WordPress debugging wisdom

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santy

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Broooo! You came to the right place. Sit down, grab your coffee, ‘cause I’m about to drop some WordPress debugging wisdom on you, like a real WP Sensei.
Debugging WP can feel like chasing a ninja bug in the dark, but I’ll give you the flashlight and the sword. Let’s roll!

🟢 Step 1: Turn On Debug Mode (The Jedi switch)

WordPress has its own debug system. You just gotta flip the switch in your wp-config.php.

Go to the root of your installation and look for this file:

arduinoCopiarEditarwp-config.php

Add or edit these lines like a real dev:

phpCopiarEditardefine('WP_DEBUG', true); // Turns on debugging
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); // Saves errors to /wp-content/debug.log
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); // Hides errors from showing on screen (so users don't freak out)
@ini_set('display_errors', 0); // Makes sure errors don't show

The log will be here:
/wp-content/debug.log
You can tail it like a hacker:

bashCopiarEditartail -f wp-content/debug.log

👀 Now you can see what’s breaking without ruining your front-end.

🔥 Step 2: Check for Plugin & Theme Conflicts (The Detox Process)

When something’s funky, it’s usually one of these two troublemakers:

  • A plugin is misbehaving.
  • Your theme is coded like spaghetti.

How to check:

  1. Deactivate all plugins.
    If the issue disappears, turn them back on one by one to catch the villain.
  2. Switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four).
    If it fixes things, your theme needs therapy.

⚠️ Step 3: Enable PHP Error Reporting (For deeper madness)

If you’re working locally or on a dev server:

phpCopiarEditarini_set('display_errors', 1);
ini_set('display_startup_errors', 1);
error_reporting(E_ALL);

This is like turning on X-ray vision.
You’ll see all the nasty warnings and errors PHP is hiding.

🧩 Step 4: Query Monitor Plugin (My favorite bro-tool)

Query Monitor is the king of WordPress debugging plugins.
It shows:

  • Slow queries
  • PHP errors
  • Hooks & Actions
  • HTTP API Calls
  • Enqueued Scripts & Styles
  • REST API Calls

Install it, activate it, and you’ll see a debug bar on your admin top bar like a WordPress superhero.

🚀 Step 5: Browser Console & Network Tab

If your JS or AJAX is failing, bro… hit F12 and open the Console + Network tab.
Check for:

  • 404 errors
  • CORS issues
  • Failed API calls

🟣 Bonus Brou Tips:

  • Use LocalWP or DevKinsta to test without risking your production site.
  • Keep an eye on your PHP version. Some plugins break on newer versions.
  • Always back up before debugging. Debugging without a backup is like bungee jumping without the cord. 😱

🐞 Summary: The Debug Flow

  1. Enable WP_DEBUG & check debug.log
  2. Deactivate plugins → Check
  3. Switch theme → Check
  4. Enable PHP error reporting → Check
  5. Install Query Monitor → Profit 💰