How to debug an issue

Encountering a WordPress error like “There has been a critical error on this website”, a 500 server error, or a website not loading can be frustrating. These errors are often isolated to the WordPress site itself and usually result from a PHP error in a plugin or theme, not the hosting account. This guide will help you diagnose and resolve such issues effectively.

Understanding Common Errors

• 503 Server Error: If you receive a 503 error, refer to our 503 Error Guide.
• 500 Server Error: This typically indicates a lack of memory issue. See our 500 Error Guide.
• Critical Error: This relates to a PHP error in a plugin or theme.

How to Enable Staq Debug Tool

The Staq Debug Tool is your first step in diagnosing WordPress issues. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Staq Panel of the affected website.
2. Go to Advanced and click Debug:

3. Click Enable Debug in the top-right corner:

4. Go to the page showing the critical error and refresh the page to generate a log.
5. Navigate to the WordPress tab and click Refresh to display any errors:

Diagnosing Errors

Review the debug log to identify the source of the issue, which is often:

• A specific plugin
• A theme or child theme

Resolving Plugin Issues

• Update the plugin to the latest version.
• Ensure related plugins (e.g., Elementor or WooCommerce add-ons) are also updated.
• If this fails, disable the plugin
  • if this isn’t an option, perhaps you need to downgrade PHP version to our lowest version which is 7.4 if it’s on PHP version 8.x

Resolving Theme Issues

• Update the theme to the latest version.
• Fix any errors in the child theme or theme files based on the debug log.
• If this fails, perhaps you need to downgrade PHP version to our lowest version which is 7.4 if it’s on PHP version 8.x.

Critical Error Message

If you see the message “There has been a critical error on this website,” it indicates a PHP error in a plugin or theme. Use the steps above on how to enable the Staq Debug tool to diagnose the issue.

Please note to generate the error message inside the logs, do the following:

1. go to the page that shows “There has been a critical error on this website” and refresh the page
2. Go back to the Debug screen inside the Staq interface and under the WordPress tab, click Refresh to reveal the issue.
3. Read the output of the error. If you do not understand it, copy/paste the error log into ChatGPT and ask it to explain it in plain English.

The the error shows the Staq MU-Plugin

If the Debug tool reveals that it’s the Staq mu-plugin is the cause, please open a ticket with our support team to investigate.

How to Disable the Staq Debug Tool

It is important that once you’ve finished diagnosing the issue to disable the WP debug and logging tool. To do so, go back to Staq Panel > Debug and click Disable WP_DEBUG:

Slow Website – Query Tools

Query Slow Database

If you need to perform a query and database execution diagnostic, please check out this guide on how to perform a query and database query diagnostic.

Query Slow Plugins/Themes

If you wish to perform a diagnostic to see which plugin/theme is causing a slow website, please check out this guide on how to use Query Monitor plugin.

Troubleshooting Additional Issues

What If the Debug Log Shows No Errors?

• Disable all plugins, then enable them one by one to identify the problematic plugin.

PHP Compatibility

If the issue persists, verify that all plugins and themes are compatible with the PHP version running on your server. Follow this guide: PHP 8 Compatibility Testing. Please note that this is a guide only. You may need to downgrade to PHP7.4 to verify if the problem persists.

Accessing the Backend

If you cannot access the backend, follow this guide: Reclaim Access to WordPress Backend.

Other Server Errors

See these guides for other server errors:

• 403 Error
• 500 Error
• 502 Error
• 503 Error
• 504 Error
• 520 Error
• 521 Error
• 1000 Error