Category: jetpack.com

The Query Loop is a neat WordPress block that enables you to display a list of related blog posts, products, and pages. As a beginner, you might be wondering how to take advantage of this feature. 

Fortunately, the Query Loop block is relatively easy to use. You can choose your favorite pre-built layout or create something from scratch. Plus, you can configure the display of your nested blocks and fully customize the design.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the Query Loop block in WordPress. Then, we’ll show you how to use the block and talk about specific use cases.

What is the Query Loop block in WordPress?

The Query Loop block is a tool that enables WordPress users to display a dynamic list of posts based on specific attributes. For example, it can be set to cycle through all posts of a certain category, displaying the post title and image of each one. 

This block can be quite technical to configure. As a result, beginners tend to avoid using it and instead opt for the Post List block, which is a simpler version of the Query Loop. 

While the Query Loop block is more complex, it also allows for greater flexibility. For instance, you can create a page full of your best recipes or showcase a portfolio of projects. 

When to use the Query Loop block in WordPress

The Query Loop block provides multiple opportunities for promoting your content. Here are some of the results you can achieve with it:

• Create a related posts section for your blog, featuring the post title, excerpt, and image.
• Show content from custom post types like testimonials or portfolio items.
• Display posts of the same tag or category.
• Show related WooCommerce products.
• Display a grid of products, grouped by price.
• List companies by location within a business directory.
• List book reviews according to a specific star rating.

These are just some examples. There are plenty of ways you can configure the Query Loop block.

How to use the Query Loop block in WordPress

To get started with the Query Loop block, you’ll need to navigate to the post or page where you want to use it. Then, click on the + to add a new block and search for Query Loop.

You can also insert the block using the block pattern selector. Switch to Patterns and select Query from the dropdown menu. Then, choose your preferred layout.

There are plenty of Query Loop layouts to choose from. For instance, you can present your posts in a grid, with an image to the left, or stick with the default format. 

Alternatively, click on Start Blank to create your Query Loop from scratch and gain full control over the design of your content.

You’ll have to choose a variation to start with. You might want to show the image, date, and title of your post, or just present the post title and excerpt.

Whether you’ve created your block from scratch or used a template, you’ll see a preview of your block in the editor.

Your Query Loop block consists of several different sub-blocks, like post titles, featured images, and more. If you click on the Display Settings icon in the toolbar, you can configure the number of items per page.

You can also use the block settings in the panel on the right to further customize the query loop. You might decide to change the order of your items, create new posts for your feed, apply filters, change colors, and more.

What sub-blocks are found within the Query Loop block?

Within the Query Loop block, you’ll find several sub-blocks grouped together. Although they contain the word “post” in their names, they can also apply to other content like pages, portfolio items, or products.

Let’s take a look at each sub-block. 

1. Post Title

The Post Title block displays the title of each post. You can transform the title into a link and adjust the font and color within the Block settings.

2. Post Date

With this block, you can show the published date of your content. You can change the default format, show the last modified date, and link to a post within the settings.

3. Post Content

The Post Content block presents the entire content from your post or page within the Query Loop block. This could make your block very long, which can be off-putting for visitors.

4. Post Excerpt

Post Excerpt displays a summary of each piece of content. Visitors will be able to view your excerpt and find a “Read More” link. You can add this link on a new line or at the end of the excerpt. Plus, you can modify the anchor text, change the link color, and select a new font size. 

5. Post Featured Image

If you choose to include this block in your Query Loop, you’ll display the featured image for your posts or products. Additionally, you can enable a link with your image to direct visitors toward the piece of content when clicked.

6. Post Categories

By adding a Post Categories block inside your Query Loop, you can display the categories associated with that piece of content. This is a great way to display blog posts that cover a similar topic, or products within the same category. You can also change the color and fonts within the settings. 

7. Post Tags

The Post Tags block enables you to display the tags added to your post. It’s another useful way to showcase similar content.

8. Pagination (previous post and next post)

Pagination is one of the most valuable blocks to add to your Query Loop since it displays links to your previous or next posts. Pagination consists of three separate blocks:

• Previous
• Page Numbers
• Next 

To use it, you’ll first need to select the Post Template block, using the List View. Then, you can click on + to add the Pagination block.

9. Post Author

As the name suggests, Post Author showcases the author details, like the author name, avatar, and bio. If you choose to include this block, you’ll need to select the user with the dropdown menu in the Block settings. Here, you can also configure avatar visibility, change the avatar size, show/hide your author bio, and change the color and dimensions.

10. Post Author Biography 

If you don’t want to include your author name and avatar in your Query Loop, but you want the author bio to be visible, then this block is for you. All your visitors will be able to see is the bio. Plus, you can customize its appearance, adjusting the dimension, font, and color. 

Examples of Query Loop block use cases

Now that you understand the Query Loop block a little better, let’s take a look at three ways you can use it.

1. Create a “recent posts” section

This section can make your recently published content more visible.

