How to Troubleshoot Common WordPress Problems

Overview

WordPress is generally straightforward to manage, but websites can occasionally develop problems after an update, configuration change, plugin installation, theme change, or other modification.

Common symptoms include:

A blank page
Error messages
A broken layout
Missing features
Login problems
Slow pages
Plugins that stop working
A website that suddenly goes offline

The important thing is to troubleshoot methodically rather than changing several things at once.

This guide covers some of the most common WordPress problems and what you can check before contacting Have Freedom Hosting Support.

Start by Identifying What Changed

One of the most useful troubleshooting questions is:

What changed immediately before the problem started?

For example:

WordPress was updated.
A plugin was installed.
A plugin was updated.
A theme was updated.
PHP was changed.
A new configuration was added.
DNS was changed.
Website files were modified.
A migration was performed.

If the problem appeared immediately after a specific change, start there.

Check Whether the Entire Website Is Affected

Determine whether:

The entire website is down.
Only one page is broken.
Only WordPress administration is affected.
Only one feature is broken.
The website works for some visitors but not others.

For example:

Homepage works
        ↓
Contact form doesn't work
        ↓
Likely feature/plugin issue

is very different from:

Entire website unavailable
        ↓
May require hosting/server/DNS investigation

Knowing the scope of the problem can save a significant amount of troubleshooting time.

Check the Website From Another Device

If possible, visit the website from:

Another browser
A private/incognito window
Another computer
A mobile device
Another internet connection

This can help determine whether the problem is related to caching, your browser, or the website itself.

Check WordPress Administration

Try accessing:

https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin

If the public website is broken but the WordPress dashboard works, you may still be able to troubleshoot the problem from within WordPress.

If neither the website nor the WordPress dashboard works, the problem may require additional investigation.

Check for Recent Plugin or Theme Changes

Plugins and themes are common sources of WordPress problems.

If the problem started immediately after installing or updating something:

Identify what changed.
Check whether the website still loads.
If you can access WordPress, review Plugins → Installed Plugins.
Deactivate the suspected plugin if appropriate.
Test the website again.

For theme-related problems, check the active theme and any recent theme changes.

Don't Change Everything at Once

A common troubleshooting mistake is making several changes simultaneously.

For example:

Change PHP
+
Disable plugins
+
Change theme
+
Edit .htaccess
+
Change WordPress settings

If the website starts working afterward, you may not know which change actually fixed the problem.

Make one change at a time whenever practical.

Check WordPress Updates

Visit:

Dashboard → Updates

Check for updates to:

WordPress
Plugins
Themes

An outdated component may contain a bug or security issue.

However, don't blindly update everything on a production website that is already experiencing problems.

First determine what caused the problem when possible.

Check PHP Compatibility

WordPress and its plugins and themes depend on PHP.

You can review the PHP version assigned to your domain through:

cPanel → Software → MultiPHP Manager

You may also have access to:

cPanel → Software → MultiPHP INI Editor

If a plugin or theme requires a newer PHP version, an outdated version can cause errors.

Likewise, changing PHP versions without checking compatibility can cause problems.

If the website worked previously and stopped immediately after changing PHP, consider the PHP change as part of your troubleshooting.

Check Your Website's Files

If you recently modified website files, review those changes.

You can access your files through:

cPanel → Files → File Manager

For a typical primary website, the files will commonly be located under:

public_html/

Additional domains and subdomains may use different document roots.

If you manually edited a file such as .htaccess, wp-config.php, or a theme file, that change may be responsible for the problem.

Don't delete important WordPress files simply because you don't recognize them.

Check `.htaccess`

The .htaccess file can affect how your website handles URLs, redirects, security rules, caching, and other behavior.

A syntax error or incompatible rule can cause problems such as:

500 errors
Redirect loops
Broken URLs
Unexpected redirects
Access-denied errors

If the problem began immediately after modifying .htaccess, review the change carefully.

Always keep a backup before editing configuration files.

Check Your WordPress Database

WordPress stores much of its content and configuration in a database.

If you're experiencing database-related errors, you may see messages indicating that WordPress cannot establish a database connection.

Database management is available through:

cPanel → Databases → phpMyAdmin

However, don't modify database tables or run SQL commands unless you understand what you're changing.

An incorrect database change can cause additional problems.

Check Hosting Storage

A hosting account that is running out of available storage can cause unexpected problems.

Check your account's storage usage through cPanel and look for unusually large:

Website files
Backups
Email mailboxes
Logs
Temporary files

If your account is near its storage limit, free up unnecessary space or contact Have Freedom Hosting if you need assistance determining what's consuming the available storage.

Check Website Permissions

Incorrect file permissions can prevent WordPress from reading or modifying files correctly.

You can review permissions through:

cPanel → Files → File Manager

Common permissions for many WordPress installations are:

Files: 644
Directories: 755

These are common starting points, not a rule that every file and directory must use exactly those values.

Avoid changing permissions unnecessarily and never blindly set everything to 777.

Check Your SSL and HTTPS Configuration

If your website recently changed from HTTP to HTTPS, check for:

SSL certificate problems
Redirect loops
Mixed-content warnings
Incorrect WordPress URLs
Incorrect .htaccess rules

You can manage available SSL-related features through cPanel.

