How to Enable WordPress Debugging

Title: How to Enable WordPress Debugging for Effective Troubleshooting

If you're a WordPress website owner, you may have encountered issues that seemed puzzling, particularly when the website behaved differently for logged-in users on mobile devices. Such problems can be challenging to diagnose and resolve, but fear not – WordPress offers a valuable tool to aid in the troubleshooting process: debugging. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the steps to enable WordPress debugging, allowing you to identify potential conflicts and errors efficiently.

Step 1: Access WordPress Installation Files

To begin, access the files of your WordPress installation. You can use an FTP client like FileZilla or access the files through your hosting provider's file manager.

Step 2: Locate the `wp-config.php` File

Look for the `wp-config.php` file in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Before making any changes, make sure to create a backup of this file to avoid any accidental mishaps.

Step 3: Enable Debugging

Open the `wp-config.php` file in a text editor and search for the following line of code:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

Step 4: Set `WP_DEBUG` to `true`

Modify the above line to change `false` to `true`, like this:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

Step 5: Optional: Enable Logging

To enable logging for more thorough debugging, add the following lines below the previous modification:

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

By adding these lines, you instruct WordPress to log debug messages in a `debug.log` file within the `wp-content` directory and prevent the debug messages from displaying on your website.

Step 6: Save and Upload Changes

Save the updated `wp-config.php` file and upload it back to your server if you used an FTP client.

Conclusion:

Enabling WordPress debugging is a powerful technique that can help you identify and resolve issues effectively. By using this tool, you gain insight into PHP errors, warnings, and notices, thus empowering you to enhance your website's performance and user experience. Remember to disable debugging once you've addressed the problem to maintain a secure and smooth browsing experience for your visitors. Simply set `WP_DEBUG` back to `false` in the `wp-config.php` file to deactivate debugging.

Happy troubleshooting and optimizing your WordPress website!