Debugging is a diagnostic process that helps identify and locate errors in your WordPress site. It’s important to understand that debugging itself does not fix issues; rather, it provides valuable information to guide your troubleshooting efforts. When you enable debugging, WordPress logs detailed error messages, warnings, and notices. These logs serve as clues to pinpoint the source of problems, whether they stem from themes, plugins, or WordPress core files. With this information, you can take targeted steps to resolve the issues, such as updating a plugin, modifying a theme, or seeking further assistance from developers or the WordPress community.
This guide, enhanced with insights from the official WordPress documentation, will walk you through setting up your WordPress site for effective debugging. Remember, debugging is a diagnostic tool, not a one-click solution. It’s a crucial first step in understanding and resolving issues on your WordPress site.
Accessing and Editing wp-config.php
The Using FTP: Using Hosting File Manager: Downloading and Editing the File: Insert the following lines: Place these lines before Upload the File: Notices are minor issues, often non-critical, suggesting improvements or potential problems. While notices and warnings might seem concerning, they often don’t signify a serious problem. Prioritizing these based on severity is crucial. With debugging enabled, your site will directly display errors, or they will be logged in the After resolving the issues, it’s important to disable debugging, especially for live sites: Re-edit the wp-config.php file, setting the values to Upload the wp-config.php file back to the server, overwriting the existing version. Disabling debugging ensures your site runs efficiently and remains secure. By following these steps, even non-programmers can effectively diagnose and resolve issues on their WordPress site. Remember, always diable debugging after you’re done to maintain your site’s performance and security.
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true );
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
.
Save your changes and upload the file back to the root directory of your WordPress installation, overwriting the existing version.Understanding Notices, Warnings, and Errors
Warnings are more significant than notices but usually don’t stop WordPress from functioning.
Errors are critical problems that can impair site functionality.Troubleshooting Using Debug Information
debug.log
file within the wp-content
directory. You can use this information to:Concluding the Debugging Process
false
:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', false );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
@ini_set( 'display_errors', 0 );