WordPress powers over 40% of websites, but even the most reliable platforms can throw curveballs. Whether you’re dealing with the infamous “white screen of death” or mysterious 404 errors, here’s your practical guide to troubleshooting common WordPress issues – without needing a computer science degree.

---

1. The White Screen of Death

The Problem: Your site loads a blank white page.
The Fix:
– Disable plugins: Rename your plugins folder to plugins_old via FTP to deactivate all plugins.
– Switch themes: Temporarily activate a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
– Check error logs: Look for PHP memory limit errors in your hosting dashboard.

---

2. “Error Establishing a Database Connection”

The Problem: Your site can’t connect to its database.
The Fix:
– Verify your wp-config.php file has the correct database name, username, and password.
– Contact your hosting provider – server outages or corrupted tables might be the culprit.

---

3. 404 Page Not Found Errors

The Problem: Pages/posts return 404s even when they exist.
The Fix:
– Go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” to refresh permalink rules.
– Check for conflicting .htaccess rules or server misconfigurations.

---

4. Internal Server Error (500)

The Problem: A generic server error appears.
The Fix:
– Rename your .htaccess file to .htaccess_old to reset it.
– Increase PHP memory limit in wp-config.php by adding define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');.

---

5. Plugins Causing Conflicts

The Problem: A plugin update breaks your site.
The Fix:
– Use WordPress Safe Mode (via plugins like “Health Check & Troubleshooting”) to isolate the issue.
– Manually delete the problematic plugin via FTP if you can’t access your dashboard.

---

6. “Memory Exhausted” Errors

The Problem: Your site hits PHP memory limits.
The Fix:
– Add define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); to wp-config.php.
– Optimize resource-heavy elements: compress images, limit post revisions, or upgrade hosting plans.

---

7. Image Upload Failures

The Problem: “Unable to upload image” errors.
The Fix:
– Check folder permissions (set wp-content/uploads to 755).
– Use image optimization tools like Photozilla, ShortPixel, or Imagify to resize files before uploading.

---

8. Broken Links After Migration

The Problem: Links point to the old domain or broken paths.
The Fix:
– Run a search-and-replace tool like Better Search Replace (back up first!).
– Update URLs in Settings > General if your domain changed.

---

9. Stuck in Maintenance Mode

The Problem: Your site displays “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” indefinitely.
The Fix:
– Delete the .maintenance file in your root directory via FTP.

---

10. Slow Admin Dashboard

The Problem: The WordPress backend loads sluggishly.
The Fix:
– Disable unused plugins and themes.
– Enable object caching with Redis or Memcached.
– Optimize database tables using WP-Optimize.

---

Final Tip: Prevention Is Key

Regular backups (via UpdraftPlus or BlogVault) and staging sites are your safety nets. For image-heavy sites, tools like Photozilla, TinyPNG, or EWWW Image Optimizer can reduce server strain by compressing files before upload.

Most WordPress errors have simple solutions – stay calm, methodically test fixes, and remember: even experts encounter these issues daily. Happy troubleshooting!