How to Turn Off PHP Errors in WordPress?

turn off php errors in wordpress

While PHP warnings and notices are essential for developers to identify and resolve code-related issues, they can detract from the user experience when displayed to your website’s audience.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a simple process for disabling PHP errors in WordPress and maintaining a professional site appearance.

What are PHP Errors?

Hide php errors in wordpress from visitors.

Let’s understand PHP errors before we turn off PHP errors. PHP errors are messages generated by the PHP programming language when the language encounters issues or inconsistencies in your website’s code.

These errors can be minor, like notices or warnings, or more critical, such as fatal errors that can crash your website.

The Importance of Turning Off PHP Errors

PHP errors can be detrimental to your website’s functionality and user experience. They not only disrupt your site’s appearance but can also expose sensitive information about your website’s structure, making it vulnerable to security threats.

Maintaining a professional and secure online presence is essential to preventing PHP errors.

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How do you turn off PHP errors in WordPress?

Now, let’s dive into the steps to turn off PHP errors in WordPress using cPanel:

Step 1: Access Your WordPress Dashboard

  1. Log in to your cPanel account provided by your web hosting service.
Cpanel Login Page
  1. Look for the “File Manager” icon or link in your cPanel dashboard and click on it.
Cpanel File Manager

Step 2: Navigate to the wp-config.php File

  1. In the File Manager, navigate to the directory where your WordPress website is installed. This is usually the public_html directory or a subdirectory within it.
Public_html
  1. Search for the wp-config.php file within your WordPress directory.
WP Config File

Step 3: Edit the wp-config.php File

  1. Right-click on the wp-config.php file and select “Edit” or “Code Edit.”
Edit WP Config File
  1. Look for the line that says define('WP_DEBUG', true);.
Enable Debug Mode to turn off php errors
  1. Replace the line with the following code:
PHP
ini_set('display_errors','Off');
ini_set('error_reporting', E_ALL );
define('WP_DEBUG', false);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Step 4: Save Your Changes

  1. Save the changes you made to the wp-config.php file.
save changes to turn off php errors in wordpress

Step 5: Verify the Changes

To ensure that PHP errors are turned off, visit your website and navigate its various pages. If you no longer see error messages, congratulations, you’ve successfully turned off PHP errors in WordPress!

Reactivating PHP Error Messages in WordPress

At times, unveiling PHP error messages within the WordPress ecosystem proves remarkably beneficial, mainly when engaged in troubleshooting endeavors. Hence, if you intend to enable the visibility of PHP errors once again, proceed by revisiting the alterations you introduced in the preceding phase and effectuate the ensuing substitution:

Invoke the following directives:

PHP
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true);
Enable php error show

In certain circumstances, the revelation of PHP errors can serve as a veritable beacon of insight, guiding webmasters and developers through the labyrinthine realms of WordPress troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Disabling PHP errors in WordPress can significantly enhance the user experience by eliminating distracting error messages. However, while turning off PHP errors can hide problems from non-developers, it doesn’t fix the underlying issues.

Therefore, using this method only for testing or in situations where error messages are causing undue confusion is advisable.