To get started, you’ll need to use two Query Loop blocks. Add your first one, then choose a pattern or start from scratch. For visual posts like recipes, Image, Date, & Title can be a good choice.

If you’ve already configured your Query Loop, your posts will show up here. If not, click on Create a new post for this feed to write and publish the posts you want to include.

Since this is where your most recent post will go, you’ll only want to display one piece of content. Navigate to the Display Settings. Beside ITEMS PER PAGE,input “1”.

Now, you should only be able to see your most recent post listed in the block.

You can then add a second Query Loop block to display other recent posts. Choose your preferred layout. Then, navigate to the toolbar and switch from List View to Grid View. This way, the reader can see more of your recipes at once.

Now, click on the Display Settings and change the OFFSET value to “1”. This will eliminate your most recent post from your second Query Loop block.

Additionally, you can customize the layout of your block. For instance, you might want to reduce the font size of your headings to improve the text’s readability. You can do this from the toolbar.

You might also want to reduce the size of the date. You can make these changes within the Block settings. Find Typography and select a more appropriate font size.

You can also set new dimensions for your featured images, and alter the alignment of your recipe titles. When you’re ready, click on Save draft or Publish. 

2. Add the Query Loop block to an index template 

If you’re using a block theme, you can add the Query Loop block to a template. This can come in handy when setting global styles for query loops and their sub-blocks.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Editor.

Click on the pull-down menu that’s currently set to Home or Page (depending on your theme), and select Browse all templates.

From the list of templates, select the one you’d like to edit. The Index template tends to be a good option, since it’s the one that indexes and displays website posts.

If you choose Index, you’ll find that the template already comes with a Query Loop block, but you can delete it and add your own. You can then adjust the layout, switching between List View and Grid View. 

You can also customize your “Read More” text by clicking on the sub-block and typing in your preferred call-to-action.

You’ll also find all the Block settings available if you go to the toolbar and click on Show more settings. Here, you can change the text size and color, and set new dimensions for your images.

3. Set global styles for your Query Loop blocks

If you plan on using Query Loop blocks frequently on your site, it can be time-consuming to create and configure your loop over and over again. That’s why it’s a good idea to set global styles for your query loops and nested blocks.

To access the global styles editor, click on the Styles icon in the top-right corner of your screen:

Then, select Blocks at the bottom of the sidebar:

Scroll through the list of available blocks and find Query Loop. Then, click on Colors:

Here, you can manage the color schemes of different elements and blocks on your site. If you want to add more custom colors to your default palette, click on Palette and find CUSTOM. 

Now, click on the + to add new colors to your palette.

Next, go back to your Query Block loop colors. You’ll see a list of elements like background, links, and headings. 

You can also set default styles for these components. To do this, select the element you want to edit.

 For instance, you can change the background color of your Query Loop blocks.

If you decide against any of the changes you apply, simply click on Clear.

You can also set global styles for the background and text color of your headings. Additionally, you can assign hover colors for your links. When you’re done, click on Save to apply new default styles to your blocks.

Extend the Query Loop block

Although you now know how to create and customize a Query Loop block in WordPress, you may be looking to extend the block even further. Using the Block Variations API, you can specify certain default settings, disable customization options, and more.

For instance, you might never use the Sticky attribute in your Query Loop. The Author field might also not be relevant to your posts. Therefore, you can disable these controls so that they’re not visible.

In this instance, the variation code would look like this:

{
    /** ...variation properties */
    allowedControls: [ 'inherit', 'order', 'taxQuery', 'search' ],
}

This way, your users can access the inherent, order, taxonomies, and search features, but the author and sticky fields won’t be displayed. 

Alternatively, you might prefer to hide the search option for users, in which case your property would look like this:

{
    /** ...variation properties */
    allowedControls: [ 'inherit', ‘postType’, 'order', ‘sticky’, 'taxQuery', ‘author’, ],
}

If, for whatever reason, you want to hide all the available controls for your Query Loop block, you can set an empty array beside the allowedControls. 

As you can see, this method requires some technical knowledge. If you have no coding skills, you may want to stick with the customization options available in the Block Editor. 

Frequently asked questions

While we’ve tried to cover all aspects of the Query Loop block, you may still have some questions about this feature. Let’s look at the most common ones. 

What is a WordPress query?

Query translates to “ask” or “command.” So within the Query Loop block, the “Query” portion enables users to ask for certain information to pull into the loop. This is how the Query Loop displays all posts or pages for a specific tag, category, and more.

What is a WordPress loop?

A WordPress loop is a way of displaying similar information in a cyclic format. For instance, you can create a loop of blog posts that will display related articles on your page, showing the post title, excerpt, featured image, and more. 

The data is pulled from your published content and placed in the loop, which sits on your pages for visitors. As such, it helps you direct users toward other relevant pieces of content and keep visitors engaged with your site.

What can you do with the Query Loop block?

