405 Error In WordPress: 8 Fixes

Navigating WordPress problem solving can feel like you’re traversing a digital maze, especially when a 405 error suddenly halts your progress. You’re eager to preview a new blog post or update an important plugin, and then—bam—a 405 error stops you. This issue often occurs when you’re performing tasks like submitting a form, using a search function, or sending an HTTP request that the server disallows. Naturally, you might worry about losing visitors or affecting your SEO.

Don’t worry—there are simple solutions to this problem. In this article, we’ll show you 8 different ways to fix the error easily. 

TL;DR: Fixing the 405 error WordPress may require changes to core files. It’s best to test these changes on a staging site first. Use BlogVault to set up an environment for testing.

What is the 405 error in WordPress?

The 405 error is an HTTP status code that means “Method Not Allowed.” It happens when a server gets a request with a method, like POST or PUT, that isn’t supported for the requested resource.

Let’s break this down: A server request is like a message sent from a client’s web browser to a server. This message asks the server for information or resources such as web pages, images, or data. Typically, these requests utilize the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (HTTP Secure) for communication.

Each request includes:

• A method (such as GET, POST, or DELETE)
• A URL (which points to the resource)
• Optional headers, like security headers and body data (which might contain additional instructions or information)

After processing the request, the server responds with the requested data and a status code. In cases where the server allows only specific HTTP methods for a resource, using any unsupported method will trigger a 405 error.

When do you see the 405 error in WordPress?

One frequent reason for encountering a 405 error is when you attempt to POST data to a URL that only supports GET requests. Imagine you’re trying to submit a form or upload data, but the server at that URL isn’t set up to handle POST requests—it only recognizes GET requests to fetch data.

The error message typically includes a list of the allowed methods for that specific URL. This information helps users understand which methods are permissible, guiding them to adjust their request method accordingly.

Let’s say you’re testing a form you custom built. If you see a 405 error while trying to submit a form, the message might indicate that you need to use a GET method instead. By checking these allowed methods, you can adjust your approach and interact with the server correctly.

How to fix the 405 WordPress error?

Encountering a 405 error can be frustrating, but fixing it is often straightforward. This issue can arise from server misconfigurations, incompatible plugins, or restrictions on the server. In this section, we’ll talk about how to fix it step by step, ensuring your website runs smoothly again. We’ll cover common troubleshooting methods and solutions to effectively address the 405 error.

Before the troubleshooting

To avoid troubleshooting causing anymore issues

• Take a backup
• Create a staging site

Install BlogVault on your site and it will automatically take a full backup. You can also create a staging site in one click on the BlogVault dashboard. 

Enabling debug mode 

If you’re encountering a 405 Method Not Allowed error, activating WordPress Debug mode through your .htaccess file can help uncover underlying issues. These WordPress debug settings are typically managed in the wp-config.php file and here is how to do it:

1. Use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your server with the FTP credentials – username, password and Public IP address.
2. Navigate to your WordPress installation directory, usually the root folder, where the wp-config.php file is located.
3. Open wp-config.php in a text editor and add the following lines:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

4. Save the file and upload it to the server. Overwrite it if necessary. 
5. Triggers the 405 error to generate logs.If you were trying to install a plugin and you saw this error, try it again. 

Check the WordPress error logs in wp-content/debug.log 

Enabling WordPress debug gives you a jumpstart into identifying why you’re facing an error. This way, your troubleshooting can be targeted to solve a problem. 

Check the URL

URL inaccuracies are a frequent culprit behind the “405 Method Not Allowed” error, often overlooked in the troubleshooting process. Typos and incorrect URLs can lead to this error as they may cause your request to mistakenly target the wrong resource or endpoint. By starting with a URL check, you can quickly verify that you’re interacting with the intended resource, helping to accelerate issue resolution and ensuring the correct behavior of your application.

Here are our recommendations:

• Look closely at the URL in the address bar of your browser 
• If you are typing the URL manually, try copying and pasting it from a verified and accurate source.
• Simplify long or complex URLs by breaking them down into shorter components
• Verify that the URL is formatted correctly, paying close attention to the accurate use of slashes, query parameters, and other syntactical elements in your code.
• Occasionally, browser extensions can alter how URLs are processed. Test the URL in a different browser or in incognito mode to rule out any interference from extensions.

Checking for plugin and theme incompatibilities 

Plugin and theme incompatibilities are common causes of errors like a WordPress site crash or the 405 error. Using an FTP client, you can efficiently identify and address these incompatibilities. This method allows you to access server files directly, providing a safe environment to diagnose and solve issues without affecting the live site.

