Fix: The Site Is Experiencing Technical Difficulties

The “The site is experiencing technical difficulties” error can be a nightmare. It often pops up when you’re trying to update a plugin or theme. Sometimes, you’ll find that you can’t even access your site’s admin panel. This makes it a little harder to troubleshoot this WordPress error.

At times like these, the quickest way to get things running again is to restore a backup.

Once your site is back online, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and troubleshoot this error. This article will walk you through all the steps you need to do.

TL;DR: This error is caused by PHP limits or plugin/theme conflicts. This means that any troubleshooting will affect functionality. To avoid making things worse, we recommend you fix the error on a staging site. 

What is the “The site is experiencing technical difficulties” error?

This error in WordPress is an indication that your website has encountered an internal issue. It renders the site inaccessible to both customers and admins. This can be concerning as it prevents visitors from viewing or interacting with your site. 

It’s triggered by one of the following: 

• PHP errors: PHP is the scripting language that powers WordPress. Errors here often occur due to syntax mistakes or conflicts within the code, especially following updates or plugin installations. These errors disrupt the smooth execution of scripts, leading to technical difficulties.
• Memory limit exhaustion: Each PHP process on your server has a certain amount of memory allocated to it. If a process exceeds this allocation, it can lead to failures. This typically happens when resource-intensive processes like full backups demand more memory than is available, causing parts of your site that rely on these processes to fail.

Before fixing the error

There are steps to take before fixing the error. First, bring your site back online. Then we can talk about how to pinpoint a cause. Then, we’ll cover what is the safest way to troubleshoot this error. These steps ensure minimal disruption to your user experience and help identify the root cause of the issue.

1. Restore a backup: To minimize downtime, restore your site first. Backup plugins like BlogVault help you restore your site in minutes. Just navigate to the backup section of the BlogVault dashboard, and click Restore. One click and a few minutes later, your site is back.

Pro tip: Even if you can’t access your dashboard, you can restore your site after a crash with BlogVault’s emergency connector feature. This feature provides an alternative entry point for the plugin to connect to your site’s backend. This minimizes disruptions and ensures your site’s quick recovery.

2. Clear cache: Sometimes, clearing the cache can resolve temporary issues causing the error. To clear the cache, use your caching plugin’s settings or use a performance plugin like Airlift. Use the browser settings to clear cached images and files.
3. Enable WP debug: Activating WordPress debug mode can generate a log of errors, offering insights into the issue. To enable it, access your site’s wp-config.php file using FTP or your host’s file manager. Find the following line:

define('WP_DEBUG', false); 

This will provide error messages when you reload the site in your browser. Remember to set it back to false once you’re finished to avoid displaying errors to visitors.

4. Check your activity log: Review the WordPress activity log to trace any recent changes made to your site. This can highlight if a particular action, like a plugin update or a new theme installation, might have triggered the error. Plugins like BlogVault can help monitor and identify critical activities that lead to site changes.
5. Create a staging site: To experiment with potential fixes without affecting the live site, create a staging environment. BlogVault offers one-click staging, allowing you to create a complete replica of your live site. Log into BlogVault, and within the dashboard, find the staging section. Click Add Staging to get started. This setup provides a safe space to test solutions before applying them to your public-facing site.

Solution 1: Upgrade PHP Version

PHP updates are an important step for performance, security, and compatibility. They often bring optimizations and new features that can enhance how your site operates. However, the process must be handled with care.

Step 1: Use a Staging Site

It’s advisable to use a staging site when upgrading PHP. This allows you to test how your website will handle the new version before committing the changes to your live site. On the BlogVault dashboard, click Details. Then, click the PHP icon at the top and select the right PHP version.

Step 2: Test Thoroughly

After upgrading PHP on your staging site, test thoroughly. Ensure all functionality is intact—navigate through various pages, test forms, check plugins, and verify integrations like analytics tags. Look for any errors or anomalies that need addressing. After confirming that everything works smoothly, you can proceed to update the PHP version on your live site.

Step 3: Update PHP on your live site

You. can update PHP on your web host account. In this case, we’re using Cloudways. The PHP update will affect your entire server. So, if you’re like us where all our test sites are on server, be careful.

