A faulty WordPress database can cause all kinds of user experience problems for your website, from weird formatting to crashes that take you offline.
What’s more, a faulty database can cause serious harm to your business. If people can’t use your website properly, they won’t stick around!
That’s why we’ve lined up some WordPress repair database fixes to get you back on track. And feel free to reach out to a StateWP developer for help if you prefer.
Let’s get started!
How to Tell if You Need to Repair Your WordPress Database
If your WordPress database is faulty, your site won’t function properly. That’s because it contains all the web content and media you ask your site to display.
If your website can’t properly connect to the database, it won’t be able to show any content.
When accessing your website, you might see an error message, such as the common warning “Error establishing a database connection”:
Or, you might even see a completely blank screen, the “White Screen of Death”:
Other signs that suggest you might need to repair your database include:
- Strange formatting in posts and pages
- Missing images, video content, buttons, or chunks of text
- Faults occurring with WordPress plugins and themes
- Media or content not uploading properly
- Missing or strangely formatted content changes appear across your site
Remember, some of these errors can indicate other internal issues, too. So, we recommend diving into our list of common WordPress errors if you’re certain your database is working properly.
The bottom line is that regularly maintaining your website’s database keeps these issues at bay.
Not only that, but you’re also more likely to spot WordPress database errors faster if you run regular maintenance. And, it’s good practice to keep visitors happy and engaged – protecting your reputation and revenue.
Why do WordPress databases fail?
WordPress databases can fail and need repairing as the result of a few common causes:
- The credentials in your database are incorrect
- Your WordPress database corrupted due to internal errors
- Your website was hacked
- Server issues, such as an outage (check with your host!)
- You need to update your PHP version
- You need to increase your PHP memory limit
However, databases often fail because of internal database corruption. Keep reading and find out how to fix it.
How To Repair Your WordPress Database: 5 Key Methods
Ready to repair your WordPress database?
Before we dive into the deep fixes, always back up your WordPress site and database. You might need to reload at any time if, for example, something goes wrong.
It’s easy to set up backup plugins or use a service like UpdraftPlus to save and recover website data through the WordPress dashboard.
You can set up a database backup, meanwhile, through a tool called phpMyAdmin, accessible through your WordPress hosting provider.
Lastly, download a free FTP or File Transfer Protocol client, a program that lets you edit the files and code of your WordPress installation – we recommend FileZilla or Cyberduck.
If you feel uncomfortable following any of the technical fix steps below, don’t have the time, or would simply prefer an expert developer to handle the nitty-gritty for you, ask StateWP for help.
Otherwise, let’s get started.
1. Check and edit your WordPress database credentials
WordPress databases can fail simply because of incorrect database credentials.
This can happen if, for example, you’ve recently changed web host, and some information just hasn’t moved across as you’d expected.
Thankfully, this is easy enough to fix with an FTP client.
Let’s assume you’re using FileZilla. Once you’ve downloaded it, ask your host for FTP login details, then open the program and sign in.
Once you’re logged in, you should see your root directory folder in the file manager, usually “public_html”. Inside this folder, look for a core file called “wp-config.php”, then open a local folder in the left panel of your FileZilla screen. You can now drag and drop it across to that folder to create a backup copy.
This file is essential for configuring your WordPress website, and you can edit it with your default text program. Open the original file in FileZilla and you should see a list of code.
Specifically, you need to look for the following code:
| // ** MySQL settings – You can get this info from your web host ** // /** The name of the database for WordPress */ define( ‘DB_NAME’, ‘database_name’ ); /** MySQL database username */ define( ‘DB_USER’, ‘database_username’ ); /** MySQL database password */ define( ‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘database_password’ ); /** MySQL hostname */ define( ‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’ ); |
In the placeholder text (which we’ve bolded above), you should see your database’s name, your username to access it, and your password. Keep these details handy, because you need to cross-reference them with your host.
Of the details listed here, your hostname is usually just “localhost”, unless your provider suggests otherwise.
Let’s assume that you’re using phpMyAdmin, accessible through most web hosts via a program called cPanel.
Log into cPanel and select phpMyAdmin like so:
Select “Databases” and then, from the left, choose the database that corresponds to your website.
Take note of the database’s name, and the username listed to the right of it.
Now, click the username associated with the database, under “USERS ACCESS”, and then “Show” on the next page to reveal the password.
Back on the MySQL Databases page, find your hostname under the HOSTNAME section.
Check these details with those in the wp-config.php file. Are they different? If so, change them in the code to exactly as you found them in phpMyAdmin, and save.
After FileZilla finishes processing, refresh your WordPress website and see if the database error persists.
2. Access phpMyAdmin to repair WordPress databases
It’s time to use phpMyAdmin’s specific WordPress database repair tool. At this point, we assume your database credentials are correct, which means there’s an internal issue elsewhere.
