WordPress Not Working: Post-Migration Troubleshooting

After migrating your site, you may find WordPress not working as it should. Identifying and fixing these problems can be frustrating, especially if you are new to WordPress Hosting and the migration process. This article will help you better understand the common issues, what causes them, and how to troubleshoot them to get your site back online as quickly and efficiently as possible. We’ll also show how you can prevent these issues from potentially happening as well as best practices to follow post-migration.

Common WordPress Not Working Post-Migration Issues

When migrating a WordPress site to a new hosting provider, several issues can occur that affect your website’s functionality, availability, user experience, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ranking. Here is our step-by-step guide to understanding these problems and the most common reasons they happen so you can recognize and fix them quickly.

White Screen of Death

The dreaded WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) appears as a completely blank page. While it doesn’t provide specific error messages, it often indicates underlying issues such as:

• PHP memory limits on your hosting plan are being hit causing scripts to exceed maximum execution times.
• Incompatible PHP versions between the old and new servers lead to unexpected behavior and fatal errors.
• WordPress plugin or theme files corrupted during the migration process can prevent WordPress from loading correctly.
• Critical PHP errors in core WordPress configuration files like functions.php or wp-config.php.

Check the functions.php and wp-config.php for syntax errors or incorrect settings and use a comparison tool to identify and repair corrupted files. Finally, check server error logs for messages that can provide clues about the root cause.

Database Connection Errors

Database connection errors are a common challenge during migrations caused by WordPress not being able to access its database. They display an “Error establishing a database connection” message. Common causes include:

• Mismatched credentials (usernames, passwords, or database names) between wp-config.php and the actual database settings
• Database server configurations like firewall rules, IP restrictions, or other server-side settings can block your new hosting environment from making a connection.
• Incomplete or corrupted database tables from bad transfers can lead to connection failures.
• Incorrect database hostname specifications in the wp-config.php file.

Troubleshooting database connection errors involves verifying the database credentials in your wp-config.php file are correct. This includes the database name, username, password, and hostname and update them accordingly. You will get a message sent to your WordPress admin email address to confirm these changes.

Check the database server in your new WordPress hosting environment is accessible and not being prevented from connecting to your site. Consult your web host’s support team if necessary.

Use tools like phpMyAdmin, usually found in your hosting control panel or WordPress dashboard, to repair any corrupted database tables.n your hosting control panel or WordPress dashboard, to repair any corrupted database tables.

404 Errors

404 errors occur when a user tries to request or access a page on your WordPress site that doesn’t exist or can’t be found even though the content exists in the database. This can happen for the following reasons:

• Permalink structure mismatches between the old and new servers can cause 404 errors.
• Corrupted or improperly transferred .htaccess files can disrupt URL rewriting.
• Incorrect URL configurations, especially after a domain name migration or hosting server change, don’t match the new location.
• Server-side rewrite rules, often managed by the .htaccess file, for correct URL handling, are disabled or misconfigured.

To resolve 404 errors first check your permalink structure on the new server matches the old one. You can adjust this in the WordPress admin dashboard under “Settings”. Double-check your website’s URLs, especially after domain migrations or server changes.

A redirection plugin can help redirect your old URLs to the new ones, preventing 404 errors. If the .htaccess file is corrupted, you can try repairing it or replacing it with a new file and ensuring that server-side rewrite rules are enabled and configured correctly.s. If the .htaccess file is corrupted, you can try repairing it or replacing it with a new file and ensuring that server-side rewrite rules are enabled and configured correctly.

Broken Links

Broken internal links can harm your website’s user experience and SEO during migration as they still point to the old site location. Common causes of broken links after a migration include:

• Hardcoded URLs in the database and content, such as image links or external links, can become broken if the source URL changes.
• If the site URL in WordPress settings doesn’t match the actual domain name, internal links can break.
• Incorrect or missing file paths resulting from different server directory structures can lead to broken image links and other media files.
• Database serialization issues, often caused by incorrect PHP version compatibility, can corrupt data and break links.
• Faulty URL search and replacement during the migration can break links by replacing incorrect strings.

To help prevent and fix broken links use relative URLs for internal links to avoid issues during migration and that your site URL and WordPress address settings are correct. Update PHP to a compatible version and use appropriate tools to repair the database.

Test your live site thoroughly after the migration and use a link checker tool to identify and fix broken links and verify media attachment paths automatically. the migration and use a link checker tool to identify and fix broken links and verify media attachment paths automatically.

Theme and Plugin Conflicts

One of the more common issues encountered by WordPress users during migrations is compatibility issues with themes and plugins. This can lead to various problems, including certain features or functionalities not working due to:

• Server incompatibilities like differences in WordPress versions, required extensions, or server-side configurations between the old and new environments can cause conflicts.
• If your default theme or plugin uses external libraries or scripts, like website builders, that aren’t transferred during the migration, they may not load.
• Corrupted theme or plugin files can lead to unexpected web page behavior or errors.
• In some cases, license validation issues with your hosting account can prevent themes and plugins from activating or working correctly.

The easiest way to resolve conflicts is by switching to a default WordPress theme to isolate issues. In the plugins folder, deactivate all plugins and then reactivate them one by one to identify any conflicts.

