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74 articles
- Explainers
WordPress maintenance mode plugins and when to use one
A WordPress maintenance mode plugin puts up a holding page that stays until you switch it off. Core WordPress has its own maintenance screen, which it creates during updates. The two work separately and need different fixes. Choose a plugin for the job you have, then check the HTTP status visitors get as well as the page they see.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Troubleshooting
Fix WordPress permalinks that are not working
When WordPress permalinks stop working, either WordPress’s stored rewrite rules are stale or the web server never passes the request to WordPress. Saving Settings → Permalinks fixes the first case in seconds. It does nothing for the second, and changing your URL structure to make the 404s go away usually creates a bigger problem.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Explainers
503 response code on WordPress and what it means
A 503 response code means a server is temporarily refusing requests. It doesn’t tell you which server or why. On WordPress the same code can come from core during an update, a maintenance plugin, exhausted PHP workers, a firewall rule or a CDN passing on an error, so read the headers and the scope before you change anything.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - How-to Tutorials
CSS media queries for mobile on WordPress
A mobile media query checks the width of the browser viewport. It does not detect phones, and no breakpoint is the official mobile one. On WordPress the query itself rarely fails. The usual problem is cached CSS, a builder setting, a selector that loses, or CSS pasted into the wrong field.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Troubleshooting
How to fix WordPress issues without guessing
Most WordPress problems end up on the same few screens: a critical error, a blank page, a 500, a spinner that never stops. The screen tells you something broke. It doesn’t tell you which layer broke, and the fix depends on finding that out from the logs and testing one change at a time.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - How-to Tutorials
How to restore a WordPress site from backup
A WordPress restore puts back two things together: the files and the database, both from the same moment. It also wipes out everything that happened after that moment. So before you click Restore, check what the backup actually contains and save anything newer, and after it finishes, check the site before you trust the “complete” message.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Troubleshooting
Why WordPress is not loading and how to fix it
“WordPress not loading” describes a symptom. It doesn’t tell you the cause. A blank page, a database error, a redirect loop and a domain that won’t resolve each fail in a different place, so each needs a different fix. Work from the outside in: first check who can see the failure, then read the exact message, then the logs. Change something only after that.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Troubleshooting
Why WordPress updating failed and how to fix it
“Updating failed” is the name of two different problems: the block editor could not save a post, or WordPress could not install a core, plugin or theme update. Find out which one you have and read the exact error before you change anything. Most fixes are small. Most of the damage comes from the wrong fix.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - How-to Tutorials
How to add password protection to a website
WordPress has no single switch that password-protects a whole website. The built-in setting covers one post or page, a whole-site lock needs a plugin or your host’s password tool, and uploaded files usually stay public unless you protect them at the server. Pick the method that matches what you are protecting, then test it logged out with caching in mind.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Explainers
How a 301 permanent redirect affects SEO
A 301 tells Google a URL has moved for good. Google says the redirect itself costs no PageRank. Traffic drops after a URL change usually come from how the redirects were done: old URLs nobody redirected, redirects that send visitors to the wrong page, and rules that chain or loop.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Explainers
Do you need a WordPress landing page builder?
On WordPress, a landing page builder is a choice between four kinds of tools, and for a single campaign page the block editor you already have is often enough. Whichever builder you pick, it will matter less than what happens after you publish: the Reading setting, caches, store pages, indexing, and who keeps the page up to date.
· SiteSelf
Read article › - Troubleshooting
WordPress page not updating? How to find the cause
When a WordPress page won’t update, the edit has usually saved and a cache is still serving the old copy. WordPress core has no page cache of its own, so the purge buttons live in your caching plugin, your host panel, your CDN and your page builder. Clearing one of them while another keeps the old copy is the most common reason the fix doesn’t work.
· SiteSelf
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