There are plenty of things you can achieve with the Query Loop block. For example, you could show a list of related or featured products. 

Additionally, you could direct users toward other recipes on your site that share the same tags or categories. For a portfolio website, you can even showcase your latest or best work within a Query Loop block. 

How can you extend the Query Loop block?

You can achieve detailed control over the way your Query Loop is displayed by adding custom settings to the block. With the Block Variations API, you can create new features, disable certain elements, and apply your own presets. 

Create a Query Loop block in WordPress

The Query Loop block is a useful WordPress block that enables you to display featured posts, related pages, or products of a certain category. You can also use it to show content from custom post types, like testimonials and portfolio projects. 

The Query Loop block is very customizable. You can configure the sub-blocks within it, like the post title, author name, and featured images. Plus, you can extend the block and add custom settings with the Block Variations API. 

Another way to help visitors find the right content on your site is to use Jetpack Search. Ideal for large websites, you can provide instant search results and utilize powerful filters to boost your user experience. Get started with Jetpack Search today!

Deleting old and unused themes can boost your website’s performance and make it more secure. But you might not know how to remove inactive themes from WordPress.

Fortunately, there are many ways to deactivate and delete themes in WordPress. This means you can find an option that suits your skill level. Plus, it’s also easy to clean up all theme-related content so that your new theme runs smoothly.

In this post, we’ll look at when to consider deleting a WordPress theme. Then, we’ll explore some key considerations and show you four ways to deactivate and remove themes. 

When to delete a WordPress theme

When you activate a new theme on your site, your previous theme is automatically deactivated. But if you navigate to your Themes page, you’ll see that the old theme is still installed on your site.

While your deactivated themes aren’t in use, their software is still on your site. The theme’s data continues to be stored in your database. 

That’s why, if you don’t need to use your theme again, it’s best to remove it entirely. With that in mind, here are some situations where it makes sense to delete a theme in WordPress:

• You’ve installed a new theme, so you want to get rid of the old one.
• You’ve installed a theme to try out, but you’ve decided it isn’t for you.
• You have more than one default WordPress theme installed, and want to remove the extras.

Deleting inactive themes is a good habit since themes (and other software) can make your site more vulnerable to security threats. This is because the software gives hackers more opportunities to exploit and infiltrate your site. To reduce some of this risk, you can continue to update these inactive themes to receive the benefits of the latest fixes. But that just gives you another unnecessary chore to remember in the effort to keep a secure, well-performing site.

Plus, inactive themes still store files in your database, taking up space. This can make your hosting plan more pricey and slow down your website’s performance by bloating its database. 

When to NOT delete a WordPress theme

Although it’s good practice to delete unused themes in WordPress, there are some situations when it’s better not to delete your theme. Let’s look at three reasons not to remove your theme! 

The theme is a parent theme

Creating a child theme is a great way to apply custom functionality and styling to your theme without losing your customizations due to software updates. However, your child theme inherits its functionality and styling from its parent, so it’s not recommended to delete the parent. 

You’re unable to activate a child theme without its parent theme also being installed on your site. Therefore, if you delete the parent of your active child theme, it will cause it to break. Then, you may lose all of your hard work and customizations. 

The theme is used on a multisite network

What’s more, it’s best not to delete your theme if you’re on a multisite network. Multisite is a WordPress feature that enables you to manage multiple websites from the same WordPress installation, on the same server. All the sites share themes, plugins, and files.

If, at the top of your WordPress dashboard, it says the name of your website, it’s a single website.

But if it says My Sites, then your site is part of a multisite network. If this is the case, and your theme is active on another site on the network, then it’s best to deactivate it rather than delete it. 

If you delete a theme that another site is using, you could take down the website that’s using the layout or harm its user experience (UX). 

One helpful thing, however, is that only the network administrator can manage themes on the multisite network since they can verify which ones are in use and where. So, if you’re not the administrator, you won’t be able to remove a theme that’s in use somewhere else. 

You use it as a testing theme

It’s also a good idea not to delete your theme if you use it regularly for testing. Some developers and experienced WordPress users will activate a specific theme just for testing purposes. 

If this is the case, you’ll want to keep the testing theme installed so that it’s easy to access when needed. Otherwise, you’ll have to continually reinstall it, and you may lose progress on tests you’ve already run. 

What to do before deleting a WordPress theme

Now that you know a bit more about deleting a WordPress theme, let’s take a look at some important factors to consider before you get started. Keeping these tips in mind can prevent you from jumping in too soon and causing errors on your website.

1. Back up your site 

Before making any significant changes to your site, it’s always best to make a fresh WordPress backup. This way, should anything go wrong, you’ll be able to restore your content quickly and easily.

One of the easiest ways to back up your WordPress site is to use a plugin like Jetpack VaultPress Backup.

Jetpack VaultPress Backup automatically saves file backups, database backups, and WooCommerce data like customer and order details. Better yet, copies are stored across multiple servers for extra peace of mind.

