WordPress problems
White screens, plugin breaks, and login problems. Start with the free guide that matches your situation.
"Sorry, You Are Not Allowed to Upload This File Type" in WordPress
WordPress rejects a file with "Sorry, you are not allowed to upload this file type" or "Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons" — it does not recognise the file as one of its allowed types.
Read the guide"The Link You Followed Has Expired" in WordPress
WordPress shows a bare page saying "The link you followed has expired. Please try again." — usually when installing a theme or plugin that is too big for the server, sometimes because a form or login session went stale.
Read the guide"The Uploaded File Exceeds the upload_max_filesize Directive"
WordPress refuses a file with "The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini" or a 413 Request Entity Too Large error — the file is bigger than your server is set to accept.
Read the guide"There Has Been a Critical Error on This Website" caution
WordPress shows a bare white page saying "There has been a critical error on this website" — often with a line about checking your admin email inbox.
Read the guideChanged WordPress Site URL and Now Locked Out caution
You changed the WordPress Address or Site Address in Settings, clicked save, and the site broke or the login page vanished. The setting is stored in the database, so it has to be put back from outside WordPress.
Read the guideElementor Editor Not Loading
You click Edit with Elementor and the editor never arrives — a spinner runs forever or a grey screen sits there — while the live site itself looks perfectly fine.
Read the guideHow to Repair a Broken WordPress Site
Your WordPress site is broken — errors, a blank page, weird behavior, or a mess after updates — and you need a sensible order of operations, not fifty conflicting forum posts.
Read the guidePage-Builder Codes Like [et_pb_section] Showing as Text
Your pages show raw codes like [et_pb_section], [et_pb_row], and [et_pb_text] instead of your normal design. Your content is not lost — the builder that assembles it just isn't running.
Read the guideUpdating Failed: The Response Is Not a Valid JSON Response
You click Update or Publish in WordPress and get "Updating failed. The response is not a valid JSON response." Your content is usually fine — the editor asked your site to save it and got back something other than the answer it expected.
Read the guideWebsite Shows a Database Connection Error caution
Your site shows "Error establishing a database connection" instead of your pages — the site's code is running fine, but it can't reach the database where all your content lives.
Read the guideWhat WordPress Repair Costs (And When It's Worth Paying)
Your WordPress site is broken and someone wants money to fix it. Here is what the work actually involves, what the common jobs tend to cost, and how to tell a fair quote from a bad one.
Read the guideWordPress "Allowed Memory Size Exhausted" Error
The site (or just the admin area) shows "Fatal error: Allowed memory size of … bytes exhausted" — WordPress ran out of the memory your hosting allows it.
Read the guideWordPress "Missed Schedule": Scheduled Posts Not Publishing
You scheduled a post in WordPress, the time came and went, and the post list now says "Missed schedule" instead of published. The post is fine — WordPress's built-in task scheduler, WP-Cron, simply did not run on time.
Read the guideWordPress Admin Login Not Working
You can't get into your WordPress dashboard — /wp-admin rejects your password, resets never arrive, or the login page just loops back at you.
Read the guideWordPress Asking for FTP Credentials to Update Plugins
You click Update or Install and WordPress shows a "Connection Information" box asking for FTP details. It is not a hack or a broken site — WordPress simply does not have permission to write its own files.
Read the guideWordPress Block Editor Not Loading or Blank Screen
You open a post or page to edit it and get a blank white screen, an endless spinner, or "The editor has encountered an unexpected error." The content is usually safe — something is stopping the editor's code from running.
Read the guideWordPress HTTP Error When Uploading Images
You drag a photo into the WordPress media library, the progress bar runs, and then a red "HTTP error" appears with no further explanation — the upload simply fails.
Read the guideWordPress Media Library Not Loading or Stuck Spinning
You open Media in WordPress and the library never fills in — the spinner keeps turning, the grid stays empty, or thumbnails show as grey boxes. Your images are almost always still there; something is stopping the library from displaying them.
Read the guideWordPress Plugin Update Broke the Site
Your site or a key feature stopped working right after updating WordPress, a plugin, or your theme — the timing is your best clue, and most of these fixes are reversible.
Read the guideWordPress Posts and Pages Returning 404 (Homepage Works)
Your homepage loads fine, but every post or page gives "Page not found". The content is still there — WordPress has usually just lost the rules that turn pretty web addresses into the right page.
Read the guideWordPress Site Hacked — How to Clean It Up caution
Your WordPress site is showing spam pages, redirecting visitors to scam sites, or your host has flagged malware — someone else has code running on your site.
Read the guideWordPress Site Health "Should Be Improved": Critical Issues Explained
Your WordPress dashboard says Site Health status "Should be improved" and lists critical issues. Some of those items genuinely matter; others are advice you can safely ignore on a small business site.
Read the guideWordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode
Your site shows "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute." — and the minute never ends. One leftover file is holding the whole site hostage, and deleting it is the fix.
Read the guideWordPress White Screen
Your WordPress site (or its admin area) shows a blank white page — no content, no error, no clue. The clue exists; it's just hidden in the error log.
Read the guideWordPress: "Sorry, You Are Not Allowed to Access This Page"
You log in to WordPress and get "Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page" instead of your dashboard or a settings screen. WordPress is saying your account lacks permission, and the reason is usually fixable.
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