How to Resolve the WordPress Error Establishing a Database Connection

Does your WordPress website display the message "Error establishing a database connection"? Your WordPress website becoming unreachable to users is a fatal blunder.

When WordPress is unable to connect to the database, this error occurs. It can be challenging for newcomers to troubleshoot your WordPress database connection because a variety of factors can affect it.

This post will demonstrate how simple it is to resolve the WordPress database connection error.

 

A database is a software program that makes it simple to store, arrange, and access data in other software.

WordPress uses a database to store all of your content and other website data because it is a content management system. When someone visits your website, it then establishes a connection with the database.

The following details are required by WordPress in order to connect to the database:

• Database Name
• Database Username
• Database Password
• Database Host

This data is saved in the WordPress configuration file wp-config.php.

You'll encounter the "Error establishing a database connection" error if any of these details are off and WordPress is unable to connect to your database server.

One of the most frequent WordPress mistakes is this one. This error can also occur if the database server is offline or the database files are misconfigured, in addition to invalid login credentials.

Let's look at the step-by-step troubleshooting for fixing the WordPress error establishing database connection issue.

1. Verify the WordPress Database Credentials

WordPress database connection errors are most frequently caused by incorrect database credentials. The most likely explanation for this could be that you recently transferred your WordPress site to a new host.

The wp-config.php file contains the credentials you use to access the WordPress database. Important WordPress settings, including database information, are contained in the WordPress configuration file.

/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' );

/** MySQL database username */
define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' );

/** MySQL database password */
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here' );

/** MySQL hostname */
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

You need to confirm that the database host, username, password, and database information are all correct.

Once your database name, username, and password have been verified, you can modify them if necessary in your wp-config.php file.

Visit your website once again after that to determine if the database connection error has been fixed.

2. Ensure Your Database Host Details

Make sure you are using the correct database host information if you are sure that your database name, username, and password information is correct.

The majority of WordPress hosting providers host your database on localhost. However, some managed WordPress hosting providers maintain databases on separate servers. In that situation, localhost won't be listed as your database host information.

To confirm your database host details, get in touch with your WordPress hosting provider.

3. Repairing the WordPress Database

For example, if you are encountering an error message such as "One or more database tables are inaccessible" on the wp-admin. If this error message appears, your database has to be repaired.

The following line should be added to your wp-config.php file to do this. Ensure that you insert it right before "That's all, finish editing!" Line wp-config.php that reads "Happy blogging."

 define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

When you've finished, go to this page to view the settings:
http://www.example.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

It should be noted that anyone can view the database repair page without having to log in. Make careful to remove this code from your wp-config.php after you've finished fixing and optimising your database.

4. Check if your database server is offline

If everything appears to be in order but WordPress is still unable to connect to the database, your MySQL server may be offline.

A server experiencing high traffic may be the cause of this. In essence, your host server is just unable to handle the traffic (especially when you are on shared hosting).

Your website will become extremely slower, and it can even produce an error for some users. Therefore, the best course of action is to contact your hosting company via phone or live chat and inquire as to whether your MySQL server is active.

You can check the other websites that are hosted on the same server to see if your SQL server is down.

Go to your hosting panel, try to access phpMyAdmin, and connect the database if you don't have any other websites hosted on the same account.

If you are able to connect, we must check the permissions of your database user. Paste the following code into a new file called checkDatabaseConnection.php: 

 $sql = mysqli_connect('localhost', 'username', 'password');
 if (!$sql) {
    die('Could not connect: ' . mysqli_error());
 }

 echo 'Connected successfully';
 mysqli_close($sql);

Be sure to change the password and username. Now you may upload this file to your website and use a web browser to access it.

If the script was able to connect successfully, it indicates that your user has the necessary permissions and that something else is wrong.

Recheck your wp-config file to make sure everything is in order.

5. Request help

You might need to get in touch with your web hosting provider if everything failed. Any professional WordPress hosting provider will assist you in identifying the issue, send you in the correct path, or even resolve it for free.

I trust that this article has helped you resolve the WordPress database connection problem. For advice on resolving WordPress problems on your own please feel free to get in touch with me.