One of the reasons VaultPress Backup is so popular is its easy restore process. You can restore your entire site with just a few clicks on the mobile app or from your WordPress.com dashboard (even if you can’t access your site). 

Your first backup will begin automatically when you activate VaultPress Backup. You can see it by going to Jetpack → VaultPress Backup in your WordPress dashboard. Then, whenever you change your site, Jetpack VaultPress Backup will save all of your work. 

2. Run tests on a staging site

A staging site is a duplicate version of your website. The difference is that your staging site is inaccessible to the public. This makes it ideal for updating your theme, running tests, or applying customizations in private. 

If you have a staging site, it’s a good idea to delete the theme in this environment first to check for problems. You’ll then quickly know if you’ve made a mistake. 

By using a staging website, your live site won’t be harmed if anything goes wrong. Then, once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made in the staging environment (and you know they’re safe), it’s easy to push the changes live and make them accessible to your visitors. 

Some web hosts offer built-in staging functionality, so you might be able to set up your staging environment within your hosting or WordPress dashboard. 

Alternatively, the easiest way to create a staging site is to use a plugin like WP Staging.

Once you activate the plugin, head to WP Staging → Staging Sites in your WordPress admin area. Then, click on CREATE NEW STAGING SITE.

Then, choose which database tables and files you want to include in your staging environment. Alternatively, you can leave the settings as they are. In this case, the plugin will clone your entire website. 

Next, click on Start Cloning.

The plugin will provide instructions on accessing your staging site when the process is finished. Then, you’re free to use it to test changes to your website, including deactivating and deleting themes. 

How to delete a theme in WordPress (4 methods)

Now that you’ve backed up your site and created a staging site, here are four simple methods to completely remove themes from WordPress. Additionally, we’ll explain how to deactivate a theme in WordPress.

1. Remove the theme using the admin dashboard

The simplest way to delete a theme in WordPress is to use the admin dashboard. This option is straightforward and suitable for all types of users, including complete beginners. 

Since this method requires access to the admin panel, it isn’t always possible. For instance, if you can’t log in to your WordPress site, you won’t be able to access your dashboard.  

Assuming you can access your dashboard, navigate to Appearance → Themes.

Here, you’ll see all of your installed themes with the active theme listed first. If you want to delete a theme, you’ll first need to ensure that it’s deactivated. 

You can deactivate a theme in WordPress by hovering your mouse over a different theme and selecting Activate.

Then, find and click on the theme you want to delete. In the bottom right-hand corner, you should see a small Delete link.

All you need to do is click on the link. Then, select OK in the popup form to confirm the action. It’s as simple as that!

2. Remove the theme via FTP

If you don’t have access to the WordPress admin area, you can delete your theme via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). To do this, you’ll need to connect to your site via FTP to access your website’s files.

First, you’ll need to choose an FTP client. If you don’t already have FTP software downloaded, FileZilla is a high-quality and free option.

Go ahead and download your FTP client. Then, enter your FTP credentials. Next, open the root directory of your site. This is usually a folder named public_html. 

Navigate to wp-content and click on your themes folder.

Here, you can see a list of all your installed themes. If you simply want to deactivate a theme, just rename its folder to something like “twentytwenty-deactivated”. 

If you want to go straight to deleting the theme, you can do that too. The downside of deleting your theme via this method is that there’s no way of telling which theme is active on your website (unless you remember which one it is). That’s why it’s so important to back up your site before this next step. 

When you find the theme you want to remove, right-click on its folder and hit Delete.

Then, you’ll be asked to confirm your choice. Once you navigate back to your WordPress dashboard, you should no longer see the deleted theme. 

3. Delete the theme via cPanel

cPanel is another helpful tool provided by many hosting providers within their account dashboards. If you don’t have access to the WordPress dashboard and prefer not to use FTP, cPanel is a great alternative. 

First, you’ll need to log in to your hosting account. Then, access the File Manager.

Look for the wp-content folder that you’ll find inside your site’s root directory. Next, select the themes folder.

Here, locate the theme folder that you want to delete or deactivate. If you want to deactivate the theme, rename its folder to something like “exampletheme-deactivated”. 

If you want to remove a theme entirely, right-click on its folder and select the Delete option. You’ll then be asked to confirm the action. 

4. Remove the theme via WP-CLI

The quickest way to remove your WordPress theme is via the WordPress Command Line Interface (WP-CLI). WP-CLI enables you to directly interact with your website using commands.

There are many actions you can perform with WP-CLI. For example, you’re able to update plugins, create new pages, and configure multisite installations. 

That being said, it requires a fair amount of technical expertise to use WP-CLI for site management. Therefore, this method isn’t recommended for beginners. 