1. Connect to your web server by entering your FTP credentials (host, username, password, and port) on an FTP client.
2. Access the public_html directory, or the root folder of your WordPress installation.
3. Navigate to wp-content, where plugins and themes are located.
4. Rename each plugin folder one by one (e.g., change plugin-name to plugin-name-disabled) to deactivate them.
5. After renaming each plugin, check your website to see if the 405 error is resolved.
6. Once identified, restore the folder name for non-conflicting plugins by reverting their names.
7. In the themes folder, temporarily rename the folder of the active theme (e.g., change active-theme to active-theme-disabled).
8. This action will force your site to use a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Three.
9. Check if the error persists. If switching themes resolves the error, the issue likely resides with the custom theme.

If a specific plugin or theme is causing the issue, safely update the plugin or theme uaing Blogvault’s Sandbox updates.

If an update triggered the error, reach out to the developers to help you fix the bug. 

After identifying incompatible plugins or themes, rename their folders back to the original name once you’ve resolved the issue or updated the components.

Review file permissions

File permissions are settings that determine who can read, write, or execute a file or directory on a server, controlling access and functionality. They play a crucial role in how your server handles requests to your website. Incorrect file permissions can lead to various errors, including the 405 Method Not Allowed error. Ensuring that your web server has the appropriate permissions to access and execute files is essential for the proper functioning of your application. Here’s how to correct it:

1. Use an FTP client like Cyberduck to connect to your server and navigate to your website’s root directory.
2. Select a file or directory and right click. Select Info from the menu that appears. 
3. Navigate to the Permissions tab. Then.modify the permissions accordingly. 

For WordPress sites, general recommendations are either 755 or 644. Ensure that critical files like .htaccess or index.php have permissions that allow server access and execution. But restrict write access to prevent unauthorized changes.

View server configurations

This allows you to identify any misconfigurations that might be restricting the essential HTTP methods required. By examining files such as .htaccess, you can pinpoint and remove any unintended restrictions, ensuring that your server permits the appropriate methods. 

For this article, we’re using an Apache server and the .htaccess file. Nginx will have its own documentation on how to do it. 

1. Connect to the server using an FTP client like Cyberduck.
2. Download a copy of the .htaccess file, in your root directory. It may be a hidden file that you have to reveal. 
3. Then, change the name of the file to something like “.htaccess_old”. 

Check if this solves the error. If it does, then, generate a new .htaccess file in the Permalinks section of  your admin panel. Carefully add any custom rules you originally had. If changing the file name doesn’t fix the error, revert back to the old name and try other methods. 

Expert advice: Making accidental changes to the .htaccess file can crash it. If you’re not familiar with the rules, reach out to a maintenance service. 

Inspect network requests:

Inspecting network requests will provide an in-depth view of how your application interacts with the server. It is a little technical but if you have the skills, this step can make it easier to pinpoint the exact source of issues. Use your browser’s developer tools to inspect network requests while replicating the error. Look for any failed requests and examine the details. Here’s a simple list of elements to focus on when using developer tools for troubleshooting.

• Ensure the correct HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) was used for the request.
• Look for requests with the 405 status code to quickly identify problematic interactions.
• Review headers to verify correct formatting and check for any missing or malformed elements.
• Confirm the URL is accurate and matches the intended endpoint, as typos can lead to method restrictions.
• Examine server responses for any error messages or information that can provide clues about server-side issues.
• Check the Content-Type and request payload to ensure they align with server expectations.

Clear browser cache

Clearing the cache is a common troubleshooting step for a variety of web-related issues, including HTTP errors like the 405 Method Not Allowed error. The browser cache is a storage location on your computer where a browser saves copies of files that are repeatedly used to load websites, such as HTML pages, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript scripts, and images. This caching mechanism significantly speeds up the browsing experience by reducing the number of requests your browser needs to make to the server, allowing pages to load faster when revisiting a website.

Over time, however, cached files can become outdated or corrupted, which might cause discrepancies between what the browser attempts to load and what the server expects. This can lead to errors if the cached version of a file does not align with the current version required by the server. Specifically, regarding the 405 error, incorrect cache entries can cause the browser to use outdated method instructions or access paths that have been modified or no longer exist, leading to the server rejecting the request. Clearing the browser’s cache helps resolve such errors by forcing the browser to retrieve the most up-to-date versions of files from the server rather than relying on potentially outdated cached copies. This ensures that any changes made on the server, such as updates to .htaccess rules or server-side scripts dictating method allowances, are correctly reflected in your browsing session. By resetting the cache, you enable the browser to accurately reflect the server’s current configurations, helping to rectify errors caused by outdated instructions and promoting a more reliable interaction between the browser and the server.

