When managing a WordPress website, you encounterblank screen,malfunctionmaybePage loading issuesis a relatively common phenomenon. At this point, WordPress debugging is very important. WordPress has a built-in debugging tool that enables debugging logs to catch errors and help us identify and solve problems.

This article will detail how to enable and use WordPress debug logging and show how to more effectively utilize the debugging feature to troubleshoot website issues.

1. Find and enable WordPress debug logging (wp-config.php)

WordPress debugging is done through themodifications wp-config.php file to enable it. This file is located in the root directory of your website and controls the basic configuration of WordPress. It is enabled via theEnable debug logging, we can record all the error messages in a file for subsequent troubleshooting.

Steps:

1. Connect to the server using an FTP client (such as FileZilla) or through the host's file management tool.
2. In the root directory (usually public_html maybe www folder) to find the wp-config.php Documentation.
3. Download the file and open it with a text editor such as Notepad++.

4. In the file, find something like define( 'WP_DEBUG', false ); The line that will false change into true. If the line does not exist, you can add it manually:define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
5. Save and upload the file, replacing the original wp-config.php Documentation.

This action enables the basic debugging features of WordPress. If the page has errors, the error message will be displayed on the front page. This is helpful for developers, but if the site is live and open to the public, it is recommended that errors be logged in the logs rather than displayed directly.

2. Optional PHP constants for debugging purposes

With debug mode enabled, it is also possible to modify the wp-config.php Add more control options. Here are two very important PHP constants that make debug logging better for development and troubleshooting.

WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY

This constant controls whether debugging information is displayed on the front-end. If the site is running publicly, it is recommended to turn it off to avoid exposing site details to visitors or potential attackers.

define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

WP_DEBUG_LOG

This constant allows us to log debugging information in a log file instead of displaying it directly on the web page. When enabled, all debugging information will be logged in the wp-content/debug.log Documentation.

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

A complete configuration example is shown below:

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


With this setup, you can ensure that debugging information is onlyStored in the logand will not be displayed on the front end to avoid exposing sensitive information.

3. How to view WordPress debug logs

When debug logging is enabled, all error messages will be logged in the wp-content/debug.log file. This log file records all PHP errors, warnings and notifications that occur. Viewing the log helps to understand the root cause of the problem, especially if a plugin or theme is causing the problem.

Steps:

1. Use an FTP client or host file management tool to access the wp-content Folder.

2. locate debug.log file, right-click to download it locally.
3. Open the file using a text editor to view logged errors, warnings, and notifications.

Each line in the debug log will contain a timestamp, error level, and error message to help you identify the problem. Example:

[28-Jul-2024 20:28:17 UTC] PHP Deprecated: Using ${var} in strings is deprecated, use {$var} instead in /home/website/public_html/wp- content/plugins/admin-notices-manager/includes/functions/core.php on line 136

This log entry tells us that the plugin code uses outdated PHP syntax and needs to be updated. You can follow the hints in the log to find the file and line of code where the problem is and fix it.

4. Install plugins to automate WordPress debugging reports

If you don't want to check the debug log manually every time, or want a more streamlined debugging process, you can use some plugins to automate debug logging and display.Error Log Monitor is just a very simple and effective plugin that helps you toView the error log directly in the WordPress dashboard.

Steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the plug-in (software component) -> Add New PluginThe
2. Type "Error Log Monitor" in the search field and click on the mountingThe

3. After the installation is complete, click activateThe
4. In the dashboard's "artifact"Under the menu, you'll see a new tab."error log", you can view the error log directly.
5. Click "configure" button to customize settings such as notification frequency to better manage debug logs.

This plugin makes it easier to automate debugging reports without having to download log files via FTP every time.

summarize

Enabling WordPress Debug Mode and using debug logs is an important step in resolving website issues. By enabling debugging mode in the wp-config.php enable WP_DEBUG cap (a poem) WP_DEBUG_LOG, you can record all errors in a log file for easy subsequent viewing and handling. Using a log file like the Error Log Monitor Plug-ins can further simplify log management, making it easier to keep track of your site's operational status and quickly troubleshoot problems.