You’ll need to install WP-CLI and access your site via the command line to get started. Then, you can view a list of all installed themes by using the following command:

$ wp theme list 

You can also be more specific if you only want to view inactive themes. In this case, simply type:

$ wp theme list --status=inactive

When you find the theme(s) you want to delete, enter the following command: 

wp theme delete themename 

Remember that instead of “themename”, you’ll want to enter the name of your theme, like “twentytwenty”. Keep in mind that you must use the name of the theme folder, not the name of the theme as it appears in your dashboard. So, you’ll need to write “twentytwenty” instead of “Twenty Twenty”. 

If you’re successful, you’ll see a message informing you that your theme has been deleted.

Additionally, you can use WP-CLI to disable a theme on a multisite installation. You’ll just need to enter this command, substituting the name of the theme:

$ wp theme disable twentysixteen

What to do after removing a theme from WordPress

At this point, you’ve successfully deactivated or deleted your WordPress theme. But before you move on to other tasks, it’s worth testing your site to verify that everything is running as it should. It’s also a good idea to remove theme-related content from your website. 

Test your site

The first thing to do is test your site once your theme has been deleted. This process is as simple as opening your browser and entering your website’s URL. Then, ensure everything is working correctly, and all content is loading.

Here’s a list of actions you can perform to test out the functionality of your site:

• Make sure all internal and external links are working.
• Verify that everything looks as it should without design abnormalities. 
• Fill out any forms, including contact and subscription forms.
• Try enabling and disabling cookies on your site.
• Make sure you can navigate the menu. 
• Check that you can access your site on a mobile device and that the content displays properly.  
• Go through any checkout or shopping functionality, if applicable.

If you’ve deleted the parent of your active theme, you may find some (or all) of your CSS missing. So, your site will look unstyled, and you’ll need to restore a backup of your site or switch to a new theme. If you accidentally deleted the active theme, WordPress will have switched to one of your other installed themes. 

Remove theme-related content

Even though you’ve deleted your theme, you might still have content on your site that’s specific to the software. This might include elements like widgets, menus, images, or posts.  

You can reassign this content so that it works with your new theme or simply remove these components from your site. 

If there are widgets in the theme you deactivated, you’ll find them by going to Appearance → Widgets. Then, select Inactive Widgets:

You can physically drag these into the widget areas in your new theme or delete them. To delete a widget, select it and click on the three dots to expand the toolbar. Then, choose Remove. 

Additionally, you can remove any posts or pages after deleting your theme by going to Posts or Pages in your dashboard. But you can also leave them as they are and continue to use them with your new theme if you’d prefer. 

On top of this, themes have different image settings, including featured images, sliders, and carousels. Therefore, you might need to resize these photos to fit your new layouts or simply remove them.

Frequently asked questions

While we’ve tried to cover all the most important aspects of deactivating and deleting themes in WordPress, you may still have some questions. We’ll answer them in this section!

Can I delete the default WordPress theme?

Yes. Like any other theme, if you’re not using the default WordPress theme, it’s simply taking up space. 

But keep in mind that often, switching to a default WordPress theme is highly recommended for troubleshooting common WordPress issues. For instance, it’s a good idea to change to a default theme when you encounter login errors.

This is because default WordPress themes are less likely to cause conflicts with the core software or third-party plugins. Therefore, you might prefer to delete all of your unused themes but hold on to a default theme for troubleshooting purposes. 

Should I delete unused themes?

You can just deactivate themes, but these will still be installed on your site, taking up unnecessary space. Therefore, deleting themes altogether is a great way to free up storage space, keep your database light, and reduce the likelihood of online attacks. As a result, you can boost your loading times and make your site more secure. 

What if a WordPress theme has no delete button?

You won’t find a delete button if you try to delete your active theme. Therefore, you’ll need to activate a new theme before deleting the previous one. 

You may also not see the delete button if you’re trying to delete the parent of an active child theme. In this case, you will need to switch to a different parent theme and try again.

What if I still can’t delete a theme?

If you’ve followed all the steps in this tutorial and still can’t delete your theme, it’s best to reach out to your hosting provider for help. This situation shows the importance of choosing a quality WordPress host with 24/7 technical support. Plus, it helps if your web host is easily accessible via a direct contact channel like live chat.

What can I do if I accidentally deleted a WordPress theme?

If you accidentally deleted a theme, there are numerous ways to restore it. First, you can restore your theme from a backup, assuming that you use something like Jetpack VaultPress Backup. 

Alternatively, you can download and install a fresh version of the theme by going to Appearance → Themes → Add New.

Then, search for new themes using the search bar in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Or, you can browse the list of WordPress themes. With this approach, it’s important to note that you’ll lose any customizations that you configured in your theme, like custom styles.

Delete your WordPress theme quickly and easily

If you don’t delete unused themes in WordPress, your site could be more vulnerable to security threats. Plus, theme files take up space on your server. Fortunately, it’s easy to deactivate and delete themes in WordPress, and by doing so, improve your web performance and reduce security risks. 