Start by selecting the corrupted WordPress database in phpMyAdmin. On the right, you should see a list of internal tables.
If you’re unsure which database tables are faulty, select them all with the “Check all” box and then choose “Repair table” from the “With selected:” dropdown box to repair the corrupt database tables.
Click “Go”, and phpMyAdmin should take a few moments to complete its repairs. You should see a success screen once complete.
Now, check your website to see if your problem continues.
3. Repair your database with WordPress’s internal tool
You can also use WordPress to fix corrupted database issues through its hidden repair command.
Head back to FileZilla and open wp-config again. Before the bottom line of code (which usually reads “stop editing”), add the following line:
| define (‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true); |
Save the file, let FileZilla process it, and head to the following URL in your browser, replacing the phrase “yoursite.com” with your own website:
http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php
You should see this screen:
Click “Repair Database”, wait a while, and try accessing your site again.
4. Fix your database with cPanel
If the issue still persists, we suggest returning to cPanel and using its database repair tool external to phpMyAdmin.
Find cPanel in your host’s user dashboard and look for the menu marked “Modify Databases” and then “Repair Database” – there is a dropdown menu from which you can select the database you want to fix.
Click “Repair Database” and let the program complete its process. When complete, refresh your website to check if the error has disappeared.
5. Investigate the problem with WP-CLI
Here’s where things can get a little complex. WP-CLI refers to WordPress’s command line interface, which you can use to dig deeper and fix your database.
You need to use a Secure Shell or SSH program to access the command line. We recommend PuTTY, which, like FileZilla, is free to install and straightforward to use.
When loading up PuTTY for the first time, you need SSH credentials from your host. Log in and find the main terminal window.
In the terminal window, enter the following and run the command:
| wp db repair |
PuTTY should try to repair your database with this command on its own, however, in rare cases, you might need to add the name of your database and the password to log in.
Therefore, enter the username and password as follows in this command, replacing “placeholder” with your respective details:
|
wp db repair [–dbuser={placeholder}] [–dbpass={placeholder}]
|
PuTTY should advise that it’s successfully repaired your database. Check your website again to see if it’s removed the database error!
The Better, Faster Option: Ask StateWP to Resolve Your Issue
If you’ve tried all of the above or simply don’t feel comfortable managing a database repair on your own, don’t worry.
StateWP’s experienced developers are on hand to help fix up your WP database and get your site back online, fast.
As a StateWP partner, you have priority access to our team’s knowledge through Proto, our user dashboard.
Through here, you can raise a service request for advice on complex issues and errors such as faulty databases. Plus, we take action within a day of receiving your message.
In the future, should problems arise again, you can rely on our team to monitor for issues and repair and optimize database files. That gives you more time to manage your business, and fewer headaches to nurse over database needs.
And, if you’re struggling with the complexities of maintaining your website’s database, we can help there, too.
By delegating database management to our team, you have even more time to focus on running the show – and you can rest easy knowing database errors are unlikely to cause you and your visitors any further concern.
If you’d like to know more, reach out to our team for a free Proto demo.
Fast-Track Your WordPress Database Repair
Many problems could suggest you need to repair your WordPress database – and, admittedly, it can get pretty confusing.
However, with the WordPress repair database fixes suggested above, it’s easier than you think to patch it up and get your site back up and running again.
Even better, when you’re a StateWP partner, you have access to expert WordPress support around the clock. That means there’s always a developer on hand who can repair your database and keep your site running smoothly.
In the meantime, if you’re struggling with other WordPress errors, be sure to check out guides such as our jQuery troubleshooting tutorial.
WordPress Repair Database FAQs
Let’s close our guide with some frequently asked questions about the WordPress database repair process:
How should I prepare to repair my site’s database?
- Back up your website
- Make sure your credentials are correct
- Ensure your host’s servers are active and working properly
- Download an FTP client like FileZilla
- Download an SSH client like PuTTY
- Make sure you can access tools such as phpMyAdmin and cPanel through your host’s dashboard
- Follow the steps above to fix your database
What does the ‘error establishing a database connection’ message mean in WordPress?
This error tells you that your website and database can’t communicate with each other. It’s normally due to problems with the credentials saved in your core WordPress files, or due to files within your database having corrupted.
Your website is showing this error message because, until the communication link with your database is fixed, it can’t retrieve any information to show.
What are the consequences of not regularly maintaining a WordPress database?
- Your website runs slower due to server resource drain
- Your WordPress backup and maintenance tasks take longer
- Caching is less effective
- Your site is less secure
- You’ll use more disk space
- It’ll be harder for visitors to use search functions
- Visitors get frustrated with your slow-loading site and go elsewhere
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