WordPress website maintenance can be a challenge sometimes. Maintenance mode errors often occur due to incomplete updates or plugin conflicts, leaving your site inaccessible to visitors. These errors can be frustrating, but they are usually easy to fix with the right knowledge. In this blog post, we will explore common issues that trigger maintenance mode errors and provide step-by-step solutions to help you resolve them quickly and efficiently, ensuring your WordPress site remains up and running smoothly.
Understanding WordPress Maintenance Mode Errors
Common Manifestations of Maintenance Mode Errors
There are many Pros & Cons to having a WordPress website. While it is one of the top, if not the top CMS software used to power so many websites around the world (last at 43% of them!), there comes some guidelines for operation.
The WordPress community has many plugins that boast all kinds of functionalities you could need or imagine. This is where we see many of the conflicting problems come into play.
Starting with a well-built and fast website is the first obstacle to overcome. Speed and how “light” the code and functionalities overall are mitigates many of the continuous problems a business can face, especially true if WordPress maintenance is not regularly performed.
When completing WordPress maintenance service, you might encounter various maintenance mode errors. These errors can appear in different ways:
- An error message stating the site is in maintenance mode.
- A plain white screen with a message that the website is under maintenance.
- A custom maintenance mode page.
Causes of Maintenance Mode Errors
Incomplete Updates
Incomplete updates are a primary cause of maintenance mode errors. If the server times out or your internet connection fails, the update process gets interrupted. This interruption prevents WordPress from completing the steps to exit maintenance mode. Could be cache, could be Apache processes (or there lack of enough) and you could plug-up and take SQL offline.
Plugin Incompatibility
Plugin conflicts are another major cause. With nearly 60,000 free plugins available, compatibility issues are common. For example, almost 90% of WordPress vulnerabilities are due to plugins.
Permission Issues
WordPress requires specific file permissions to update and remove the maintenance file. Incorrect permissions can leave your website stuck in maintenance mode.
Hosting Timeouts
Some hosting platforms have maximum execution times for updates and other extensive processes. If these limits are exceeded, the update may not complete, causing maintenance mode errors.
How to Fix WordPress “Stuck in Maintenance Mode”
Deleting the Maintenance File
When your WordPress site is stuck in maintenance mode, it’s often due to an incomplete update. WordPress creates a maintenance file in the site’s root folder during updates. The easiest fix is to delete this file. Here’s how:
- Connect to your site server using an SFTP client.
- Open the WordPress installation root directory (where you’ll find the wp-config.php file and wp-admin folder).
- Locate the .maintenance file in the root folder.
- Delete the .maintenance file.
Clearing the Cache
After removing the maintenance file, clear your WordPress website cache. This step ensures visitors aren’t directed to a cached version of the maintenance mode page. The process to clear the cache may vary depending on your hosting provider. You can also clear it from your WordPress dashboard. WP Rocket is a great caching plugin however, not without its own challenges. Another is third-party Cloudflare which also caches files for website performance. There is also a plugin for Cloudflare where you can purge cache within the WordPress admin area.
Running the Update Again
If your WordPress site went into maintenance mode during an update, the update might not have completed properly. Once you’ve exited maintenance mode and cleared the cache, run the update again. Monitor for compatibility issues or error messages to identify any underlying problems.
Top 3 Common Errors and How to Fix Them
Error 1: Stuck in Maintenance Mode After Update
Cause: Incomplete update. Fix: Delete the .maintenance file as described above. Clear the cache and rerun the update.
Error 2: Plugin Conflicts
Cause: Incompatible plugins. Fix: Deactivate all plugins. Reactivate them one by one to identify the conflicting plugin. Update or replace the problematic plugin.
Error 3: File Permission Issues
Cause: Incorrect file permissions. Fix: Ensure the correct file permissions are set. The wp-content directory should have 755 permissions, and individual files should have 644 permissions.
Preventing Maintenance Mode Errors
Run Compatibility Checks
Before updating your website, perform a compatibility check. In the Plugins section of the WordPress dashboard, check the compatibility details for each plugin and theme.
Use Essential Plugins
Use only essential plugins and lightweight, optimized for speed WordPress themes. Regularly review and remove any plugins you no longer use to minimize compatibility risks. Utilizing Google Lighthouse, Google Search Console, GTMetrix will help you to catch errors and other items that could be slowing down your website affect SEO and usability.
Research Major Updates
Before updating to the latest version of WordPress, research any major changes. Theme and plugin developers often provide details about compatibility and necessary updates for major WordPress releases.
Use a Staging Environment
For significant updates, use a staging environment. This copy of your live site allows you to test updates without impacting your real site. Catch and resolve any issues before they go live.
Backup Your Site
Always back up your site before making updates. A backup allows you to restore your site to its current state if something goes wrong. This should be daily and can be automated. It’s advisable to have a series of backups to refer to in the time of need.
Is WordPress a viable solution?
So far in 2024, WordPress continues to dominate the content management system market with a 62.9% share worldwide. Despite occasional errors, its influence on search rankings and the internet remains immense. Using a reliable WordPress maintenance service like us, Perfect Afternoon, to keep your site secure and up-to-date following best practices can help you prevent and quickly resolve maintenance mode errors, ensuring your site stays up and running smoothly.
