There are several typical WordPress errors that can leave you baffled as to what to do. One such issue is the WordPress Updating and Publishing Failed error. This mistake can arise due to various causes, but it also prevents you from releasing and publishing material on your website.
Consider if you have a WordPress blog or magazine. You have a large backlog of content that needs to be released. Suddenly, the error message appears in your post editor. Your activities have been suspended, and you have continued to try to publish – all to no avail.
When you’re conducting continuous website operations, it might be a significant stumbling block. Fortunately, with a few simple tweaks and some thorough study, you’ll be able to resume the publication process in no time.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to repair this issue on WordPress. To explain, we’ll go over the seven methods for debugging and resolving this issue.
So, let’s get started.
1. Check Internet Connection and Site URL
If the update failed error occurs, one of the possible causes is a lack of internet access.
Assume you’re writing a blog article and your internet connection goes down. When this happens, WordPress frequently fails to save the modifications. It’s an uncommon event, but because it does happen, it’s worth noting.
To resolve this, make sure you have an active internet connection before publishing your work. You may accomplish this by opening a new browser and searching the internet for something. Check your internet connection by visiting other websites in a different browser tab.
If you’re confident that your internet connection isn’t the issue, you should look into your site’s URL settings.
Navigate to the Settings > General tab from your dashboard. Then, check the addresses for your website and WordPress to ensure they are right.
If the URLs and internet connection are good, but the issue persists, we’ll proceed to troubleshoot.
2. Check REST API Status
This one may appear to be technical, but it is not.
WordPress has a site-health tool. It analyses your website and provides you with a thorough report on everything that is going on in terms of speed and security.
To check the state of your website, go to Tools > Site Health.
Check the bottom result to see if the REST API is operational.
If it displays an error or an “unexpected outcome,” you must resolve it.
The Site Health tool now includes debugging information. If the REST API call returns an error, look to see if a third-party service might be causing the error.
3. Enter Debug Mode
If changing the editor does not resolve the error, it is time to enter debug mode.
You’ll need to access your FTP or File Manager for this step. You must now ensure that you have its credentials with you. FTP allows you to view files that have been uploaded to your web host and make modifications at the server level from there.
In this stage, you will also make changes to the wp-config file. As a result, you must understand precisely how to change the wp-config file.
Because you’ll be modifying at the server level, you’ll need a backup plan if something goes wrong. To backup your website, you may either generate a manual backup or utilise a plugin. As a side note, don’t delete files until you’re sure.
Anyway, these are the actions you must take to enter debug mode:
Gain FTP access to your server and look for a folder called “WordPress.” Look for the wp-config.php file within. Using a text editor, open the wp-config.php file. You can use your computer’s or Mac’s default text-editing application, but it’s suggested that you use something like Sublime Text or Notepad++.
After you’ve opened the file, add the following code at the bottom:
('wp debug', true);Before you quit the code editor, save your work.
After you’ve enabled debug mode, check to see if the error has been resolved. If the WordPress Update failed error does not appear, just go back and change the define (‘wp debug’, true); to define (‘wp debug’, false); to deactivate debug mode.
4. Delete the .maintenance file
If the previous procedure fails, we should stay on the FTP and attempt again. This time, we’ll delete the .maintenance file from the server.
Open your FTP client and navigate to your WordPress files.
As mentioned in the last step, look for the WordPress folder. You’ll need to look for the .maintenance file once you’re inside.
You may see a different file depending on the file manager you are using. If you can’t find the file, you can always search for your unique FTP and where the .maintenance file is located inside it.
Once you’ve located the .maintenance file, remove it.
This fix is only valid for 10 minutes. During that time, examine the file to see whether any changes have been resolved.
5. Troubleshoot WordPress Plugins
If the preceding steps do not yield results, you can try this one.
Go to your WordPress dashboard and then Plugins > Installed Plugins. You’ll see a checkbox just above the plugins list; selecting it will select all of your plugins.
Then, from the Bulk Actions menu, pick “Deactivate.” To save your changes, click the Apply button.
Now, activate them one at a time to see one is generating the issue on your WordPress website. When you’ve identified the culprit, email the error report to the developers. This assists them in removing the conflicts that are generating the issue in subsequent updates.
6. Replace Gutenberg with the Classic Editor
When WordPress 5 was released, it was received with criticism.
The drag-and-drop block editor in Gutenberg was the primary target of that criticism. It takes some time for new users to become used to using it because it is so different from the old editor (also known as the Classical Editor).
If you’ve upgraded WordPress and are getting the update/published failed issue, Gutenberg might be the blame. The first step in troubleshooting this issue would be to switch from Gutenberg to the Classic Editor plugin on WordPress.
Navigate to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and click Add New. After that, you’ll be sent to the WordPress Plugin Store. It will resemble the following:
The Classic Editor should be one of the first plugins displayed. If you don’t see it, just type it into the search box to find it. Install and then activate the Classic Editor.
This problem might be resolved by replacing Gutenberg with Classic Editor. Try publishing your article again to see if it works this time.
If this adjustment resolves the error, it’s time to investigate the root cause. Simply said, it frequently occurs when a WordPress page builder or another plugin clashes with Gutenberg.
Note: When you install the Classic Editor, you will lose the ability to build unique page layouts using Gutenberg. We propose this technique solely to troubleshoot the publishing or update issue, not to resolve it. You’ll need to look through your installed plugins to determine which ones aren’t compatible with Gutenberg and contact the developer for help.
If this does not resolve the error, we will look at additional possible solutions to this topic.
7. Ask for Help
If none of the preceding solutions yields results, it’s time to seek professional assistance.
There might be a problem or error with the backend or the server that is generating the error. In such a scenario, your hosting company can give you frequently occurs the most precise information and correct the issue from their end.
The first thing you should do is contact your hosting provider. You have the option of contacting support through email, phone, or chat.
The next step would be to seek assistance from the WordPress community. There are several resources available for WordPress assistance. This can include visiting WordPress forums, Facebook groups, and other online communities.
Wrapping It Up
It’s infuriating to see the update or published failed error on WordPress. It not only halts your post-publishing process but debugging it is a challenging effort in and of itself. After reading this post, perhaps you’ll be able to examine and fix this error.
We hope you found this content interesting! And if you have any more suggestions or questions about the WordPress publishing failed problems and errors, you can post them in the comments area below.
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