# Fixes & Troubleshooting

> Plaintext version for LLMs. Canonical HTML: https://askbowtie.com/learn/fixes/

Bottom line

When your site breaks, run the same loop every time: reproduce the problem, identify what changed, check the obvious, gather error details, isolate the cause, then fix and verify one change at a time. This page collects the most common WordPress, Shopify, and general web failures with step-by-step fixes, and tells you when to stop and escalate to your host, your platform, or a developer.

Sometimes you just need to fix the thing. These guides cover common website problems — the issues you've probably searched for before — with actual solutions, not generic advice.

Each guide starts with the symptom (what you're seeing), explains the likely causes, and walks through the fix step by step.

## How these guides work

Every troubleshooting guide follows the same structure:

1. **Symptom** — What you're observing (the thing that made you search for help)
2. **Common causes** — Why this typically happens
3. **Diagnosis** — How to identify which cause applies to you
4. **Fix** — Step-by-step instructions to resolve it
5. **Verification** — How to confirm the fix worked
6. **Prevention** — How to avoid this problem in the future

The goal is to get you from "something is broken" to "it's fixed" as quickly as possible.

## WordPress problems

WordPress powers over 40% of the web, and its plugin architecture means plenty of things can go wrong. These are the issues we see most often.

### Forms not sending email

Your contact form shows a success message, but the email never arrives. This is almost always a server configuration issue, not a form plugin problem.

| Common cause | How to identify | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PHP mail disabled | Host disabled it | Use SMTP plugin |
| Missing SPF/DKIM | Email rejected as spam | Configure DNS records |
| Blacklisted IP | Shared hosting issue | Use external email service |

**Full guide:** [Why Your WordPress Form Isn't Sending Emails](/learn/fixes/form-failures/)

### Plugin conflicts

Site breaks after installing or updating a plugin. Features stop working. Admin pages throw errors.

**Diagnosis:** Disable all plugins, re-enable one by one until you find the conflict.

**Common culprits:**

- Caching plugins interfering with dynamic content
- Security plugins blocking legitimate functionality
- Multiple plugins trying to do the same thing

### White screen of death

The site shows a blank white page. No error message, just nothing.

**Causes:**

- PHP error with error display disabled
- Memory limit exceeded
- Plugin or theme fatal error

**Fix:**

1. Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php to see the actual error
2. If you can't access admin, rename plugins folder via FTP
3. Increase PHP memory limit if that's the issue

### Slow dashboard

The WordPress admin is painfully slow while the frontend is fine.

**Causes:**

- Too many plugins loading on admin pages
- Database tables need optimization
- Hosting resource limits

**Fix:**

1. Identify slow plugins using Query Monitor
2. Run database optimization
3. Consider better hosting if resource-limited

## Shopify problems

Shopify handles hosting and infrastructure, so problems are usually theme or app related. The upside: you don't need to worry about server configuration. The downside: when something breaks, you have fewer diagnostic tools available.

### Checkout issues

Customers can't complete checkout, or checkout behaves unexpectedly. Checkout problems are the highest priority — every broken checkout session is lost revenue.

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Payment declined | Gateway configuration | Check payment provider settings |
| Infinite loading | JavaScript error | Check browser console, disable apps one by one |
| Missing fields | Theme customization | Revert recent theme changes |
| Discount codes not working | App conflict or code expiration | Check discount settings and app order |

### Theme customization problems

Changes don't appear, or customizations break after theme update.

**Prevention:** Use a child theme or duplicate your theme before updates. Document all customizations in a separate file — you'll need this when the theme updates and overwrites your changes.

### App conflicts

Apps interfering with each other or with theme functionality. Shopify's app ecosystem means multiple apps often try to modify the same parts of your store.

**Diagnosis:** Disable apps one by one, testing checkout after each. Check browser console for JavaScript errors that name specific apps.

## General web issues

Problems that happen on any website, regardless of platform.

