Many of the causes of the error come down to not having enough server resources or issues related to your web server. It was my brand new theme! Use your FTP client to access your wp-config.php file. Most errors offer some clue as to what caused them, making it easier to troubleshoot. Then, well go through seven different possible solutions to fix it. Solves many 503 admin-ajax process errors! To identify the problem plugin, follow these steps: Now, youll need to keep that plugin deactivated and look for an alternative. Locate your currently active WordPress theme and download it to your computer as backup. Rather than outright deleting the plugins, it is suggested that you try renaming the directory itself. How to Fix So, to connect to your site, youll need to use FTP/SFTP or SSH. Ready to fix the 503 Service Unavailable error? Now, its time to pinpoint the exact plugin thats causing the issues. PHP version? The problem might lie within WordPress or be due to a faulty plugin requiring the owners intervention. This should be titled How to locate the root cause of a 503 error in WordPress, as it only provides hints to pinpoint what causes the error, but no rectification advise. I dont get it but I can see my sight and admin page. Your email address will not be published. If it did, then this means a plugin installed on your website was causing the error. The easiest thanks to do this is through the Heartbeat management plugin.Navigate to Settings > Heartbeat control section. Now, if you already have a default theme like Twenty Seventeen or Twenty Sixteen installed, then it will be automatically activated. Its possible that there may have been a theme update recently which caused the error, so you may be able to revert to an earlier version of the theme. 503 Service Unavailable Error However, if you have the 503 error, you wont be able to access your sites control panel. Right-click the plugins folder, and rename it. Saw the 503 Service Unavailable message in place of website content? Improve Your Code with Retrace APM. Thanks for sharing what solved the issue for you. Next, connect to your WordPress site using your hosting services login information: Then, click on the wp-content directory, and find the plugins folder. Contact your webhosting support service and discuss the 503 error with them. Deactivate Plugins did not work, delete theme did not work. To log in by using SFTP, check our tutorial on how to create and connect to the SFTP user. Read how to choose a theme and how to choose a plugin for more information. While some advice immediately deactivating all plugins, my suggestion is to check the error.log first. Change the name of the first plugin in the directory to something else. In that case, you would want to check with your hosting provider and let them know about the issue to see if they can look into the error from their end. Trying to deal with the 503 error in WordPress? Dont worry, it might not be permanent. Firstly, have you been running updates on your site? This will automatically deactivate the plugin so you will have access to the WordPress dashboard. Most errors are actually quite simple to resolve. The simplest way to avoid the 503 Service Unavailable Error is to upgrade to a better hosting plan (on your current host) or to a better host company entirely. Still working on this, but in the meantime. 503 WebHopefully, you found the cause of the 503 service unavailable in WordPress and have been able to fix it. Right-click on this directory and use the Rename function to rename it to plugins_old. If the error goes away, that was most likely the cause. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. Find where its cable begins and unplug it. Have you encountered the 503 error on your WordPress site? We select and review products independently. Find the theme that you have activated now and download it to your computer for safekeeping. The server is down, its too busy, its being repaired or maintained, or that there is an issue with your particular sites relationship to the server. You can activate your plugins one by one and visit different pages on your website after activating each plugin. Once connected, go to /wp-content/ folder and rename the plugins folder to plugins-old. Thoroughly check your website to make sure that 503 service unavailable error is resolved. Aside from waiting a bit and trying again, or restarting Safari or your Mac, you can also change Safari's home page to a different URL. Right-click on it and select edit. In this article, we will first discuss what caused the 503 error in WordPress, then we will show you all potential solutions and how you can prevent encountering the 503 error in the future. Our editorial team at Astra is a group of experts led by the co-founder of Brainstorm Force, Sujay Pawar. Start with the primary folder, and rename it. Theres a chance the permissions changed when you renamed it, you would want to take a look at our guide below for the most likely method for fixing this: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-fix-file-and-folder-permissions-error-in-wordpress/, Hi my issue is i dont have access to the cpanel but can access the dashboard for my wordpress how do i solve this 503 