Ошибка error establishing a database connection wordpress

Это – один из худших кошмаров для владельца веб-сайтов. Вы вводите URL-адрес вашего сайта… однако вас приветствует не ваша главная страница, а нечто другое. Вместо этого вы видите пустой экран. Вне зависимости от того, по какой ссылке вы перешли, вас встречают зловещие слова «Error establishing a database connection».

Чем дольше ваш сайт будет лежать, тем больше трафика вы потеряете. А это означает потерянных подписчиков, клиентов, а также упущенный доход. Однако что вообще привело к такой ошибке? Что она означает? И, что самое важное, как исправить ее, чтобы вернуть свой сайт в нормальное состояние как можно быстрее?

В этой статье мы расскажем вам, что означает это сообщение об ошибке, что может вызывать его, а также посмотрим, как найти корень зла и исправить его.

Что означает «Error Establishing a Database Connection»?

Для начала давайте посмотрим на то, как WordPress отображает ваш сайт, и тогда станет ясно, почему эта ошибка настолько разрушительная. WordPress написан на PHP и MySQL. Вся информацию, которая составляет ваш сайт, хранится в базе данных MySQL, а PHP используется в WordPress для сохранения и получения этой информации из базы данных.

В целом, всякий раз, когда страница загружается на вашем сайте, она создается «на лету». Код PHP используется для того, чтобы получить доступ к базе данных MySQL и получить всю информацию, которая требуется для создания страницы. Одни PHP-запросы получают заголовок записи, другие – захватывают имя автора, третьи – берут дату публикации и т.д.

Вернемся к нашему сообщению об ошибке: «Error establishing a database connection». Оно означает, что по каким-то причинам PHP-код не смог соединиться с базой данной MySQL, чтобы получить информацию, которая требовалась для создания страницы.

Именно по этой причине на экране с ошибкой красуется лишь одно сообщение. Если вы не можете подключиться к базе данных, вы не знаете, что выводить на экран; нет никакой доступной информации о вашем сайте.

Что приводит к этой ошибке?

В то время как само сообщение об ошибке является достаточно ясным, причины, отвечающие за его появление, зачастую не совсем понятны.

Есть много разных причин, почему ваш сайт может иметь проблемы с подключением к вашей базе данных, однако их обычно можно разбить по трем категориям:

1. Ваши учетные данные для входа в БД являются неверными. Ваша база данных использует отдельный логин и пароль. Если эти данные были недавно изменены, ваш сайт не сможет подключиться к БД, используя старые учетные данные.
2. Ваша база данных была повреждена. Привести к такому печальному исходу могут самые разные причины, начиная с установки некачественного плагина и заканчивая ударом молнии в сервер (правда, это не самый распространенный вариант).
3. Сервер, на котором расположена ваша БД, в данный момент не работает. Сервер с вашей базой данных может выйти из строя из-за каких-либо проблем или ошибок на стороне хостинг-компании. Также он может «лежать» из-за того, что на ваш сайт обрушился большой поток трафика, который сервер просто не смог обработать.

Таким образом, учитывая все возможные ситуации, как мы можем справиться с возникшей проблемой?

Решение проблем с «Error Establishing a Database Connection»

1. Определяем, с чем произошла ошибка.

Появляется ли эта ошибка только при обращении к wp-admin или же ваш сайт полностью лежит? А может, у вас другая ситуация: ваш сайт не работает, но при попытке входа вы видите несколько иную ошибку: «One or more database tables are unavailable. The database may need to be repaired»?

Все это говорит о том, что ваша база данных была повреждена.

WordPress обладает встроенным методом восстановления базы данных, однако для начала вам нужно будет включить эту возможность. Чтобы сделать это, вы должны иметь доступ к wp-config.php, который содержит ваши параметры и конфигурацию сборки WordPress.

Вы можете найти wp-config в корневой папке вашей сборки WordPress. Получить к ней доступ можно через cPanel: выберите File Manager и перейдите к папке, в которой у вас установлен WordPress.

Как только вы откроете wp-config, добавьте к нему следующую строку в самый конец файла:

define( 'WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true );

Эта строка позволит вам оптимизировать и восстановить вашу базу данных. Перейдите по ссылке: www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php (вместо yourwebsite.com введите реальный URL-адрес).

Вы должны увидеть страницу, показанную выше, с двумя возможностями восстановления – «repair» и «repair and optimize». Учтите, что оптимизация займет дополнительное время.

Обратите внимание, что страница восстановления базы данных никак не защищена; любой может получить доступ к этой странице по одному лишь URL. Как только вы восстановите вашу базу данных, обязательно удалите строку, добавленную ранее, из файла wp-config. В итоге вы ограничите доступ к этой странице.

Если ошибка пропала, вы можете закрыть wp-config и вернуться к нормальной работе с сайтом.

Если все это вам не помогло, давайте перейдем ко второму этапу восстановления сайта.

