How to Check Error Logs in WordPress?
Error logs are your first line of defense when something goes wrong on your WordPress site. They provide detailed information about what caused an issue, such as:
Plugin or theme conflicts
PHP errors
Database connection problems
Server-related issues
Without error logs, diagnosing problems can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. By enabling and reviewing error logs, you can pinpoint the root cause of issues and fix them efficiently.
1. Enable Debugging in WordPress:
WordPress has a built-in debugging feature that logs error to a file. To enable it:
Access Your wp-config.php
File: Use FTP, your hosting file manager, or SSH to locate the wp-config.php
file in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
Enable Debugging: Open the file and look for the line:
define('WP_DEBUG', false);
Replace it with:
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
WP_DEBUG
: Turns on debugging mode.WP_DEBUG_LOG:
Saves errors to a log file (wp-content/debug.log
).WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY:
Prevents error from being shown to visitors.
Save the Changes: Save the wp-config.php
file and upload it back to your server if necessary.
2. Locate the Debug Log File: Once debugging is enabled, WordPress will start logging errors to a file called debug.log
in the wp-content
directory.