To recap, here are four ways to deactivate and delete a theme in WordPress:

1. Remove a theme using the admin dashboard.
2. Remove a theme via FTP.
3. Remove a theme via cPanel.
4. Remove a theme via WP-CLI.

Before you even think about deleting WordPress themes, it’s best to make a backup of your entire site. Jetpack VaultPress Backup automatically backs up all your site files, database tables, and WooCommerce data. Plus, you can restore your website from any location, even if you can’t access your dashboard. Get Jetpack VaultPress Backup today!

While WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, you may encounter problems from time to time. For example, you might have issues logging into your WordPress dashboard.

Fortunately, whether it’s a 404 message, redirect loop, or something else, there are multiple ways to fix login errors. By doing so, you’ll make your site accessible again to all members of your content and development team. 

Below, you’ll learn about seven of the most common WordPress login errors. Then, we’ll share our best tips for fixing them. 

1. “Cookies are blocked or not supported” error

Cookies are small snippets of data sent to your browser when you visit certain websites. The cookies are then stored for a specified period or until your session expires.

Websites use cookies to personalize the user experience (UX) by keeping track of your activities and preferences. Additionally, on the WordPress login page, cookies save your login credentials. 

When you log in to WordPress and receive an error message that says, “cookies are blocked or not supported,” there are several potential causes. First, a security or caching plugin might be blocking cookies. Alternatively, if you’ve recently switched web hosts, there may be a conflict between the cookies in your browser and your new server.

There are two main ways to fix this login error. You can either clear your browser cache or edit your wp-config.php file.

Solution: Clear your browser cookies and cache 

Clearing your cookies and cache is a great way to free up storage space and resolve common formatting issues and login errors. The process for clearing cookies depends on your browser.

If you’re a Google Chrome user, click on the three dots in the upper-right corner. Then, select More Tools → Clear Browsing Data.

Make sure that at least two of the boxes are ticked: 

• Cookies and other site data
• Cached images and files 

Then, confirm the action by clicking on Clear Data. Now, try to re-access your WordPress login page.

Solution: Edit your wp-config.php file

If the previous method didn’t work, you’ll need to edit the wp-config.php file via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or File Manager in your hosting dashboard. 

Once you’ve connected to your site, open its root directory. This is usually labeled public_html. Then, scroll down until you see wp-config.php.

Open the file and scroll down until you see the line that says:

 /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */

Before that line, paste the following code to fix the blocked or not supported cookies error:

define(‘COOKIE_DOMAIN’,$_SERVER[‘HTTP_HOST’]);

Now, refresh your browser and see if you can access WordPress.

2. WordPress login is stuck in a redirect loop

If your WordPress URL and site address differ from the permalinks registered with your hosting provider, they can create issues with the login procedure. In this case, you’ll be continually redirected back to the WordPress login page without ever gaining access to your site.

A common cause of the redirect loop is a recent migration, like switching hosts or servers. Moving the WordPress core files to a subdirectory can also result in this WordPress error.

As with most login errors, clearing your cookies and cache is the easiest way to start. You can check out the previous section to learn how to do this.

If that doesn’t work, there are three main methods you can try. The first involves editing the wp-config.php file. The second requires editing your functions.php file. Finally, you can try to restore your .htaccess file.

Solution: Edit your wp-config.php file

If you still have access to your WordPress dashboard, verify your site address and WordPress address by going to Settings → General. Here, look at your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL).

These addresses should match up. If they don’t, you can change your settings manually in wp-config.php. This method requires finding and editing wp-config.php via FTP or File Manager. 

Once you’ve gained access to your WordPress files, head to public_html and open wp-config.php in a text editor.

Now, open the file and paste the following lines of code:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'http://example.com' );

define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'http://example.com' );

You’ll need to substitute your URL for “example.com” in both lines. Then, save your changes and refresh the WordPress login screen to see if the error has cleared. 

Solution: Edit your functions.php file

If you’re still unable to log in, you can edit the functions.php file to reset your WordPress address. Again, you’ll need to access the root directory of your site. Then, open your wp-content folder and locate your themes folder.

Now, select your active theme and find functions.php.

Open the file and add the following code to the bottom:

update_option( 'siteurl', 'https://example.com' );

update_option( 'home', 'https://example.com' );

This should update your database and reset your site’s URL. Now, refresh your login screen and try again. Once you’ve gained access to your site, you can delete these lines of code from your functions.php file.

Solution: Restore the default .htaccess file

The final fix for the redirect loop is restoring the default .htaccess file. This is because one of the main causes of this error is a corrupted .htaccess file. It may be caused by custom changes you’ve made to the file.

You’ll need to access your WordPress files via FTP or File Manager. Then, locate your .htaccess file.

The first thing to do is to rename the file, so right-click on it and call it “.htaccess-old”. 

Next, you’re going to create a new .htaccess file. Stay within the root directory of your site and click on New File.

