WordPress Site Is Down: Here’s How To Quickly Revive It

Your WordPress site is down, and you can’t help but refresh the page over and over again, hoping it will reappear, but nothing changes. Visitors can’t access your content, and you’re worried about losing valuable traffic or potential revenue.

This situation is more than just frustrating; it affects how reliable your site appears to others. Naturally, you want a simple answer, and you want it now.

Here’s the good news: we’ve been in your shoes and know exactly how it feels. We’ve pulled together some tried-and-true fixes that have worked for us, and we’ll show you how to get your site back online quickly.

TL;DR: A WordPress site can experience downtime due to factors like server troubles, domain issues, or conflicts with plugins. Be careful when making changes to core files—always backup your entire site first to avoid data loss during troubleshooting.

Reasons why your WordPress site is down

Understanding why your WordPress site is down helps you grasp the context and specific issues at hand. Here are common reasons your site might be offline. Knowing these can guide you to apply the right fix:

1. Hosting server issues  

Your hosting server might be temporarily offline due to scheduled maintenance to keep things running smoothly. At times, unexpected repairs or software updates might be necessary, leading to brief outages. In the event of a security threat, such as a cyber attack, your host may take the servers offline to protect all the sites they manage, resulting in unplanned downtime.

2. Your domain has expired or been hijacked:  

Every website is linked to a domain, like example.com, and if it’s expired or not properly configured, visitors won’t be able to reach your site. In some unfortunate cases, your domain might even be hijacked, meaning it falls into the control of someone else, causing significant access issues.

3. Traffic surges:  

A sudden increase in visitors could exceed the capabilities of your current hosting plan, surpassing resource limits and causing your site to go offline.

4. Plugin and theme conflicts:  

Outdated or incompatible plugins and themes can lead to errors and downtime for your site. Furthermore, an excess of plugins can burden your server, resulting in slowdowns and potential crashes.

5. Custom code errors:  

Errors in the custom code you’ve added can conflict with WordPress files or plugins. This conflict can cause your site to go offline.

6. Security vulnerabilities:  

Without strong security measures, your site is vulnerable to hacks and malware, which can disrupt functionality and lead to downtime. Easy-to-guess passwords and the absence of two-factor authentication increase the risk of unauthorized access.

7. Broken permalinks:  

Configuration errors or broken permalinks, especially after relocating your site, can prevent pages from loading correctly. 

Fixes to get your site back up

You can often get your site back online with a few simple steps. Here’s a guide to help you address the issues directly:

Check if your site is down  

Before diving into complex solutions, ensure your site is truly down for everyone or just you. Use tools like Is It Down Right Now to check. This helps identify if it’s a server issue or just a local problem on your end.

Check the hosting provider status  

Visit your host’s status page or contact their support to see if there are any ongoing server problems. If it’s a server issue, you can save time by avoiding unnecessary troubleshooting on your part.

Verify domain validity  

Confirm that your domain registration is current and that DNS settings are correct. An expired domain or incorrect DNS can prevent worldwide access to your site, so correcting these is crucial.

Upgrade your hosting plan  

If your site is overwhelmed by high traffic, it might be time to upgrade your hosting package. Increased bandwidth and enhanced performance will enable your server to manage the additional traffic smoothly, keeping your site online.

Update plugins and themes  

Outdated plugins and themes can lead to compatibility problems. Keeping them updated not only fixes bugs but also improves security. If you can access your dashboard, update them directly there. If not, use FTP to upload the most recent versions by downloading them from the WordPress repository.

Deactivate or delete plugins  

Conflicting plugins can often cause problems. If you can access the dashboard, try deactivating all plugins and then reactivating them one by one to identify the troublemaker. If you lack dashboard access, use FTP to disable plugins by renaming their folders. To reactivate them, simply revert the folder names to their original state.

Switch to a default theme  

Custom themes can sometimes conflict with updates. To check if your theme is the problem, switch to a default theme via your dashboard; if that’s not possible, use FTP by renaming the current theme’s folder.