Have Freedom Hosting also offers free SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt, along with paid SSL options for customers who require them.

Check DNS if the Website Can't Be Reached

If visitors can't reach the website at all, the problem may not be WordPress.

If your DNS is managed through cPanel, review:

cPanel → Domains → Zone Editor

Check that the appropriate DNS records point to the correct service.

If you recently changed nameservers or DNS records, allow time for those changes to propagate.

Don't change DNS records simply because WordPress isn't loading unless you've established that DNS is actually part of the problem.

Check WordPress Debugging

WordPress includes debugging features that can provide additional information when something is going wrong.

Debugging can be useful when:

A plugin throws an error.
A theme causes a problem.
PHP errors are occurring.
A page suddenly stops working.

However, debugging settings should be used carefully on a live website.

Displaying detailed PHP errors publicly can expose information that shouldn't be visible to visitors.

If you're unsure how to enable or use WordPress debugging safely, contact a qualified WordPress developer or Have Freedom Hosting Support for hosting-related assistance.

Common WordPress Problems

"My Website Is Completely Blank"

A blank page can have several causes, including:

Plugin conflicts
Theme problems
PHP errors
Memory/resource issues
Corrupt or incomplete files

Think about what changed immediately before the problem appeared.

"I Get a 500 Error"

A 500 error is a general server-side error.

Possible causes include:

.htaccess problems
PHP errors
Plugin or theme issues
Incorrect file permissions
Resource limitations
Other server-side configuration problems

Check any recent changes first.

If you cannot determine the cause, contact Have Freedom Hosting Support with the exact error and approximate time it occurred.

"My Website Is Redirecting in a Loop"

Redirect loops can be caused by:

Conflicting HTTP/HTTPS settings
WordPress URL configuration
.htaccess rules
Plugins
Reverse-proxy or CDN settings
Other redirect configurations

Review recent changes before modifying multiple settings.

"My Website Looks Broken"

A broken layout may be caused by:

Theme problems
Plugin conflicts
Missing CSS or JavaScript
Caching
Incorrect file paths
Mixed-content issues
Recent theme changes

Try another browser or private window first to rule out local caching.

"My Contact Form Doesn't Work"

A broken contact form can be caused by:

Plugin problems
Incorrect form configuration
SMTP or email configuration
Spam protection
DNS/email authentication issues
The form plugin itself

First determine whether the form is failing to submit or whether the submission works but the notification email isn't arriving.

These are two different problems.

"WordPress Says It Can't Connect to the Database"

This usually means WordPress cannot establish a connection to its configured database.

Possible causes include:

Incorrect database credentials
Database problems
Database server issues
Configuration changes
Incorrect wp-config.php settings

Don't randomly modify database credentials.

If the website was working previously and suddenly developed this error, contact Have Freedom Hosting Support if you cannot identify the cause.

Restoring From a Backup

If a recent change caused a serious problem and you have a known-good backup, restoring the website may be an option.

Before restoring:

Confirm the backup date.
Understand what will be overwritten.
Preserve any newer information you may need.
Make another backup if possible.

A restoration should be treated as a significant change, not something to perform casually.

When to Contact Have Freedom Hosting

Contact Have Freedom Hosting Support when:

Your entire website is inaccessible.
You receive persistent server errors.
cPanel or your hosting account appears to be malfunctioning.
You suspect a hosting resource problem.
DNS appears to be pointing correctly but the hosting service isn't responding.
A hosting-side configuration appears to be involved.
You've tried the basic troubleshooting steps and still can't determine the cause.

Remember that individual WordPress plugins and themes are developed by their respective developers. Have Freedom Hosting can help determine whether an issue appears to involve the hosting environment, but plugin-specific bugs may need to be handled by the plugin developer.

What to Include in a Support Ticket

When contacting support, provide:

Your domain name.
The affected page or URL.
What is happening.
What you expected to happen.
The exact error message.
When the problem started.
What changed immediately beforehand.
Whether WordPress administration works.
Whether the problem affects all visitors or only you.
Any relevant screenshots.

If possible, avoid simply saying:

"My website is broken."

Instead, provide a description such as:

"My website began returning a 500 error immediately after I updated a plugin at approximately 2:30 PM. WordPress administration is still accessible."

That gives support substantially more information to work with.

Never include your WordPress, cPanel, Customer Portal, email, or other account passwords in a support ticket.

Quick Troubleshooting Checklist

When WordPress isn't working correctly:

Identify exactly what is broken.
Determine what changed immediately beforehand.
Test the website from another browser or device.
Try accessing /wp-admin.
Check recent plugin and theme changes.
Check WordPress updates.
Check PHP compatibility.
Review recent file changes.
Check .htaccess if it was recently modified.
Check storage and resource usage.
Check SSL/HTTPS if applicable.
Check DNS if the domain itself cannot be reached.
Restore a known-good backup if appropriate.
Contact Have Freedom Hosting Support with the exact error if you still need help.

Need Help?

The most important part of WordPress troubleshooting is identifying what changed and when the problem started.

Avoid making several unrelated changes at once, keep a current backup, and save any error messages you encounter.

If the problem appears to involve your hosting account, server, DNS, storage, or another hosting-side service, Have Freedom Hosting Support can help investigate the issue.

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