Error Establishing a Database Connection
This error means that WordPress cannot connect to the database.
Cause:
Incorrect database information (database name, username, password, or host).
Database server may be overloaded or offline.
Solution:
Check the wp-config.php file to ensure the database login details are correct:
define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_username');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
White Screen of Death (WSOD)
The website shows only a blank white page with no error messages.
Cause:
Problems with a plugin or theme.
PHP memory limit exceeded.
Solution:
Deactivate plugins: Rename the wp-content/plugins folder to deactivate all plugins.
Change theme: Rename the wp-content/themes folder to activate a default theme.
Increase memory limit: Add the following line to wp-config.php:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
500 Internal Server Error
The server cannot process the request and shows this general error.
Cause:
Error in the .htaccess file.
A plugin or theme is causing conflicts.
Solution:
Reset .htaccess: Rename the .htaccess file in the WordPress root directory and reload the page to generate a new .htaccess file.
Deactivate plugins and themes as described in the White Screen of Death section.
404 Error – Page Not Found
A page or post cannot be found even though it exists.
Cause:
Corrupted or incorrect permalink structure.
Solution:
Reset permalinks: Go to Settings → Permalinks and save the current structure again. This refreshes the permalink settings and can fix the error.
Memory Limit Exhausted – “Allowed memory size of x bytes exhausted”
WordPress or a plugin requires more memory than allocated.
Cause:
PHP memory limit is too low.
Solution:
Increase memory limit: Open wp-config.php and add:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
403 Forbidden Error
The server denies access to a file or page.
Cause:
Incorrect file or folder permissions.
A security plugin is blocking access.
Solution:
Check file permissions: Ensure files have 644 and folders have 755 permissions.
Deactivate security plugin: Disable any security plugins to see if they are causing the issue.
429 Too Many Requests
This error occurs when the server receives too many requests in a short time.
Cause:
A plugin or bot is sending too many requests to the server.
Solution:
Deactivate plugins one by one to identify the problem.
Contact your hosting provider to increase the request limit if it concerns legitimate traffic.