardening features
My WordPress website is slow
Causes for a slow WordPress website – not already discussed above
- Website not cached
- Gigantic images!
- JavaScript and CSS not minified
- Image dimensions not specified in HTML or CSS
- Your web host stinks!
Solutions to speed up your WordPress website
- Check your site speed with GTmetrix (Google PageSpeed Insights & YSlow)
- Install a caching plugin (WP Fastest Cache plugin)
- Stop uploading gigantic images to your website (Imsanity plugin)
- Minify your JS and CSS (WP Fastest Cache plugin)
- Specify your image dimensions in HTML or CSS
- Get a better web host!
Resources to help-out along your WordPress journey
The WordPress Must-use Basic Resources
- WordPress codex
- WordPress.org support forums (plugin/theme specific support forum) – Talk to the developer
- Plugin and theme developers’ websites – If the developer doesn’t respond on the support forum, send them an email
The best online WordPress training and tutorials
Communities for Beginner WordPress Users
- WordPress Plugins – Facebook
- WordPress Plugin Suggestions – Facebook
- WordPress Help for Beginners – Facebook
- WordPress – Google+
- WordPress – LinkedIn
Communities for more Advanced WordPress Users
- WordPress Development – Stack Exchange
- WordPress Experts – LinkedIn
- WordPress Designers – Facebook
- Intermediate WordPress – Facebook
- Advanced WordPress – Facebook
My Favorite WordPress Blogs and WordPress Mailing Lists
- wpbeginner
- wpMail.me
- WP and Legal Stuff
- swayy
- WPMU Dev
- Sucuri Blog
- Tom McFarlin
- Pippin’s Plugins
- CSS Tricks
- Sucuri
Just a Few of My Favorites WordPress Problems and Resources
Of course, there are a lot more common WordPress problems every WordPress newcomer will experience and a TON more great WordPress training and tutorial resources
Share Your WordPress Favorites
Please share any other basic problems (with solutions) and great resources you know in the comments below.