error from here. Edit it and add the following lines of code to it: Now look in your wp-content directory for a file called debug.log. The problem with the 503 error is that it gives no clues about whats causing it which makes it extremely frustrating for beginners. APM for All! Following the steps above, (just to disabling all Plug-ins stage, thankfully), cured both access, page load speeds and no, (currently after 3 hours testing), 503 service unavailable errors. The 503 (Service Unavailable) status code indicates that the server is currently unable to handle the request due to a temporary overload or scheduled maintenance, which will likely be alleviated after some delay. This will deactivate your current WordPress theme. If youre unfamiliar with WP_DEBUG, check out our full guide to enabling debug mode in WordPress. The 503 (Service Unavailable) status code indicates that the server is currently unable to handle the request due to a temporary overload or scheduled maintenance, which will likely be alleviated after some delay. How to fix A badly coded plugin may be the source of the 503 error in WordPress. 1. Increasing your memory limit can potentially fix 503 service unavailable errors. This is a great idea if you want a development site that can be used for testing or other purposes. How to Fix WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. Normally, to disable the heartbeat, you can install the Heartbeat Control plugin. Improve Your Code with Retrace APM. I have error 503 on my news feed at my site. If you did not, then it is most likely a server-side problem or high traffic. The easy solution here is to upgrade your host. Finally, well talk about how you can avoid seeing this error in the first place. Check Resource Usage. WordCamp and WP/Woo Meetup speaker and Organizer, and Community Manager at Cloudways. Its worth noting that there are a few different variations of the error: The solutions that we have covered below should fix any 503 error on a WordPress website. So heres what you need to do: log into your hosting account, go to the cPanel section and open the phpMyAdmin. Be the first to get the latest updates and tutorials. Read how to choose a theme and how to choose a plugin for more information. Its an excellent way to see exactly what the source of an issue is. You saved my life. . There are display variations depending on the server configuration and browser itself, but sadly, none of the messages will tell you more about the cause. You may also want to see our ultimate list of the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them. I followed this article and find out that it was caused by one of my plugins.. To do so, from the ZETTAHOST admin panel once again go to Domain Manager->Open Files->wp-content/. That said, if performance depends on this fraction of resources, you have more WordPress to take care of. This also will also result in a 503 error. Return to the WP-Content registry, and rename your unique modules organizer. Unfortunately, since we are locked out of our site by the 503 error, we cant install and activate a new plugin. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error Application Performance Management tools, such as Stackify Retrace, provide the insight to pinpoint application errors across your entire stack. dont own your own servers) then this is somewhat out of your control. Now I think that I need to change hosting in order to avoid problems in the future. Lets get started! The process is different depending on the CDN youre using. Plug the cable back in both devices. Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. Why is WordPress Free? Wait for 30 seconds. Why Does 503 Service Unavailable Occur? Im not even tech savvy but Im glad to see some good results. Join the 40,000 developers that subscribe to our newsletter. You can also look up your web servers debug logs, normally found here: Contact your hosting provider for more help interpreting log files if you need it. How to Fix If both methods fail to resolve the error, then you can take the following steps: We hope this article helped you learn how to fix 503 service unavailable error in WordPress. DDoS attacks, in particular, are often associated with 503 errors. Hello, This response should be used for temporary conditions and the Retry-After HTTP header should, if possible, contain the estimated time for the recovery of the service. It was likely a php version change, if you reach out to your hosting provider they should be able to assist. Since its quite generic, there is no magic wand you can wave to detect the culprit. I reinstalled a fresh WordPress but 503 error is till there. If none of your plugins is causing the 503 error, then try the next solution. To everybody reading this: Before you go through all the steps above, check the following first! If the error appears to have cleared, its likely that your theme was the problem. Our website, platform and/or any sub domains use cookies to understand how you use our services, and to improve both your experience and our marketing relevance. How to fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners, Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress. Next, you need to create a new folder and name it plugins. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a5de62d5d8aac70de2b599231bc96eae" );document.getElementById("i0e9384a54").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Don't subscribe How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error WordPress has a tendency to set your website to maintenance mode with plugin, theme, or core software. If you dont have one created, we tend to suggest FileZilla. Looking for some free blog sites to help you start sharing your writing with the world? If youre not using a CDN, skip this step. You can enable the debug mode using a plugin or by modifying the wp-config file. If it loads successfully, get in touch with your CDN and tell them about the issue. This applies especially in a couple of cases: If you are using shared hosting, it might be time to consider managed hosting. Note: The existence of the 503 status code does not imply that a server must use it when becoming overloaded. They will also reduce the actual amount of bandwidth that is required to deliver your site to viewers, which lessens the potential for server issues. Since we know its a plugin-name causing issues, it should be deactivated. Thinking it was my PC or Internet connection I logged out. Then things really got worrying for this beginner as I couldnt log back in. The WordPress Heartbeat API communicates with your server using AJAX, which allows it to display some information in your WordPress dashboard in real time. For the latter option, follow these simple steps. Coupled with aggregated logs from common logging frameworks, easily find every exception in your code. How to Fix So, what causes the error? Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress How to Fix However, if the issue persists, then a fresh install is necessary. To limit WordPress Heartbeat API in this situation: Log in to your server via SFTP client and find the folder of your activated theme. Go inside and start working through all your plugins one by one. I was having an issue with Woocommerce too and they just changed a version in cPanel. We select and review products independently. You can also try restarting your computer in In my case, 7.0 solved the error for me, but earlier as well as some later versions DID NOT. But, a piece of bad custom code can cause a lot of trouble. If it appears, you know which plugin is causing the error. Wait for 30 seconds. If it is indeed gone, youve found your culprit. How to Fix And Mozilla (makers of the Firefox browser) has a similar definition: The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 503 Service Unavailable server error response code indicates that the server is not ready to handle the request. The API uses your server resources to carry out these functions. The debug mode is built into WordPress as a way to troubleshoot errors. To continue debugging, rename the folder wp-content/plugins-new back to wp-content/plugins to show all the deactivated plugins. In DB click on wp_options table in the left-hand sidebar. Click the search link and perform a search on the table for the word template in the option_name field. If its gone, you know that the heartbeat API was responsible. This is unlikely, but still happens. Whether you just want to share updates with your family and friends or you want to start a blog and build a broader audience, we've put together ten great sites Ready to create a WordPress blog? Its typically referred to as public_html, html, public, www, or your sites name. Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Check Resource Usage. 10 Best WordPress Podcast Themes in 2023 (Compared) Posted on July 5, 2023 in WordPress. If the error disappears, then youve caught the culprit. Now you have updated the active theme, visit the front end of your site to see if the 503 Service Unavailable error remains. Sometimes, a plugin or theme that has been improperly coded can cause the 503 error. Next, connect to your WordPress site using your hosting services login information: Then, click on the wp-content directory, and find the plugins folder. You have found the culprit. Start with the first plugin in the list and rename the plugin folder e.g., change. Get exclusive access to new tips, articles, guides, updates, and more. Stackify's APM tools are used by thousands of .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python, & Ruby developers all over the world. Then, find the plugins folder. Common causes are a server that is down for maintenance or that is overloaded. Now you need to visit your WordPress site to see if this resolved the error. Secondly, check with your host that your server isnt suffering an outage, or planned maintenance is occurring. So how can you find the root cause of the 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress? Try to see if the problem is gone. If your server cannot handle the current amount of traffic that it is receiving, you will likely receive the 503 error. Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress Its a common WordPress error that can be fixed by following the steps we have covered in todays tutorial. You should see a list of any errors, one of which hopefully indicates what is causing your 503 issue. The reasons for unavailability can be a badly coded plugin or theme, a code snippet gone rogue, a glitch in the server, a DDoS attack, or quality issues with your hosting service overall. Just had to turn off the filter to remove the 503 error. What was once a highly technical form of content is now accessible to the masses. By now, you should have a solution to the 503 WordPress error. install WordPress locally? The exact fix that is going to work for you depends on the root cause. On Cloudflare, you can find this option in the Advanced Actions section of your Quick Actions menu, which is on the right-hand side of the Overview screen (scroll down to see it). Now you just need to find a replacement for the plugin in question. WPBeginner is a registered trademark. Open that folder, and navigate to the wp-content directory. For example, the following actions are heartbeat controlled: The heartbeat API sends pulses from the client to the server, communicating using AJAX. If you have WP Debug Log, check that file as well for the latest errors. The resources that a server uses are RAM, CPU, I/O, entry processes, and website inodes. Enter your email address and be the first to learn about updates and new features. Go back to FileZilla, change back the name of your plugins directory to the original (plugins). I noticed this issue on a couple of sites. To determine whats happening, disable all of your sites plugins. Find where its cable begins and unplug it. The website should now be functioning properly. Change the name to one of the default WP themes you have installed on WP and save changes. If this step resolved your issue, then you dont need to follow rest of the instructions on this page. You need to contact your web host to find out what is going on and how quickly your website is expected to be online. Even though it might not seem like so at first, knowing how to make a website from scratch is a must-have skill for today's small business owners. Worked for my add media issues. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress What is the Catch? 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable Error In WordPress To do so, from the ZETTAHOST admin panel once again go to Domain Manager->Open Files->wp-content/. First, download and open an SFTP program such as FileZilla. Since we know its a plugin-name causing issues, it should be deactivated. The solutions are both also easy to do and dont require any deep technical knowledge. 503 Error in WordPress Lets take a deeper look at each of the causes: Commonly, the 503 error appears when you install or update a badly coded plugin or theme. Since you cannot login to your WordPress dashboard due to the 503 error, you will need to connect to your website using a FTP client or File Manager in cPanel. However, most of them are actually simple to solve if you know what to do. Get started for free and extend with affordable packages. ; Move to a better hosting plan if your site Unfortunately, you cant use the same trick as for plugins and rename the themes folder. You can also try restarting your computer in 503 Error in WordPress: What It Is and How to Fix It (2023 Guide), How to Link to Page Content From a WordPress Navigation Menu, 5 Ways to Use ChatGPT for WordPress Development. Navigate to wp-content/plugins/ plugin-name and rename the folder to plugin-name-new. The log file contains errors that your website has been experiencing. This will activate the default WP theme, and the site should be functional. How to Fix But dont worry! Pick a better hosting plan on your current hosting provider, Pick a different hosting provider altogether. The WordPress heartbeat API controls several essential functions on WordPress. Hi Guys, However, you should ensure that it never occurs on your site in the future again. Rename the wp-content/plugins/plugin-name-new back to wp-content/plugins/plugin-name. Check the website to see if the error is gone. Now that you have changed the directory name, all your plugins will be deactivated. Heres what it should look like when youre finished: Repeat the same step for the stylesheet option_name. This will deactivate all plugins, and the website should start working, even though itll probably be broken and non-functional. It cleared 503 error on my fiction page, but I still have it showing on news feed. Do the same for your modem. Temporarily Disable Your Content Delivery Network (CDN). Click into the wp_options table, then the Search tab. If you use a web hosting plan (i.e. I had 503 error and just logged in the WP admin panel it solved the problem. 