Name your new file “.htaccess” and paste the following code into it:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On

RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]

RewriteBase /

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Save your changes and exit the File Manager. Then, return to the WordPress login page and see if the error is resolved. 

3. “HTTP 500 Internal Server” error

A corrupted .htaccess file can cause internal server errors. Therefore, the best way to resolve the problem is to remove the file altogether.

Solution: Replace the .htaccess file

You’ll need access to your site files. You can do this via FTP or through your File Manager. Then, locate .htaccess within your public_html folder.

It can be a good idea to download a copy of the file to your computer before making any changes. If something goes wrong (or .htaccess isn’t the cause), you can re-upload the file to your database.

Now, right-click on the file to remove it. Additionally, you might need to visit your wp-admin folder to see if there is also an .htaccess file there. If there is, go ahead and delete that too.

Then, head back to your WordPress login screen and try to access your site. If this works, you know that your .htaccess file was the problem. 

In this instance, you’ll need to create a new .htaccess file. You can do this within your root files by following the instructions in Section 2 of this tutorial.

Alternatively, you can generate a new .htaccess file in your WordPress dashboard. To do this, simply navigate to Settings → Permalinks.

Then, click on the Save button without making any changes to the settings. You can see if this has worked by revisiting your database and looking for a new .htaccess file in your site’s root directory.

4. “404 Not Found” error

If your site is returning a 404 error, it’s important to check your wp-login.php file. To do this, you’ll need to access your site files via FTP or File Manager. Then, look inside public_html.

If you have a backup of your wp-login.php file, you can compare it against the current one in your database and look for any differences. Essentially, you need to make sure that the file contains these two lines:

fine (‘WP_HOME’, ‘http://example.com’);

fine (‘WP_SITEURL’, ‘http://example.com’);

If you don’t see these lines of code in your wp-login.php file, download a fresh copy of the file from a new WordPress installation. 

If this doesn’t solve the problem, the 404 error may be due to software conflicts between plugins and themes.

Solution: Deactivate your WordPress plugins 

Since you don’t have access to your WordPress dashboard, you’ll need to deactivate the plugins from your server. Access it via File Manager or FTP and locate public_html. Then, find your wp-content folder.

Open the folder and look for plugins. Then, right-click on the folder to rename it. You’ll want to rename it something like “plugins-old” or “plugins-disabled” to deactivate all plugins on your site. This tricks WordPress into thinking that your plugins no longer exist.

Now, return to your login screen to see if you can access your site. If you can, reactivate each plugin until you find the issue. 

If this is a common issue on your site, it’s worth sticking with reputable plugins from the official WordPress plugin repository. You’ll also want to read customer reviews and see how frequently the plugin is updated. Generally, plugins with active development are best, since you know they’ll be compatible with the latest version of WordPress.

Solution: Replace your theme

As we mentioned earlier, the 404 error is generally caused by conflicts within the software on your site. While plugins tend to be the main culprits, the issue may also lie with your theme.

Therefore, you might be able to fix the 404 error by replacing your active theme with a default one.

Since you don’t have access to your WordPress admin area, you’ll need to activate a default theme on your server. 

Access your site’s files via FTP or File Manager. Then, open your wp-content folder and locate your themes folder.

Rename the folder something like “themes-old” or “themes-disabled.” If all goes well, this should replace your theme with the latest default version on your website (like Twenty Twenty-Two).

Now, head back to the login page. If you can access your site without seeing the 404 error, you know that your theme was to blame. 

In this case, it might be best to switch themes. Additionally, it’s a good idea to stick with an official WordPress theme. If you’d prefer to use a third-party theme, make sure it comes from a developer or company that you trust.

5. The WordPress login page is a blank screen

The White Screen of Death (WSoD) is one of the most frustrating login errors because it’s challenging to identify its cause. When you trigger this error, all you will see is a blank white screen.

Typically, the WSoD error is related to PHP or database errors. For instance, you may have added an incorrect line of code to one of your site’s files. If you remember making a recent change in your database, it’s a good idea to return to the file and remove the edits. You can do this quite easily by restoring a WordPress backup from just before you made the changes. If this doesn’t work, there are several solutions that you can try.

Start by clearing your cookies and cache. Disabling your plugins and changing to a default WordPress theme can also fix the problem. We explained how to perform these fixes earlier in this troubleshooting guide.

Solution: Restore a backup of your site

One of the easiest ways to fix the WSoD error is to restore a backup of your site. With a plugin like Jetpack VaultPress Backup, you can easily back up your database and files.

Better yet, you can restore your site from any location, even though you can’t log in. You’ll also be able to view an activity log containing all recent activity on your site. This can help you detect any potential problems.

To restore your site using Jetpack VaultPress Backup, navigate to https://cloud.jetpack.com and open your Activity Log. There, you can either scroll through the events that took place on your site, or use the filters to find a specific one.

Then, click Restore to this point and select the files you want to restore. And that’s it! Simply wait until the restoration process is complete and you’re good to go.

