Common WordPress Problems: 10 Fixes to Speed Up, Secure & Fix Your Site

Start Reading

10 Common WordPress Problems (and How to Fix Them)

Building a WordPress website can be exciting… until you run into the same problems everyone else does. If you’ve found yourself frantically Googling for answers, you’re not alone. Here are the most common issues people face when working with WordPress – and the fixes that can save you hours of frustration.

1. White Screen of Death

A blank page usually means a plugin or theme conflict. Disable plugins one by one via FTP or your hosting panel, then switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to isolate the issue.

2. Slow Website Speed

WordPress sites can crawl if they’re not optimised. Use caching plugins, compress images, and choose lightweight themes. Test your speed on Google PageSpeed Insights.

3. Broken Permalinks

If your pages suddenly throw 404 errors, head to Settings → Permalinks and hit save. This refreshes WordPress rewrite rules and usually fixes the problem.

4. Plugin Compatibility Issues

After an update, a plugin can break your site. Always update one at a time and keep backups. If things go wrong, roll back using a backup or a version control plugin.

5. SSL Certificate Problems

Seeing “Not Secure” in your browser? Install an SSL certificate (most hosts provide free Let’s Encrypt). Then use a plugin like Really Simple SSL to handle redirects.

6. WordPress Keeps Logging Me Out

This usually points to a cookie or URL mismatch. Make sure your WordPress Address and Site Address match in Settings → General.

7. Memory Exhausted Error

When WordPress runs out of memory, add this line to your wp-config.php file:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

8. Too Many Plugins

Installing dozens of plugins slows your site and increases conflicts. Stick to essentials: caching, security, SEO, backups, and forms.

9. Removing “Powered by WordPress”

Most themes allow this in the Customiser or footer.php file. Replace it with your own branding for a professional look.

10. Security and Hacked Sites

WordPress is a target for hackers. Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and a security plugin. Always keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated.

Conclusion

These are the problems people Google most when building WordPress websites – but the good news is they’re all solvable. If you’d rather skip the trial-and-error and focus on growing your business, our WordPress maintenance services can handle it for you.