1. Log Into Cloudways Platform: Start by going to the Cloudways website and logging into your account using your credentials.
2. Access Your Server: Once logged in, navigate to the top menu and select the “Servers” tab. This will display a list of your servers.
3. Select the Server: Choose the server where the application you wish to update the PHP version for is hosted. Click on the server to access its management settings.
4. Navigate to Settings & Packages: On the server management dashboard, find and click on the “Settings & Packages” option located in the left-hand menu.
5. Open the Packages Tab: Switch to the “Packages” tab within the Settings section. Here, you’ll see the current PHP version along with other stack components.
6. Select New PHP Version: Click on the PHP “Edit” button. You’ll be presented with a list of available PHP versions. Select the version you want to upgrade to, such as PHP 8.0 or 8.1, depending on compatibility and requirements.

7. Confirm Changes: After selecting the desired PHP version, apply the changes. Cloudways might take a few moments to update the PHP version across your server.

Step 4: Test changes again

When dealing with significant changes like a PHP update, the mantra is to test, test, and then test some more. We once updated PHP and overlooked issues with our Google Tag Manager setup. 

Solution 2: Increasing PHP Memory Limit

When your WordPress site encounters processes that demand more memory than allocated, it can result in errors. Increasing the PHP memory limit is a common solution to address this issue. For this article, we’re using an FTP client like Cyberduck to adjust the memory limit directly in your server files.

1. Connect to your staging site’s server: Open Cyberduck and connect to your server using your FTP credentials (host, username, password, and port). These details are typically provided by your hosting provider. Find these credentials on the Details page of BlogVault’s staging section.
2. Navigate to the wp-config.php File: Once connected, navigate to the root directory of your WordPress site. This root directory is often called public_html. Then, find the wp-config.php file within.
3. Edit wp-config.php: Download the file and then open it in a text editor. Find the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */. Add the following line just before it:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

Here, ‘256M’ increases the memory limit to 256 megabytes. You may adjust this value based on your site’s needs.

4. Save and Upload the Updated File: Save the changes in your text editor, then upload the modified wp-config.php file back to your server using Cyberduck, replacing the existing file. You may have to overwrite the existing file.
5. Test Your Site: Visit your website to ensure everything is functioning properly. Check for any improvement in performance or resolution of errors that prompted the increase in the memory limit.
6. Repeat the process on your live site: Now that you’ve tested it on a staging site, you can do this on your live site. Just repeat the last 5 steps. 

Solution 3: Identify plugins and theme conflicts

When encountering errors or performance issues on your WordPress site, conflicts between plugins or themes are often culprits. These conflicts can disrupt site functionality, leading to error messages or unexpected behavior. Using an FTP client like Cyberduck, you can systematically.

1. Connect to your server: Open Cyberduck and establish a connection to your server using your FTP credentials (host, username, password, and port), which are typically available in your hosting account.
2. Navigate to the wp-content directory: Once connected, navigate to your WordPress installation’s root directory and open the wp-content folder. This folder contains subdirectories for your plugins and themes.
3. Disable Plugins: Inside the wp-content/plugins directory, you can rename individual plugin folders (e.g., plugin-name to plugin-name.old) to disable them. Begin by disabling all plugins to see if the conflict resolves. If the issue is resolved, re-enable plugins one by one by reverting their folder names and testing your site each time to identify the problematic plugin.
4. Address the conflict: Once you identify the problem plugin, you have a few options. If it was recently updated, revert the update to see if that helps. If it wasn’t updated, reach out to the developers to fix the issue. You may have to temporarily disable the plugin.
5. Troubleshoot Themes: If plugins are not the source, navigate to the wp-content/themes directory. Repeat the last 4 steps but with the theme folders. 

Solution 4: Addressing Database Issues in WordPress

This error, like the “Error Establishing a Database Connection” error, is often an indicator of the database issues. This error typically signals an interruption in communication between your site and its database, rendering the site inaccessible. Understanding how to address database-related issues efficiently is crucial for restoring your site’s functionality as soon as possible. Here’s how to tackle these challenges:

1. Check database credentials: The first step is to verify that your database credentials are correct. These credentials are stored in your site’s wp-config.php file. Using an FTP client like Cyberduck, access your server and navigate to this file within the root directory of your WordPress installation. Open it to ensure the database name, username, password, and host listed here match those provided by your web host.

define('DB_NAME', 'database_name_here'); define('DB_USER', 'username_here'); define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here'); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Make sure these credentials match what is found on your hosting account.