10 Best WordPress Podcast Themes in 2023 (Compared) Posted on July 5, 2023 in WordPress. If that is the case and you really need more resources, you can easily scale up the server from your server management dashboard in Cloudways. Jetpack plugins turned out to be the cause of that trouble since the last update. Unfortunately, the error doesnt tell you specifically whats wrong, which means it can take time to fix the error. Well, heres one definition of the error from the Mozilla Foundation. Open the current theme directory and download a copy of the functions.php file, then edit it. 1. It would lead to an error of its own. Some servers may wish to simply refuse the connection. How to fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress To discover which plugin is causing the 503 error, youll need to deactivate all your plugins and then reactivate them one-by-one until you find the culprit. The 503 Service Unavailable error shows when your web server is unavailable for some reason. She specialize in writing about WordPress, plugins, themes, and WooCommerce. Then rename wp-content/plugins to wp-content/plugins-new. Plug the cable back in both devices. Do the same for your modem. Although this does not happen very frequently, the 503 error might have been produced due to an attack made on your website. Learn more. Check Resource Usage. When it comes to upgrading your web hosting, there are two options: We typically recommend using a managed WordPress hosting plan, such as SiteGround or WPEngine. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. Sometimes, youll have this option directly in your hosting account. But at least you can access the dashboard and start the rest of the debugging process. Sometimes, youll have this option directly in your hosting account. Check your website to determine if the error is gone. Find where its cable begins and unplug it. WordPress plugins are PHP scripts and, other than temporary server load problems, faulty plugins are the most common causes of 503 Service Unavailable errors on WordPress sites. Im having some similar issues and Im thinking its coming from woocommerece too. This probably means that whatever website you've set as Safari's home page default is experiencing trouble. Keep doing that until you find the plugin causing the 503 error. Maybe its a known issue with a common solution (Google helps a lot here.). Right click to edit it, then find the text that says Thats all, stop editing! Your website is getting more popular and your. Resolve the 503 Service Unavailable Error You need to visit the WordPress admin area and then go to the plugins page. 503 Youve made an outstanding choice! Activate plugins one by one until you get the error message again. To troubleshoot your plugins, youll need to deactivate them. Read disclosure. upgrading the PHP memory limit on your WordPress website. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress I just downloaded the alternate .tar file just under the big blue download button and it worked. You can reinstall it to see if the error continues and if so you would want to reach out to the plugins support for them to know about the error. What was the cause? Here are the 8 steps to fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress: Step 1: Wait a Few Minutes and Refresh Step 2: Try a Different Browser and Use Incognito Mode Since you cannot login to your WordPress dashboard due to the 503 error, you will need to connect to your website using a FTP client or File Manager in cPanel. To see whether the WordPress heartbeat API is causing the 503 error in WordPress, you can disable it temporarily by adding some code to the functions.php file of your active theme. 503 Error in WordPress If your server is under maintenance, it will normally display the 503 error. If this is still not working for you because of a conflict with some other plugin or a theme, its time to do what everyone suggests. My root cause was woocommerce; now what? So, upgrading your host is a simple way to solve this problem. I increased php version and got the 503 error. Here are the 8 steps to fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress: Step 1: Wait a Few Minutes and Refresh Step 2: Try a Different Browser and Use Incognito Mode I can upload and install a theme using ftp or c panel. Unfortunately, you cant do this the normal way in the WordPress dashboard, as your site is inaccessible due to the 503 error. Otherwise, contact your theme provider and report the 503 error to them. The WordPress Heartbeat API tracks the vital aspects of WordPress in the server, consuming some resources in that process. This code will be erased when you update your theme. 503 Service Unavailable Error Talk to your hosting provider about upgrading your plan. I had this problem, well still having under specific circumstances. Stackify's APM tools are used by thousands of .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python, & Ruby developers all over the world. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error We believe creating beautiful websites should not be expensive. Add the following code snippet right after the opening Its not the most common culprit, but the fix is worth a try. For instance, if your site goes viral on Reddit or Twitter. After downloading your theme, you can go ahead and delete it from your website. How to Fix 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress The 503 error you are experiencing could be due to such a bad code snippet. I noticed that the official WP zip is missing critical files. Next, you need to go to /wp-content/ folder and delete the empty plugins folder. The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Caching-related headers that are sent along with this response should be taken care of, as a 503 status is often a temporary condition, and responses shouldnt usually be cached.