WordPress error fixing

What does the WordPress error fixing service cover?

WordPress error fixing is for when your site won’t load, shows an error message or has a part that has stopped working. I find the source of the problem and fix it for good. It doesn’t matter who built the site. I work with business owners whose site has broken, people whose project was left unfinished and agencies looking for help with a client’s site.

The service includes diagnosis, a backup taken before any work starts, the repair, testing and a written explanation. In it, I explain what broke, what I changed and what can be done to keep the same problem from coming back.

Communication happens in writing: WhatsApp, email or the contact form. I send my first reply within one business day. In an emergency, writing has another benefit: there’s a record of which access was shared, which step was approved and what changed. My About page explains why I work in writing.

The price depends on the scope of the problem. You can describe it briefly in the free quote form, and I’ll get back to you within one business day. I confirm the exact scope, timeline and price after a short initial review and a quick exchange of messages. I don’t start any repair without your approval.

The errors I handle

• “There has been a critical error on this website”: This usually comes from a plugin or theme conflict, an incompatible PHP version or not enough memory. When it happens, WordPress sends a recovery link to the admin email address. But if someone else set up the site, nobody may be reading that inbox anymore. And if the site can’t send email, the link never arrives.
• White screen: A blank page with no message at all, often called the “white screen of death.” There’s usually a PHP or database error behind it, and once again, plugins and themes are the most common cause.
• 500 error (Internal Server Error): The most likely cause is a corrupted server configuration file (.htaccess). Plugins, the theme, not enough memory or corrupted WordPress files can also cause it.
• 503 and “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance”: This usually comes from a maintenance file left behind after an update that didn’t finish properly. WordPress ignores this file on its own after 10 minutes, so if the screen stays up longer, the file probably isn’t the only cause. If the update was cut off halfway, some files may also be missing, so removing the message alone isn’t enough.
• “Error establishing a database connection”: The cause may be wrong connection details, a problem on the hosting side or a hacked site. This message alone doesn’t mean your data has been deleted.
• Layout broken after an update: The cause is often that a page builder like Elementor hasn’t regenerated its design files, or that old files are stuck in the cache. Sometimes there’s an incompatibility between the theme and a plugin.
• A form that doesn’t send email, or whose email lands in spam: Your domain may be missing email authentication records (SPF, DKIM), or the site may be sending email through the server’s default method. Then services like Gmail may send those messages to spam or reject them. The lasting fix is usually to send email through an authenticated SMTP account.
• A checkout page that doesn’t work: On WooCommerce e-commerce websites, a known cause is the cart and checkout pages being cached by mistake. Errors in the payment plugin can also stop orders from coming through.
• Signs of a hack: Admin users you don’t recognize, pages you didn’t add, a “This site may be hacked” warning on Google or your hosting company suspending your site.

If your problem isn’t on this list, write to me anyway. Just describe what you see on the screen.

How I fix WordPress errors

1. I do a short initial review. I try to see the error for myself and find out when it started and what changed last.
2. I send you the scope and price. I tell you in writing what I found, what I’ll do and what it costs. I don’t start the repair until you approve.
3. Backup comes first. Before touching anything, I take a full copy of the files and the database.
4. I find the source of the problem. I go through the server and WordPress log files. I don’t show errors to your visitors. If needed, I keep a temporary log and delete it when the job is done. If something unexpected turns up, I write to you before going any further.
5. When possible, I try the fix on a copy first. Then I apply the change that works to the live site. Because I don’t overwrite the live site with the whole copy, orders and form entries that come in during that time aren’t lost. Some jobs can only be done on the live site, though, such as server settings, payment provider notifications, email delivery or cleaning up a hacked site. I tell you about these in writing beforehand and go ahead with your approval.
6. I test. I check that the problem is gone and that nothing else broke: forms, checkout steps, the mobile view.
7. I send a written explanation. I sum up everything I did, plus my recommendations, in plain language.

What to send when you write to me

If you include these in your first message, I can assess the problem faster:

• Your site’s address
• The text of the error message on the screen, or a screenshot
• When the problem started
• The last change made: an update, a new plugin or a hosting change
• Whether you have a recent backup

Don’t send login details in your first message. I’ll tell you separately which access I need and when. For WordPress, instead of sharing your own password, I recommend creating a separate admin account for me that you can delete when the work is done. If you can’t create a separate account for the hosting panel or file access (SFTP), just change your passwords once the work is finished.

What to avoid until help arrives

• Don’t delete plugins at random from the dashboard. Deleting a plugin can also wipe out its settings and data.
• Don’t try reinstalling WordPress from the dashboard. On a hacked site, this can leave the malicious files in place.
• Stop before restoring your store from a backup. Orders and customer records that came in after the backup could be lost. A restore done by your hosting company may not remove the source of the problem either.
• Don’t turn on debug mode on the live site to show errors on screen. Your visitors would see that information too.

Hacked WordPress sites

On a hacked site, I first document the situation. Then I clean it up, replace the core files with clean copies and look for how the attacker got in. The hosting panel, SFTP, database and admin passwords all get changed, and every open session is logged out.

After the cleanup, a review is requested in Search Console to get Google’s warning removed. If your site holds customer, order or form data, you may be required to notify your data protection authority of the breach. Under the EU’s GDPR and Türkiye’s data protection law (KVKK), for example, this has to happen without undue delay and no later than 72 hours after you become aware of the breach. I have a master’s degree in IT law, so I make a point of mentioning this step. But this isn’t legal advice. The decision to report, and the responsibility for it, are yours.

A cleanup doesn’t mean the site can never be hacked again.

Unfinished sites and sites built by someone else

I also work on sites that someone else built. But I don’t promise to finish an unfinished project before I’ve seen it. What matters is the state it’s in today, not why it was left unfinished. So I start with a handover review:

• Whose name are the domain and hosting registered in, and do you have the logins?
• Whose account holds the theme and plugin licenses?
• Are there any nulled (pirated) themes or plugins? These are a common source of malware.
• Are the WordPress and PHP versions up to date?
• What’s finished, what’s missing, and does it make sense to build on what’s already there?

I prepare the scope and quote after this review. I also do the same work white-label for agencies.

One-time repair or regular maintenance?

Error fixing is a one-time WordPress support service. It solves today’s problem. What lowers the risk of the same problem coming back is regular updates, backups and security monitoring. Promptly upgrading a PHP version that’s no longer supported is also part of regular maintenance. If you’d like me to handle all this for you, take a look at the WordPress maintenance service page.

If your site is slow to load, see the WordPress speed optimization page. If you want to change hosts, see the WordPress site migration page.