### SSL certificate errors

Browser shows "Not Secure" or certificate warnings.

| Error | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate expired | Renewal failed | Renew certificate |
| Mixed content | HTTP resources on HTTPS page | Update all URLs to HTTPS |
| Certificate mismatch | Wrong certificate for domain | Install correct certificate |

### DNS propagation

Changes don't take effect, or site works for some people but not others.

**Reality:** DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. Check propagation status with tools like dnschecker.org.

### CDN caching issues

Changes made but old content still appears.

**Fix:** Purge CDN cache. If using Cloudflare, enable "Development Mode" temporarily to bypass cache while debugging.

### Browser caching

You see updates but users don't, or vice versa.

**Fix:** Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) to bypass local cache. For persistent issues, append version strings to asset URLs.

## Debugging workflow

When something breaks, follow this workflow:

### 1. Reproduce the problem

Can you make the problem happen consistently? Does it affect all users or just some? All browsers or specific ones?

### 2. Identify recent changes

What changed before this started happening?

- Recent deploys or updates
- New plugins or apps installed
- Server or hosting changes
- DNS or SSL changes

### 3. Check the obvious

Before diving deep:

- Clear your cache
- Try a different browser
- Try an incognito window
- Check if the issue is on your end (internet connection, VPN)

### 4. Gather error information

- Browser console (F12 → Console)
- Network tab (F12 → Network)
- Server error logs
- [Error monitoring](/learn/error-monitoring/) dashboard

### 5. Isolate the cause

- Disable plugins/apps one by one
- Revert recent changes
- Test on staging if available

### 6. Apply and verify fix

Make one change at a time. Verify each change before moving on. Don't stack multiple changes without testing.

## When to escalate

Some problems require external help:

**Contact your host when:**

- Server errors (500, 502, 503)
- Resource limits (memory, CPU)
- Email delivery issues at the server level
- SSL certificate provisioning

**Contact your platform when:**

- Core functionality broken
- Admin access lost
- Payment processing issues
- Security concerns

**Hire a developer when:**

- Custom code is involved
- You're out of your depth
- The fix requires skills you don't have
- Time is more valuable than money

Document everything before escalating. "The site is broken" is less helpful than "After updating Plugin X to version 3.2, the checkout page shows a JavaScript error in the console: TypeError: Cannot read property 'submit' of undefined."

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I know if it's a client-side or server-side problem?

If the browser console shows JavaScript errors, it's client-side. If you see 500 errors or the page never loads, it's likely server-side. Server logs will confirm.

### Should I try to fix things in production?

For minor issues, yes — but have a rollback plan. For major issues, replicate on staging first if possible. Never experiment on production during high-traffic periods.

### How do I prevent problems from recurring?

Document what broke and why. Set up [error monitoring](/learn/error-monitoring/) to catch problems early. Test changes on staging before production. Keep backups.

### What if I can't reproduce the problem?

Check if it's user-specific (browser, device, location). Check [error monitoring](/learn/error-monitoring/) for patterns. Ask affected users for details — browser, device, exact steps.

### How long should I spend before asking for help?

If you've spent an hour and made no progress, step back. Either you're missing something obvious (take a break) or you need expertise you don't have (escalate).

## Sub-pillars

### [WordPress Fixes](/learn/fixes/)

Forms not sending, plugin conflicts, slow sites, and the issues that cost you conversions.

- [Why Your WordPress Form Isn't Sending Emails](/learn/fixes/form-failures/)

### [Form Failures](/learn/fixes/form-failures/)

Forms that don't submit, data that disappears, submissions that never arrive. Platform-agnostic diagnosis and fixes.

### [Shopify Issues](/learn/fixes/shopify-issues/)

Checkout problems, app conflicts, and theme issues. Step-by-step solutions for Shopify store problems.

## Related resources

- [Error Monitoring](/learn/error-monitoring/) — Catch problems before users report them
- [Performance & Uptime](/learn/performance/) — Monitor site health continuously
- [Conversion Tracking](/learn/conversions/) — Know when problems affect business outcomes