Many of our previous tutorials have mentioned that when solving a problem, edit the "wp-config.php" fileThis file is very important. This file is very important as it controls critical WordPress settings, especially for security, performance and troubleshooting. So, you must be careful when modifying this file. Below I'll putOur TeamSome lessons on how to edit the wp-config.php file in WordPress.

What is wp-config.php file?

As the name suggests, it is a configuration file that is part of all self-hosted WordPress sites.

Unlike other core WordPress files, the wp-config.php file is not built into WordPress.

Instead, it is generated explicitly for your site during the installation process.

WordPress willDatabase informationstored in wp-config.php filein. Without this information, the WordPress site will not work and will receive the "Error establishing database connection"Error.

The wp-config.php file contains several other advanced settings in addition to database information. They will be explained later in this article.

The average WordPress user doesn't need to edit the wp-config.php file very often. However, knowing how to edit the wp-config.php file will make you more proficient in managing your WordPress website.

Since this file contains a lot of sensitive information, it is recommended that you do not modify it unless you have no other choice.

Accessing and editing the wp-config.php file

The wp-config.php file is located on the server. It can be accessed by connecting to the website using an FTP client or the File Manager application in the control panel.

FTP clients can transfer files between a server and a computer.Windows users can install FileZilla, WinSCP, or SmartFTP, while Mac users can choose FileZilla, Transmit, or CyberDuck.

First, connect to the site using an FTP client. The wp-config.php file is usually located in the root folder of the site, along with other folders such as wp-includes, wp-content, and wp-admin.

Simply right-click on the file and select from the menu "downloading" will do. The wp-config.php file will now be downloaded to your computer. It can be opened and edited using a plain text editor application such as Notepad or a text editor.

Once edited, simply upload it back to the site using FTP.

You will then see a message indicating that the file exists with a list of options. Select "override"and click "recognize".

Understanding the wp-config.php file

Before we begin, let's look at the full code of the default wp-config.php file.

<?php
/**
* The base configuration for WordPress
 *
 * The wp-config.php creation script uses this file during the installation.
 * You don't have to use the website, you can copy this file to "wp-config.php" * and fill in the values.
 * and fill in the values.
 * This file contains the following configurations.
 * This file contains the following configurations.
 * * Database settings.
 * * Database settings
 * * Secret keys
 * * Database table prefix
 * * ABSPATH
 *ABSPATH
 * @link https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/wordpress/wp-config/
 * @link
 * @package WordPress
 */

// ** Database settings - You can get this info from your web host ** // //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' );

/** Database username */
define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' ); /** The name of the database for WordPress */ define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' )

/** Database password */
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here' ); /** Database password */ define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' )

/** Database hostname */
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' ); /** Database hostname */ define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here' )

/** Database charset to use in creating database tables. */
define( 'DB_CHARSET', 'utf8' ); /** Database charset to use in creating database tables.

/** The database collate type. Don't change this if in doubt. */ define( 'DB_CHARSET', 'utf8' ); /** The database collate type.
Define( 'DB_COLLATE', '' ); /** The database collate type.

/** #@+ * Authentication unique keys and salads.
 * Authentication unique keys and salts. * /** The database collate type.
 */ Define( 'DB_COLLATE' ); /**#@+ * Authentication unique keys and salts.
 * Change these to different unique phrases! You can generate these using
 * the {@link https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/ WordPress.org secret-key service}.
 You can generate these using * the {@link  WordPress.org secret-key service}.
 You can generate these using * the {@link  WordPress.org secret-key service}. * You can change these at any point in time to invalidate all existing cookies.
 * This will force all users to have to log in again.
 * * This will force all users to have to log in again.
 * @since 2.6.0
 */
define( 'AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' );
define( 'SECURE_AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'LOGGED_IN_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_IN_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_IN_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'NONCE_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_IN_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'NONCE_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'AUTH_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'SECURE_AUTH_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'AUTH_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'SECURE_AUTH_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'LOGGED_IN_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_IN_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' )
define( 'NONCE_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ); define( 'LOGGED_IN_SALT', 'put your unique phrase here' ).

/**#@-*/

/**
 * WordPress database table prefix.
 /* /* /* * WordPress database table prefix.
 * You can have multiple installations in one database if you give each * a unique prefix.
 * Only numbers, letters, and underscores please!
 */
$table_prefix = 'wp_';

/**
 * For developers: WordPress debugging mode.
 ** For developers: WordPress debugging mode.
 * Change this to true to enable the display of notices during development.
 * It is strongly recommended that plugin and theme developers use WP_DEBUG
 * It is strongly recommended that plugin and theme developers use WP_DEBUG * in their development environments.
 * It is strongly recommended that plugin and theme developers use WP_DEBUG * in their development environments.
 * For information on other constants that can be used for debugging, * visit the documentation.
 * For information on other constants that can be used for debugging, * visit the documentation.
 * @link
 * @link https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/debug/debug-wordpress/
 */
define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

/* Add any custom values between this line and the "stop editing" line. */



/* That's all, stop editing!

