[WP101] Debugging and Finding Errors in WordPress

When working with websites, especially in WordPress, there is always a possibility that you will run into bugs or error messages. There are dozens of different WordPress errors and bugs which could potentially pop up while you are working, and it’s important to identify these errors and fix them as soon as possible.

Finding an error in your WordPress website can throw a wrench in your daily plans, but it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Encountering an error can be frustrating, but as soon as you understand the source of the problem, you can perform some troubleshooting to fix it.

Some WordPress errors are more common than others, so they can be simpler to figure out and solve, as well as take steps to prevent them in the future. While WordPress errors are rare, it’s important to find and solve them as soon as possible to keep your WordPress website running smoothly.

Before trying to fix any type of WordPress error, it’s important to have a complete WordPress backup so that you don’t lose any of your content or data. In the event that you aren’t able to troubleshoot the issue on your own, another tactic to try is to contact the support of the hosting company.

Debugging in WordPress

WordPress is the most popular content management system available online. As such, WordPress also comes with detailed debugging systems to make troubleshooting for users a much more streamlined process.

Debugging with WordPress is also a super user-friendly process. Debugging also allows users to standardize the website code across the whole website, to avoid more problems in the future. There are several debugging tools you can use with WordPress, which will also improve your WordPress website’s overall quality.

Plugins and themes are constantly being updated or changed, so they typically have errors related to functionality. Updates, network interruptions, and incompatible code are the main reasons why bugs are introduced into a WordPress website. WordPress even has a reporting system to let users know when plugin or theme errors appear, so they can be fixed quickly.

WP_DEBUG

WP_DEBUG is a code which can trigger the debug mode for WordPress, so that errors automatically appear on the page where they exist, alerting users as soon as they happen. Users can access it through the wp-config.php file. However, this debugging process should not be used on live websites.

All errors and bugs will appear when users activate WP_DEBUG, which is helpful to the users except this can also trigger errors for plugins or themes that don’t necessarily have errors and the once the code displaying the error is located the error can be fixed.

All errors can also be logged using WP_DEBUG_LOG, which is handy for any user who wants a record of all error messages so they can be reviewed later. There is also WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY, which allows debug messages to appear inside of HTML pages. Users can disable this so error messages do not show on pages when they occur.

Asking For Help

If you have a managed WordPress host, users can contact support for help and they will either take care of the issue, or they will help users understand the real problem so users can solve it.

There are also debugging WordPress plugins available for free from WordPress.org. These plugins help users identify the errors and bugs in their website, whether they are in a specific component of the website or an issue with code.

If the error doesn’t allow you to log into the WordPress admin, you can log into your server with FTP. Based on the WordPress error message, all the user needs to do is remove the specific plugin with the error message, after you make a copy of it.

Sometimes the solution to the error cannot be figured out immediately by a user. Contacting the developer is another way to help determine the cause of the error or bug, so it can be solved quickly. Sometimes, just having another person look at the issue with fresh eyes can help clear a path to a solution.

WordPress Errors

There are a few WordPress errors which almost every single WordPress website can encounter, so finding a solution to fix them only requires prior knowledge or a quick google search. There are also errors which tell you exactly that the issue is so you can spend all your time trying to fix it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important that your WordPress website has no bugs and errors, although they are inevitable to some degree. WordPress bugs tend to appear when you update plugins or themes or have network interruptions during updates. It’s important to identify the error as soon as you are alerted to it, or your WordPress website will suffer.

There are many different ways to debug a WordPress website, and some bugs can be solved by users, developers and sometimes the support staff of your hosting company. There are several options you can try to eliminate and prevent errors in the future as well.