Find and read your website error logs

When your website shows a blank page, a "critical error" message or a 500 error, the reason is almost always written in an error log. This guide shows you where to find the logs on your hosting account and how to make sense of what they say.

1. The Errors page in cPanel

This shows the most recent errors from the web server for all the sites on your account.

1. Log in to cPanel from your service page under Services → My Services (https://www.hooplahosting.co.nz/client/clientarea.php?action=services).
2. Open Errors (type it in the cPanel search bar, or find it under Metrics).
3. The newest errors are at the top. Each line shows the date, the visitor's IP address, and the error message.

Reload the broken page on your site, then refresh the Errors page. The error at the top will usually be the one you just caused.

2. PHP error_log files

PHP errors are written to a file called error_log in the folder where the error happened, for example public_html/error_log or public_html/wp-admin/error_log.

1. In cPanel, open File Manager and go to your site's folder.
2. Look for a file called error_log. Right-click it and choose View. The newest entries are at the bottom.

These files can grow very large if an error repeats on every visit. Once you've fixed the cause, delete the old error_log so it doesn't fill your disk space. See Disk space full or nearly full.

3. WordPress debug log

If WordPress shows "There has been a critical error on this website" and the logs above don't explain it, turn on WordPress's own debug log.

1. In File Manager, open your site's folder, right-click wp-config.php and choose Edit.
2. Find the line define( 'WP_DEBUG', false ); and replace it with:

   define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
   define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
   define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

3. Save the file, then reload the broken page.
4. Open wp-content/debug.log to read the error.

When you've finished, set WP_DEBUG back to false and delete debug.log. Leaving debugging on slows your site and can expose information about it.

WordPress also emails the site admin when a plugin or theme causes a fatal error, with a link to recovery mode. Check your inbox for that email too.

Understanding common errors

• PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of ... bytes exhausted: a script ran out of memory. Raise memory_limit (see Change your PHP version and settings). If it keeps happening, a plugin is likely misbehaving.
• PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function ...: usually a plugin or theme that doesn't work with your PHP version, or a missing file. The error shows the file path, which tells you which plugin is responsible, for example wp-content/plugins/plugin-name/....
• PHP Parse error: syntax error: there's a typo in a file that was recently edited. The error gives the file name and line number.
• PHP Warning or PHP Deprecated: these are usually harmless and don't break your site, but they're a sign something needs updating.
• Permission denied: a file or folder has the wrong permissions. Files should normally be 644 and folders 755. You can change them in File Manager with Permissions.
• File does not exist: a visitor or link asked for a page or image that isn't there. Usually harmless, but worth fixing if it's a page you expect to work.
• Access denied by security rules, or ModSecurity: our security system blocked a request it thought was an attack. See Imunify360 blocked my page or shows a challenge.

Fixing a broken WordPress plugin

If the error points to a plugin and you can't get into your dashboard, rename the plugin's folder in File Manager (for example from wp-content/plugins/plugin-name to plugin-name-off). WordPress will switch it off. Rename it back once you've updated it or found a replacement.

Need help?

If you can't work out what the error means, open a support ticket. Include the address of the broken page and the error message, and we'll take a look.