{"id":5160,"date":"2026-07-04T11:39:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/?p=5160"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:43:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:43:14","slug":"wordpress-debug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-debug\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress Debug Mode (WP_DEBUG): How to Enable and Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When a WordPress site breaks \u2014 a white screen, a critical error, a plugin misbehaving \u2014 the cause is usually a PHP error you can’t see. WordPress hides these by default. Debug mode turns them back on, showing (or logging) exactly what went wrong and where. This guide explains what WordPress debug mode is, how to enable WP_DEBUG safely, how to log errors to a file, how to read what you find, and the tools that make debugging faster. The golden rule up front: debug mode is for finding problems, not for leaving on \u2014 never run it on a live site longer than you need to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back up first, and don’t debug live if you can help it<\/div>\n

Editing wp-config.php<\/code> can break your site if done wrong, so back it up first. And because debug mode can display sensitive file paths and code to visitors, run it on a staging site when possible \u2014 or at least log errors to a file instead of showing them on screen (covered below).<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n