Make sure your new server setup meets their minimum requirements and that they are updated to the latest version. Transfer all necessary dependencies, including libraries, fonts, and other files, and check for corruption. Repair any damaged files or broken code, and remove any outdated plugins.

Ensure that your software licenses are valid and can be activated on the new server. Test your current theme, all features, and integrations on different browsers after the migration to identify and fix any issues affecting site loads.

Downtime

During and after a WordPress migration, site accessibility can be affected by several factors:

• Delays in DNS propagation, the time it takes for domain changes to take effect, may cause errors for users trying to access your website.
• Server configuration mismatches between old and new hosts can impact site performance and accessibility.
• Large databases can take longer to transfer, which can lead to extended downtime.

The first step to minimize downtime is to plan DNS changes carefully and coordinate with your hosting provider to minimize downtime during propagation.

Optimize and clean up your database to reduce export and import times. Similarly, use reliable file transfer methods like an FTP client or your host’s file manager to ensure complete and uninterrupted transfers with a fast internet connection.

Use monitoring tools like Google Analytics to track website uptime and performance during and after the migration.

Missing Media and Content Display Issues

One of the most frustrating post-migration issues is missing media and content, especially in new posts. This can occur due to several reasons:

• If the wp-content folder or directory is not transferred fully or certain files are missing, they won’t be available and loaded on the new site.
• Incorrect serialization of data in the database can lead to corrupted content and display issues.
• Not having the right file permissions on the new server can prevent your site from accessing media files.
• Mismatched character encodings can cause content to display incorrectly or be completely unreadable.
• Themes folder assets like images, fonts, or stylesheets may not render correctly if they aren’t transferred completely.
• Errors during the database export or import process can cause missing or corrupted content.
• WordPress media library references point to incorrect file locations meaning that content won’t be displayed.

To address these issues, make sure you have transferred the entire wp-content/uploads directory and its subdirectories, along with all theme assets to the new server and have set appropriate file permissions.

Check for any missing or corrupted data in the database tables and fix any serialization issues. Use a plugin or manually update any incorrect media library references.

Additional Troubleshooting Techniques

By combining these additional techniques with the basic troubleshooting steps above, you can diagnose and resolve most post-migration issues with the following steps. Remember to always back up your website before making significant changes.

Debug Mode

Enable WordPress Debug Mode by setting the WP_DEBUG constant to true in your wp-config.php file. This will display detailed error messages on the front end, helping you identify specific issues. Check server logs for PHP errors, warnings, and other relevant information about the root cause of problems, for example being unavailable for scheduled maintenance.

Use a Staging Site

A staging site is an exact copy of your live WordPress site. Always test recent changes post-migration and fixes in the staging environment before publishing them to your main site, this minimizes the risk of causing further issues.

Optimize Database Queries

Use plugins or manual methods to optimize and speed up database queries and improve site performance. This can include indexing tables, reducing query complexity, and caching database results. Clean up your database to improve query speed by removing old post revisions, social media comments, and trashed data.

Optimize Server Configuration

If possible and you have access to server-side settings, you can improve performance and stability and resolve issues by adjusting PHP versions, memory limits, and caching mechanisms. If not, you can consult with your host’s WordPress support.

Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Sometimes, browser caching which stores static copies of your content can interfere with WordPress updates. While they usually don’t cause issues, things can occasionally go wrong during the update process. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies to ensure you’re seeing the latest version of the site along with any caching plugins.

Tips and Best Practices

By following these best practices and being prepared for potential challenges, you can reduce the risk of post-migration issues and ensure a successful transition.

1. Create a full backup of your WordPress site, including the MySQL database, files, and any custom code. Store it in a separate location and have easy recovery options in place.
2. Make a note of all custom settings, plugin customizations, and theme modifications. This will help you replicate your site on the new server faster with fewer potential mistakes.
3. Choose a hosting provider that offers reliable infrastructure, technical support, and enough server resources for your WordPress site.
4. Before migrating, optimize your website’s performance by minifying files, optimizing images, and implementing caching techniques. This will speed up the process and help prevent transfers from timing out.
5. Using a migration plugin can automate much of the process, such as database and file downloading and uploading.
6. Keep a close eye on your website’s performance and uptime after the migration with monitoring tools to identify and resolve any problems as quickly as possible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Most common post-migration issues are caused by configuration issues and mismatches between your old and new hosting environments.
• The wp-config.php file is central to WordPress functionality and requires careful attention during migration to avoid WSOD errors.
• Database connectivity and configuration issues are often the root cause of post-migration problems and should be addressed first.
• Theme and plugin compatibility with the new environment is essential for proper site functionality.
• Systematic debugging approaches and proper testing can speed up problem resolution.
• Following established migration procedures and maintaining proper documentation can prevent many common issues.

FAQs

Other Articles of Interest

– WordPress Recovery Mode: Everything You Need to Know

– WordPress Migration and Hosting: Tips and Best Practices

– How to Reinstall WordPress: Troubleshooting Guide

– A Clear Guide To Migrate WordPress Sites Seamlessly

– Troubleshooting Guide: Fix Common WordPress Performance Issues