2. Check database server: Sometimes, the issue may not reside in WordPress but in the database server itself. Check with your hosting provider to ensure there are no outages or server issues. Alternatively, you can use a tool like phpMyAdmin (accessible via your hosting control panel) to see if you can manually connect to the database.
3. Repair the Database: A corrupted database can also lead to connection errors. WordPress provides an easy way to repair the database using the built-in repair tool. To activate it, add the following line to your wp-config.php file:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Then, navigate to http://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php. This page offers options to repair and optimize your database. Once repairs are complete, remove the line you added to wp-config.php to prevent unauthorized access.

Solution 5: Check for syntax errors

If you were recently editing core files on your WordPress site, it can cause this error. It can be caused by syntax errors like missing punctuation, extra spaces, or incorrect code. Heading to errors that can take your site offline or generate specific error messages. To ensure accuracy, review the code for any typos or misplaced characters. Using a code editor that supports syntax highlighting can also help you identify mistakes instantly.

If you’ve exhausted all troubleshooting steps but are still facing issues with your website, it’s time to contact your hosting provider. Hosting providers have access to server logs and deeper server settings, which can be crucial in diagnosing and resolving problems that go beyond WordPress configuration tweaks.

Reducing the impact of errors in the future

Encountering errors like “This site is experiencing technical difficulties” can significantly disrupt your site’s functionality. However, by implementing some proactive measures, you can minimize the impact.

1. Take regular backups: Regularly backing up your website site is one of the most critical steps in safeguarding your content and configuration settings. Using a reliable plugin like BlogVault, you can automate this process. This ensures that you always have a recent version of your site to restore in the event of a problem. Such backups are invaluable for quickly reversing changes without major disruption.
2. Test changes first: A test site is a replica of your live site, designed for testing changes safely. By experimenting on a staging site, you can identify and resolve issues without affecting your live audience, ensuring stability when updates go public. This step is vital to avoid downtime and user disruption caused by untested code or configurations.

Final Thoughts

Encountering errors that lead to site downtime can be disruptive, but taking proactive measures can significantly mitigate their impact. Start by restoring a WordPress backup to bring your site back online. Additionally, using a staging site for troubleshooting ensures that potential fixes do not affect the live site. This allows you to solve problems safely and effectively. These strategies help maintain site integrity and minimize downtime. 

FAQs

What is the “Site is facing difficulties” error? 

The “Site is facing difficulties” error in WordPress indicates there is a problem preventing the site from functioning correctly. This message often appears when WordPress encounters significant issues, such as plugin or theme conflicts, PHP errors, or resource limitations, that disrupt the normal operation of the site.

How do you fix the site that is experiencing technical difficulties?

To fix this error, start by restoring a recent backup if immediate access is needed. Then, troubleshoot the issue by disabling all plugins and switching to a default theme to identify any conflicts. Check your site’s PHP memory limit and increase it if necessary. Review recent changes or updates that might have triggered the issue and adjust accordingly. Using a staging site for these steps ensures the live site remains unaffected while you resolve the problem.

What causes technical difficulties? 

Technical difficulties in WordPress can stem from various sources, including:

• Plugin or theme conflicts
• Outdated or incompatible PHP versions
• Server resource limitations (e.g., memory or execution time)
• Database connection issues
• Syntax errors in edited files

What to do if a site crashes? 

If your site crashes, first, assess the situation calmly. Restore a backup to get your site back online quickly. Use tools like BlogVault’s emergency connector if you can’t access the site normally. After restoring, begin diagnosing the cause by checking for recent changes, reviewing server logs, and testing in a staging environment. Contact your hosting provider for support if the issue persists beyond basic troubleshooting steps.

How to troubleshoot WP errors? 

To troubleshoot WordPress errors effectively, begin by enabling WordPress debugging to capture error logs. Check for recent changes, such as plugin updates or theme modifications that may have caused the issue. Systematically disable plugins and switch to a default theme to isolate conflicts. Verify database connections and configurations in the wp-config.php file.