Review WordPress and PHP versions  

Check if your WordPress and PHP are updated. Compatibility issues arise from outdated versions. Replace outdated files but avoid overwriting your wp-content folder. Change your PHP version through your web host dashboard.

Check database connection  

Ensure the database credentials in your wp-config.php file are accurate. A misconfiguration can lead to an error in establishing a database connection, preventing your site from loading. Correcting these credentials will help restore access to your site’s data.

Get a security plugin

Install a security plugin to scan your site for malware. Protecting against malicious threats ensures site integrity and functionality.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Adding 2FA strengthens security, making unauthorized access much harder.

Limit website access

Restrict admin and key directories to prevent unauthorized changes that cause downtime.

Install a firewall  

A firewall blocks harmful traffic and protects against attacks, stopping sudden spikes and shielding against DDoS attacks.

Install a CDN  

A CDN spreads content over multiple servers, boosting speed and reliability while easing loads on your main server.

Increase memory limit  

Running out of memory can cause downtime. Boost the limit in your wp-config.php file. Add this line of code just before the line that says “That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing.” 

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); 

You can adjust this based on your needs and the host’s recommendations.

Fix broken permalinks

Fixing broken permalinks can be achieved by taking a few steps: reset the permalinks in your wp-admin dashboard, disable any conflicting plugins, ensure your links adhere to SSL standards, and regenerate your .htaccess file.

Restore from backup  

If all else fails, restoring your site from a backup can return your site to a stable, previous state without errors.

How to prevent future downtime for your WordPress site

Keeping your WordPress site running well is easy with a few simple steps. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Choose a reliable hosting provider: Select a hosting provider known for reliable server performance. A good host will help ensure your site stays online, reducing the chance of server-related hiccups.

2. Take backups of your site: Use a WordPress backup plugin. Think of it as your site’s safety net. Regularly back up your site’s content and database so you can quickly recover from any issues and keep everything running smoothly.

3. Optimize database and site performance: Boost your site’s speed by optimizing your database and performance. This means cleaning up old data, using caching for faster load times, and compressing images to prevent slowdowns.

4. Monitor website uptime: Keep an eye on your site’s uptime with monitoring tools. They provide real-time alerts if your site goes down, allowing you to fix problems quickly and maintain availability.

5. Limit login attempts: Strengthen security by limiting login attempts. This prevents hackers from repeatedly trying to access your site, protecting it from unauthorized intrusion.

6. Conduct routine site audits: Regularly check your site’s health with audits. These WordPress site audits help you spot performance issues or security vulnerabilities before they turn into major problems.

Parting thoughts

You can handle WordPress downtime by knowing its common causes and applying the right fixes. Make sure to update your plugins, themes, and WordPress core. Enhance your security practices, and choose reliable hosting to prevent future issues. 

Regularly monitor and optimize your site’s performance to ensure it stays strong and accessible to everyone.

FAQs

What to do when a WordPress website is down?  

When your WordPress site is down, first check if it’s really down for everyone or just you. Use tools like Is It Down Right Now to find out. If it’s down for everyone, look into server issues with your hosting provider or check for expired domains.

Can I get my WordPress site back?  

Yes, you can get your WordPress site back. Start by identifying the problem, like checking plugins, theme issues, or hosting problems, and applying fixes. Backup is key, so always have a recent copy to restore if needed.

How do I fix my website crash?  

To fix a website crash, first check your hosting server status, deactivate plugins, and verify database connections. If these steps fail, run a malware scan, restore from a backup, or contact your hosting provider’s support team. Quick, systematic troubleshooting can help you identify and resolve the underlying issues causing your site to go offline.

What happens when a site is down?  

When a site is down, visitors can’t access its content, which can cause frustration and potential loss of users. It often results from server problems, software glitches, or security breaches that need resolving.

How do I access a website that is down?  

If a website is down, try refreshing the page, clearing your browser cache, or using a different browser. Sometimes checking from another device or network can help you see if the issue is local to your setup.