Top 10 WordPress Bugs I Fix Every Month

After years of WordPress debugging, patterns emerge. Here are the 10 bugs I encounter most frequently — and how I resolve each one.

1. White Screen of Death (WSOD)

The classic. Site shows a blank white page. Usually caused by a PHP fatal error (memory limit, incompatible plugin, syntax error in functions.php). Fix: Enable WP_DEBUG via wp-config.php, identify the error, resolve the conflict.

2. Plugin Conflict After Update

Plugin A updates, Plugin B breaks. This happens when two plugins hook into the same WordPress filter with conflicting logic. Fix: Deactivate all plugins, reactivate one by one to isolate the conflict, then find a workaround or replacement.

3. Database Connection Error

"Error establishing a database connection." Usually a hosting issue (MySQL server overloaded) or wrong credentials in wp-config.php after a migration. Fix: Verify credentials, check MySQL status, optimize the database.

4. Mixed Content Warnings (HTTP/HTTPS)

SSL is installed but images and scripts still load over HTTP. Common after migration or SSL installation. Fix: Update site URLs in database, fix hardcoded HTTP references, implement proper redirects.

5. Permalink Issues (404 on All Pages)

Every page except the homepage returns a 404. Usually caused by .htaccess corruption or server rewrite rules. Fix: Re-save permalink settings, regenerate .htaccess, verify mod_rewrite is enabled.

6. Memory Exhaustion

"Allowed memory size exhausted." A plugin or theme is consuming too much RAM. Fix: Increase memory limit temporarily, then identify the offending code with Query Monitor.

7. Slow Admin Dashboard

The front-end loads fine but wp-admin takes 10+ seconds. Usually caused by plugins running heavy operations on every admin page load (heartbeat API abuse, excessive AJAX calls). Fix: Identify and optimize or replace the offending plugin.

8. Broken Media Library

Images show as broken, uploads fail. Causes: incorrect file permissions, full disk space, or corrupted attachment metadata. Fix: Check permissions (755 for dirs, 644 for files), verify disk space, regenerate thumbnails.

9. Email Not Sending

Contact forms submit successfully but emails never arrive. WordPress's wp_mail() relies on the server's mail function, which many hosts block. Fix: Install WP Mail SMTP and configure with a proper SMTP service.

10. Scheduled Posts Not Publishing

"Missed schedule" errors. WordPress cron depends on site visits to trigger. Low-traffic sites miss scheduled events. Fix: Set up a real server cron job to call wp-cron.php at regular intervals.