Activate WordPress debug mode

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June 6, 2024

WordPress is a versatile and user-friendly content management system (CMS) that is used by millions of people worldwide. But sometimes problems can arise when creating or managing a website. This is exactly where the WordPress debug mode into play. In this article, we explain what this mode is, why it is important and how you can activate and use it.

Activate WordPress debug mode

What is the WordPress debug mode?

Debug mode is a function that helps developers and website operators, Error and Problems in your WordPress installation to identify and fix them. When this mode is activated, WordPress displays detailed error messages that normally remain hidden. This information can help to find the cause of problems and develop appropriate solutions.

Why is the debug mode important?

Activating debug mode is particularly helpful in the following situations:

Troubleshooting:

If your website does not work as expected, the detailed error messages give an indication of the cause of the problem.

Development:

Developers use the debug mode to ensure that their themes and plugins are are error-freebefore they are published.

Performance optimization:

By identifying warnings and errors, you can make your website optimize and minimize potential security risks.

Activate WordPress debug mode

Activate WordPress debug mode

Enabling debug mode is a simple process, but it does require some technical knowledge. Here are some steps to enable debug mode in your WordPress installation:

Access to the wp-config.php file

  • The file is located in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
  • You can access it via an FTP client or the file management tool of your hosting provider.

Changing the configuration

  • Open the wp-config.php file in a text editor.
  • Search for the line define('WP_DEBUG', false);
  • Change this line to  define('WP_DEBUG', true);

Additional debugging options

To obtain even more detailed information, you can add further lines.

  • Add the following under the line define('WP_DEBUG', true); another one, with the following content:
  • define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
  • The error messages are now displayed in a LOG file saved.
  • With the additional line define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true); or define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);which you can also use below, you can specify whether the WordPress debug messages should be output via HTML (true) or not (false).

How to use the debug mode effectively?

Once you have activated debug mode, you should proceed as follows to use it effectively.

Check error messages

Visit your WordPress website and navigate to the pages where you are experiencing problems. Make a note of the error messages displayed or open the file debug.log in the directory wp-contentto read more detailed error logs.

Analyze problems

Use the information from the error messages to determine the cause of the problems. to identify. Search online for the error messages to find possible solutions or contact your hosting provider.

Correct error

As soon as you have identified the cause of the problem, you can Take actionto fix it. This can include deactivating plugins, updating themes or editing code.

Deactivate debug mode

After you have carried out the necessary troubleshooting, you should return to debug mode. have deactivatedto ensure the security and performance of your website. To do this, change the line define('WP_DEBUG', true);  in the wp-config.php File again in define('WP_DEBUG', false);.

Activate WordPress debug mode

Conclusion

The WordPress debug mode can help you to identify problems on your website. quickly and effectively and fix them. By activating this mode, you will gain valuable insights into the functioning of your website, which can help you to ensure a stable and secure online presence. Use the debug mode Responsible and only switch it on when necessary to achieve the best results.

 

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