Solution: Enable debug mode

The WSoD is notoriously difficult to troubleshoot because you generally don’t receive any information about the error. That’s why it can be useful to enable debug mode, which can identify the specific sources of the error. 

You can enable debug mode using a WordPress plugin like Query Monitor that will do this automatically. Alternatively, you can enable debugging manually by editing your wp-config.php file. 

You’ll need to connect to your site’s server using FTP or File Manager. Then, locate the root directory of your site and look for wp-config.php.

Then, find this line at the bottom of the file:

 /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */. 

Before this line, add the following code to enable WordPress debug mode:

// Enable WP_DEBUG mode

define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );

// Enable Debug logging to the /wp-content/debug.log file

define( ‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true );

// Disable display of errors and warnings

define(‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’ false );

Now, revisit your site, and you should be able to see new error messages providing information about the cause of the issue.

Solution: Increase your server memory

One of the most effective solutions to the WSoD error is to adjust your server’s memory limit. That’s because PHP scripts running on your site may be exceeding the maximum memory provided by your hosting plan and causing the login page to time out. 

You may be able to contact your web host to adjust your memory limits. You can also expand your server memory manually by editing wp-config.php. 

You’ll need to connect to your site using FTP or File Manager. Then, within your public_html folder, find wp-config.php.

In this file, scroll to the bottom and add the following code:

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', 'XM' );

Replace “X” with the amount of server memory you want in megabytes. For instance, “128M” will increase this limit to 128 megabytes. 

Save your changes. Then, reload your site. 

If this hasn’t worked, head back to wp-config.php and increase the memory limit even further. But it’s important to note that most web hosts will not let you exceed a certain amount (especially if you’re on a shared plan).

To avoid this type of login error in the future, it’s best to make a new backup of your site before making important changes to its files. Alternatively, it can be a good idea to trial changes on a staging site first. That way, you can test things out in a safe area without affecting your live content.

6. Lost or forgotten passwords

A lost or forgotten password can also prevent you from logging in to your WordPress site. In this scenario, you’ll see a warning message that says, “invalid email address” or “lost your password?”.

You can use the link provided to reset your password. But you might not have access to the email address where your link is sent. In this case, you can fix the login error manually.  

If the error happens to another user (other than yourself) who can’t access your site, you can do this from your WordPress dashboard. As the site administrator, you’re able to create and manage all user accounts. Go to Users in the admin area.

Find and select the specific user who needs their password reset. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says Account Management.

Next, click on Set New Password → Generate Password. At this point, you can either insert a custom password or let WordPress generate one for you. Then, select Update Profile to save your changes, and then share the new credentials with the user. 

7. WordPress login disabled (too many failed attempts)

The last error that we’ll discuss in this article occurs when there have been too many failed attempts to gain entry to your site. Generally, you’ll only see this error message if you have a plugin that secures your WordPress login page.  

For example, you might use a tool that limits your login attempts. Or, you might have a general security plugin installed on your site.

In this case, the only way to fix the login error is to disable the plugin. To do this, you’ll need to access your WordPress site via FTP or File Manager. Then, open your public_html folder and select wp-content.

Next, click on plugins and find the security plugin within the folder. Right-click on the file to rename it. You’ll want to call it something like “example-disabled” to deactivate the individual plugin. 

Head to your WordPress login page and see if you can access your site. If you can, then you’ll need to reactivate your plugin from your WordPress dashboard. You can do this by heading to Plugins → Installed Plugins. Then, find the plugin in question and select Activate.

If this plugin continues to cause WordPress login errors, it’s worth looking for an alternative tool. You can also communicate with the plugin developers to see if they can fix the problem. 

Site backups: The solution to immediately resolve login errors

The best way to avoid login errors is to use Jetpack VaultPress Backup. If anything goes wrong on your site, it’s easy to restore an earlier version or replace individual files.

As a result, you don’t need to work your way through a bunch of troubleshooting steps to find and fix the issue. Instead, you’ll be able to get your site back up and running in no time.

Not only does VaultPress Backup save your site files, but you’ll also get backups of your entire database, along with WooCommerce customer and order data. What’s more, the copies of your site are stored in a secure location across multiple servers, and encrypted for extra peace of mind.

One of the best things about Jetpack VaultPress Backup is that it’s easy to use, making it suitable for even complete beginners. You can create a backup of your site in just a few minutes. Then, you can restore your site using the mobile app. 

Fix WordPress login errors

While WordPress is a reliable content management system, you may encounter occasional login errors that stop you from accessing your website. Fortunately, you can fix all kinds of WordPress errors like 404 errors, 500 errors, redirect loops, and more.

For example, try increasing your server memory limits if you’re faced with a blank WordPress login screen. Alternatively, you’ll need to remove some code from your wp-login.php file to fix any redirect loops. Meanwhile, if cookies are blocked, it’s worth clearing your browser cache.