/** Absolute path to the WordPress directory. */
if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
    define( 'ABSPATH', __DIR__ . '/' );
}

/** Sets up WordPress vars and included files. */
require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php';

Each section of the wp-config.php file has been documented in detail in the file itself. Almost all settings are defined using PHP constants.

	define( 'constant_name' , 'value' ).

Let's take a look at each section of the wp-config.php file.

MySQL settings in the wp-config.php file

The WordPress database connection settings appear in the wp-config.php file under "Database settings"Part.

need MySQL Host, Database Name, Database Usernamecap (a poem)cryptographicto complete this section.

The following is a list of the constants in this section and what they do.

To fill in these values, database information is required, which can be found in your control panel.

Need to look in the control panel for "comprehensive database"Part.

On the MySQL Database page, you will find a list of current databases, usernames and passwords.

What are DB_CHARSET and DB_COLLATE in the wp-config.php file?

The 'DB_CHARSET' setting specifies the character set of the WordPress database table. The default value is utf8, which supports most languages and ensures broad compatibility.

The "DB_COLLATE" setting defines how the database sorts and compares characters.

We recommend leaving it blank and letting MySQL use the default sorting rules for the specified character set (utf8 for utf8_general_ci).

Authentication Unique Keys and Salts

Authentication Keys and Salts are security features in the wp-config.php file. They give WordPress installations extra protection by strongly encrypting information stored in user cookies.

There are a total of 8 different Keys and Salts. each key and salt pair is a random string of long text numbers and special characters.

The function of each key is as follows:

A new key can be generated by visiting the WordPress.org key generator. The password can be changed if someone tries to log into your WordPress admin backend.

WordPress Database Table Prefix

By default, WordPress adds the "wp_" prefix to all the tables it creates in the database.

WordPress Debug Mode

This setting is especially useful for users learning WordPress development or troubleshooting errors.

By default, WordPress hides notifications generated by PHP when code is executed. Simply set debug mode to "true" to display these notifications.

Can provide important information for developers to find errors. Troubleshooting issues on WordPress sites.

Alternatively, there is an option to keep a log of errors and notifications.

Absolute Path Setting

The last part of the wp-config file defines absolute paths. These directives tell WordPress where to find the core WordPress files.

After this directive, ABSPATH is used to load the wp-settings.php file.

Both settings remain unchanged.

Useful wp-config.php tips and settings

So far we have covered the default wp-config.php settings. Now, let's check some other settings.

These settings are optional and can be used when needed. They can help troubleshoot errors and resolve manyCommon WordPress ErrorsThe

Changing the WordPress URL with the wp-config.php file

When moving a WordPress website to a new domain, you need to change the WordPress URL.

This can be done by accessing the"Settings" "General"page to change these URLs.

These URLs can also be changed using the wp-config.php file. if the URL is changed due to an error "Too many direct questions" and can't access the WordPress admin area, which is very useful.

Simply add these two lines to the wp-config.php file:

define('WP_HOME','https://www.361sale.com/');
define('WP_SITEURL','https://www.361sale.com/');

Don't forget to replace www.361sale.com with your own domain name.

Change the upload directory using the wp-config.php file

By default, WordPress stores all uploaded media in the /wp-content/uploads/ directory.

If you want to store your media files in another location, you can add the following line of code to the wp-config.php file:

define( 'UPLOADS', 'wp-content/media' );

Note: The upload directory path is relative to the ABSPATH that is automatically set in WordPress. Adding an absolute path here will not work.

Disable Automatic Updates in WordPress

WordPress has automatic updates enabled by default. This allows WordPress sites to automatically update when minor updates become available.

For example, if the site is running WordPress 6.6and security updates have been released 6.6.1Then WordPress will automatically install the update.

However, when WordPress 6.7 When released, the system will ask for an update to be initiated.

While automatic updates are important for security, many users are concerned that they may also break their websites and render them inaccessible.

Adding this line of code to the wp-config.php file will disable all automatic updates on your WordPress site:

	
define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false );

I hope this article has helped you understand how to edit the wp-config.php file in WordPress and the actions you can perform with it, but it is not recommended.