Check for proxy configurations

Checking for proxy configurations involves reviewing and verifying the settings of any proxy servers that may be utilized between your client and server. This is particularly important when using a reverse proxy, which acts as an intermediary that forwards client requests to backend services. The role of a reverse proxy is to improve performance, provide load balancing, enhance security, and simplify your network architecture. However, if not configured correctly, a reverse proxy can become a source of errors, including the 405 Method Not Allowed error.

For reverse proxies, ensuring they are correctly forwarding requests is crucial. This involves confirming that the proxy server is set up to handle requests and pass them to the appropriate backend service without altering critical components, such as HTTP methods. Misconfigurations can lead to method restrictions, where the proxy server might inadvertently modify requests or fail to relay them correctly, leading to server denials. If, for example, the proxy is not correctly configured to forward POST requests to your application server, a legitimate request could be rejected, resulting in a 405 error. Ensuring your reverse proxy is configured to pass all required headers, maintain the integrity of HTTP methods, and direct requests to the correct endpoints can help prevent these types of errors. This ensures seamless communication between the client and server, thereby maintaining the intended functionality of your application.

How to prevent 405 errors?

Preventing the 405 Method Not Allowed error, along with other potential website issues, requires a proactive approach to managing your site. Implementing regular maintenance tasks, selecting reliable tools, and conducting consistent monitoring can significantly enhance the stability and reliability of your website. Here are key strategies to help minimize the risk of such errors:

• Safeguard your data with frequent backups to quickly restore your website if needed.
• Keep everything up to date to protect against vulnerabilities and benefit from the latest features and fixes.
• Choose high-quality, supported extensions to reduce compatibility and quality issues.
• Test changes in a non-live setting to catch any issues before they affect your users.
• Identify and resolve speed and efficiency issues in advance to maintain a smooth user experience.
• Use monitoring tools to track uptime, load times, and security breaches, catching potential problems early.
• Avoid unnecessary complexity and compatibility problems by using only essential plugins.
• Regularly check custom code for potential issues to ensure all site components work seamlessly.
• Implement logging to diagnose issues promptly by providing detailed records for troubleshooting.
• Protect your data by adding an SSL certificate, strong passwords, and security plugins to prevent errors and security breaches.
• Validate inputs to prevent errors from incorrect or malicious data handling.
• Analyze user interactions to identify potential trouble areas and anticipate issues.

Final thoughts

Resolving the 405 Method Not Allowed error often involves making adjustments to your website’s core configurations, which can impact its functionality and stability. It is crucial to carry out these changes in a controlled and safe environment. A staging site is ideal for testing, as it mirrors your live site without affecting actual user experiences. BlogVault offers a reliable platform to create this environment, allowing you to safely test and refine your solutions before implementing them on your live site. By taking these precautions, you ensure that your efforts to fix errors will improve your site’s performance without unintended consequences.

FAQs

How to fix the 405 Method Not Allowed Error on your WordPress site?

To fix the 405 Method Not Allowed error on your WordPress site, start by identifying any plugins or themes that might be causing conflicts. You can temporarily deactivate them using an FTP client to see if the error resolves. Next, check and adjust your .htaccess file or other server configuration files for any restrictions on HTTP methods. It’s also important to ensure all WordPress core files, themes, and plugins are up to date, as outdated software can lead to compatibility issues. Finally, inspect network requests using developer tools to identify any mismatches between requests and server settings.

How do i fix error code 405?

To fix error code 405, start by checking the URL and HTTP method being used to ensure they are correct. Verify that the server configuration allows the method for the requested resource by reviewing .htaccess or server configuration files. If using a WordPress site, ensure all themes and plugins are compatible and updated. Inspect your server logs to identify more specific issues and disable any potential conflicts by deactivating plugins or themes temporarily.

How to fix 400 error in WordPress?

A 400 Bad Request error in WordPress is often due to incorrect URL requests or corrupted browser cookies or cache. To fix it, first clear your browser’s cache and cookies and try accessing the site again. Ensure the URL being requested is entered correctly. Check any custom scripts or plugins for issues causing malformed requests. If unsuccessful, deactivate plugins or themes one by one to find if any are causing the problem, especially any recent installs or updates.

How do I fix redirect error in WordPress?

A redirect error in WordPress often stems from configuration settings causing an infinite redirect loop. To resolve this, review your site settings in WordPress, ensuring your URL configuration matches between the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) found in the General settings. Check your .htaccess file for incorrect redirect rules or remove the file temporarily to identify any issues. Additionally, clear browser cookies and cache and deactivate any plugins handling redirects to rule out conflicts.

What is 405 in error?

Error 405, known as the “Method Not Allowed” error, indicates that the HTTP method used in the request (such as GET or POST) is not permitted for the requested resource on the server. This typically means the server is configured to disallow that specific HTTP method for the URL in question, often requiring a review of server settings or incorrect API usage.