If your WordPress website is down, don’t panic! There are a few things that you can do to try and fix the issue. In this blog post, we will discuss some common reasons why WordPress websites go down, as well as steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem. We will also provide some tips for preventing your website from going down in the future.
Make sure your WordPress website is actually down
Just because you’re not seeing your website online, doesn’t mean it’s not online. To be sure, you’ll want to check with a third party website like isitdownrightnow.com. If your website is down for everyone, then you can proceed with troubleshooting. If it’s just you, then the issue may be on your end.
01 – Check your DNS settings
If your WordPress website is down for everyone, one of the first things you’ll want to check is your DNS settings. If your DNS records are pointing to the wrong server, then your website will not be accessible. You can check your DNS settings by doing a WHOIS lookup for your domain name.
02 – Check for server issues
If your DNS records are pointing to the right server, but your website is still down, then there may be an issue with the server itself. You’ll want to contact your web host and let them know about the problem.
03 – Check your website files
Another common reason for WordPress websites going down is due to corrupted website files. To check for this, you’ll want to use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your server and download a copy of your website files. Once you have a copy of your website files, you can compare them to a fresh WordPress install to see if any of your files are missing or corrupt.
04 – Check your database
If your WordPress website is down and you’re seeing a database error message, then it’s likely that your database is corrupt. To fix this, you’ll need to connect to your server via FTP and download a copy of your wp-config.php file. Once you have the wp-config.php file, you can edit it to point to a new database.
05 – Check for plugin issues
If none of the above steps have helped, then it’s possible that a plugin is causing your WordPress website to go down. To troubleshoot this, you’ll want to deactivate all of your plugins and see if the website starts working. If it does, then you can start reactivating your plugins one at a time until you find the plugin that’s causing the issue.
06 – Check for theme issues
If none of the above steps have helped, then it’s possible that your WordPress theme is causing the website to go down. To troubleshoot this, you’ll want to switch to a default WordPress theme and see if the website starts working. If it does, then you can start reactivating your themes one at a time until you find the theme that’s causing the issue.
07 – Check for malware
If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your WordPress website is still down, then it’s possible that your site has been hacked and infected with malware. You’ll want to run a scan of your website using a tool like Sucuri SiteCheck to see if there are any malicious files on your server. If there are, then you’ll need to clean your website and remove the malware.
08 – Contact your web host
If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your WordPress website is still down, then it’s possible that there’s a problem with your server. In this case, you’ll want to contact your web host and let them know about the issue. They may be able to help you troubleshoot the problem.
09 – Restore from a backup
If you have a backup of your WordPress website, then you can restore your site from the backup. This will bring your website back to the state it was in when the backup was created.
Get Help
If all else fails, you can always hire a WordPress developer like Graticle to help you troubleshoot the problem. We will be able to take a look at your website and diagnose the issue. We can also help you restore your website from a backup if necessary. Contact us today to get started! (360) 450-3711
