{"id":2876,"date":"2020-05-05T00:45:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T00:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/?p=2876"},"modified":"2026-03-21T22:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T22:46:33","slug":"is-your-wordpress-website-broken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/is-your-wordpress-website-broken\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your WordPress Website Broken?"},"content":{"rendered":"

WordPress is a great balance of freedom and control \u2014 not as restrictive as some \u2018build a beautiful website\u2019 platforms, it still doesn\u2019t require coding skill or IT chops. And whether you\u2019re hiring a developer or doing it yourself, you can get a good-looking, functional website that brings in actual customers without breaking the bank or tearing out all your hair.<\/p>\n

Until it quits working.<\/p>\n

WordPress is one of those tools that works great until it doesn\u2019t. When it glitches or lets you down, it can be worrying \u2014 especially if you\u2019re relying on that website to actually run your business through, or to generate leads.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t sweat it. A lot of common WordPress problems are really simple to fix \u2014 and if you have the other kind, or if you\u2019d rather not get involved, we can help.<\/p>\n

But first \u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before you try to fix anything\u2026<\/h2>\n

…back up!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to back your WordPress site up before you attempt any fixes. Otherwise, you could potentially lose all your content, with no way to get it back. Web hosting companies will let you download all your content, but you can also use a WordPress plugin like UpdraftPlus<\/a> or BackUpBuddy<\/a> \u2014 though they might not be an option if you can\u2019t even get into the site!<\/p>\n

Now you\u2019re backed up, let\u2019s look at some of the most common WordPress errors and what you can do about them.<\/p>\n

My WordPress site\u2019s not loading<\/h2>\n

When this happens, the first thing you need to know is whether the site is down for everyone or just you. Try using WebsitePlanet\u2019s Down or Not tool<\/a> to check if your site is still functional or if the problem is closer to home.<\/p>\n

\"is<\/p>\n

If you get this:<\/p>\n

\"your<\/p>\n

The problem is probably your computer or something closer to home.<\/p>\n

If you get this:<\/p>\n

\"your<\/p>\n

Your server is down, or there\u2019s an issue with the site.<\/p>\n

If your host is having trouble with their hardware or your server is just down, there\u2019s not much you can do except wait. If your domain has expired you need to review it. The most common cause of totally inaccessible WP websites is broken code, and that\u2019s something you probably shouldn\u2019t try to fix yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond that, there are also issues with PHP memory and with the way your site is laid out behind the scenes, on your host\u2019s servers. The most common fix for the dreaded \u2018White Screen of Death\u2019 (when you load a site or a page, you don\u2019t get an error message \u2014 just a blank screen) involves picking through your site\u2019s content folder on your host\u2019s server, renaming items until you find the culprit.<\/p>\n

My WordPress site doesn\u2019t look right<\/h2>\n

WordPress themes are awesome. But they\u2019re an additional layer of user interface, sitting on top of the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that actually tells your site what shape to be, what to look like, and how to work. If you\u2019ve run up against the constraints of your theme, there are options that don\u2019t involve shopping around for a new theme; for instance, the basic Twenty Seventeen theme uses a graying-out effect for header and background images.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a good choice for most website owners, who don\u2019t want their images to be too garish. But for some users, it\u2019s not a great option. The code that controls this is buried in the CSS for the theme, and while you can alter it through your WordPress control panel, we don\u2019t recommend it unless this kind of thing:<\/p>\n

\"example<\/p>\n

Makes sense to you. Manipulating functionality and appearance inside WordPress themes is one of those jobs that\u2019s relatively easy if you\u2019re familiar with doing it and that can really backfire if you aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something up with my WordPress plugins<\/h2>\n

New plugins can conflict with your theme. The same problem can arise when WordPress gets updated. WordPress is open-source, which means anyone can develop plugins and themes for it. That\u2019s one of its great strengths, but it can mean some plugins and themes are a bit buggy or don\u2019t get updated as often as they should.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What can you do?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fixes for this are either to revert your WordPress install to a previous version, which you can only really do if you backed your site up before <\/i>you ran into trouble; to switch off all your plugins one by one, then watch and wait as you turn each one back on and see if the problem returns; and to switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Nineteen and test your plugins against that, to see if the problem is the plugins themselves or a conflict with your theme.<\/p>\n

All these approaches are time-consuming and some can be risky, especially if your site\u2019s working buggy and you don\u2019t have backups. The alternatives are to get deep into the guts of your site, checking logs and code, or rebuild the whole thing around a constellation of best-in-class premium WordPress themes and plugins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t even sign in!<\/h2>\n

The nightmare scenario. It\u2019s like losing your car keys or your house keys. But there are things you can do to mitigate it. In fact, this is often the easiest WordPress issue to solve. Before you freak out (an more than you ready are!), try opening your WP account in a different browser, or deleting your cache and cookies. That solves the vast majority of \u2018locked-out\u2019 WP accounts.<\/p>\n

If that doesn\u2019t work, there are other options, but they often take a little more know-how. Armed with your login information we can help you manage your WP account through FTP (File Transfer Protocol) tools, working directly with the files that make up your website to resolve issues with themes and plugins that can break your login flow. We can change your admin password in your host\u2019s control panel if that\u2019s the issue. And if necessary we can even create a whole new .htaccess file.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When your WordPress website suddenly goes sideways, it\u2019s scary. Beyond basic quick fixes that you can do yourself, it makes sense to take it to someone who can do more than slap a band-aid on it. Many problems will recur if they\u2019re only dealt with superficially, and if your website is a major source of leads, sales, and income, you don\u2019t want to live with the uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been building, customizing, and fixing WordPress websites since 2006. We\u2019re here to talk about whatever your problem might be.<\/p>\n

Feeling Chatty?<\/h3>\n

We love sharing our expertise and helping businesses improve. Feel free to message us below:
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