WordPress powers over 40% of the web—but when things break, it can feel like navigating a minefield of plugins, themes, and server quirks. At WebDevine, we specialize in diagnosing and resolving WordPress issues with precision and speed. Whether you’re facing a blank screen, sluggish performance, or emails that never arrive, this guide will help you troubleshoot like a pro.

⚠️ 1. Plugin Conflicts: The Silent Saboteur

Symptoms: Broken layouts, missing functionality, or admin panel errors after installing or updating a plugin.

🔍 How to Diagnose:

  • Deactivate all plugins via WP Admin or FTP.
  • Reactivate one by one to isolate the culprit.
  • Check browser console for JavaScript errors.

💡 Pro Tip:

Use this snippet in wp-config.php to enable debugging:

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

Then check /wp-content/debug.log for clues.

Need help isolating a plugin conflict? Contact WebDevine Support

🧱 2. White Screen of Death (WSOD)

Symptoms: A completely blank page with no error message—often caused by PHP errors or memory limits.

🧪 Fix Checklist:

  • Enable debugging (see above).
  • Increase memory limit in wp-config.php:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
  • Check .htaccess for malformed rules.
  • Restore a known working theme or plugin version.

WSOD can be caused by a single misplaced semicolon. Let WebDevine dig into your logs and restore your site fast.

🐢 3. Slow Performance: Speed Kills (Conversions)

Symptoms: Long load times, high bounce rates, poor Core Web Vitals scores.

🚀 Optimization Tips:

  • Use a caching plugin like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache.
  • Compress images with WebP and lazy load offscreen assets.
  • Minify CSS/JS and defer non-critical scripts.
  • Upgrade to SSD hosting with PHP 8.x support.

🔧 Sample .htaccess tweak:

<IfModule mod_expires.c>
  ExpiresActive On
  ExpiresByType image/webp "access plus 1 year"
</IfModule>

Want a full speed audit? Book a Performance Review

📧 4. Email Delivery Issues: The Invisible Problem

Symptoms: Contact form submissions not arriving, WooCommerce emails stuck, or password resets failing.

🛠️ Fixes:

  • Install WP Mail SMTP and configure with SendGrid, Mailgun, or your host’s SMTP.
  • Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in your DNS.
  • Avoid using wp_mail() without proper headers.

✅ Sample SMTP config:

$mailer->isSMTP();
$mailer->Host = 'smtp.yourdomain.com';
$mailer->SMTPAuth = true;
$mailer->Username = 'your@email.com';
$mailer->Password = 'yourpassword';
$mailer->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
$mailer->Port = 587;

WebDevine can configure bulletproof email delivery for WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and more.

🧠 Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Patch—Diagnose

Quick fixes are tempting, but lasting stability comes from understanding the root cause. At WebDevine, we don’t just troubleshoot—we future-proof your WordPress site for performance, reliability, and scale.

📞 Need help now? Schedule a Free Troubleshooting Call
📧 Prefer email? Reach us at info@webdevine.co.za