2. Проверяем учетные данные БД в wp-config

Если первый шаг не помог вам, то в таком случае вам нужно проверить, корректно ли заданы параметры базы данных в файле wp-config.

Удивлены, каким образом ваши учетные данные, работавшие ранее, перестали это делать? Смена хостинг-компании, изменение имени БД или пользовательской информации может привести к тому, что ваш wp-config файл будет содержать старые данные.

У вас может быть по-прежнему открыт файл wp-config, оставшийся еще с прошлого шага. В противном случайте войдите в cPanel хостинга и откройте File Manager. Перейдите к папке, в которую вы устанавливали WordPress, и найдите в ней файл, названный wp-config.php. Откройте его для редактирования.

Вы увидите учетные данные для вашей базы данных – обычно они расположены в самом верху файла. Выглядят они обычно следующим образом:

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** 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' );

Как вы можете видеть, здесь есть несколько информационных разделов, которые требуются WordPress для доступа к вашей БД:

1. Название БД (DB_NAME)
2. Логин для входа (DB_USER)
3. Пароль для входа (DB_PASSWORD)
4. Хост базы данных (DB_HOST)

Если какое-либо из этих значений будет некорректным, WordPress не сможет подключиться к базе данных.

Проверить базу данных вне WordPress можно при помощи PHPMyAdmin – инструмента, который используется для редактирования базы данных MySQL. PHPMyAdmin включен во многие тарифные планы хостингов, и вы можете найти его в консоли cPanel.

Предупреждение: Будьте аккуратны при работе с PHPMyAdmin, поскольку этот инструмент ведет прямую работу с базой данных.

Как только вы войдете в PHPMyAdmin, вы увидите список баз данных на вашем сервере. Щелкните по той из них, которая будет соответствовать названию БД в файле wp-config (значение DB_NAME).

Не видите ни одной базы данных? В таком случае обратитесь к вашему хостингу, поскольку, скорее всего, проблема связана с вашим сервером.

После щелчка по названию базы данных вы увидите основной экран, содержащий названия таблиц вашей БД. Чтобы убедиться в том, что это – корректная БД, вы можете найти таблицу под названием wp_options и щелкнуть по опции Browse рядом с ней. Вы должны увидеть название вашего сайта, URL, а также все основные настройки. Теперь вы знаете, ту ли базу данных вы открыли. Если нет, то настройте ее должным образом в wp-config.

Давайте теперь проверим логин и пароль.

Есть несколько способов проверить их. Я предложу вам два варианта.

1. Вы можете создать простой .php файл для тестирования того, сможете ли вы подключиться к вашей базе данных с учетными данными из файла wp-config
2. Вы можете создать нового пользователя с паролем, и обновить файл wp-config, внеся в него новую информацию. Делать это надо в том случае, если первый способ не сработал.

Вариант 1. Тестируем существующие учетные данные.

Создаем файл в каталоге WordPress – пусть он называется testconnection.php (название не важно, главное чтобы он имел расширение .php). Вставляем в него следующий код:

<?php
$testConnection = mysql_connect('localhost', 'root', 'password');
if (!$testConnection) {
die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
}
echo 'Database connection working!';
mysql_close($testConnection);
?>

Как только вы создадите этот файл, просто перейдите по соответствующему URL в браузере (к примеру, site.com/testconnection.php). Вы увидите либо сообщение об удачном соединении, либо ошибку с детальной информацией.

Если логин и пароль не работают, мы можем создать нового пользователя.

Вариант 2. Создаем нового пользователя для БД (новый логин и пароль).

Сделать это мы можем с помощью другого инструмента в cPanel, который называется MySQL® Databases. Переходим к нему, затем прокручиваем вниз до заголовка: MySQL Users: Add New User. Задаем имя пользователя, а также сложный пароль. Щелкаем — Create User. Теперь прокручиваем до заголовка Add User To Database, и выбираем ваше новое имя пользователя и вашу базу данных WordPress, после чего щелкаем по Add. Обновляем файл wp-config, введя в него ваше новое имя пользователя и пароль.

Теперь название вашей БД, имя пользователя и пароль являются корректными. Остался только DB_HOST.

В большинстве случаем значение DB_HOST должно быть localhost, однако это зависит от настроек вашего хостинга. В WordPress есть список значений DB_HOST для популярных хостингов. Если ваш хостинг не перечислен там, то в таком случае обратитесь к нему за уточнениями.

3.Все еще появляется ошибка?

Если вы выполнили все шаги, приведенные выше, и ваш сайт все равно не работает, то в таком случае проблема заключается в вашем хостинге. Обратитесь в службу поддержки вашего хостинга и предоставьте им всю информацию по возникшей ошибке, а также те действия, которые вы совершили, пытаясь эту ошибку исправить – все это позволит компании быстрее справиться с проблемой.

Источник: www.elegantthemes.com/blog

Most of the time, your website’s database will run quietly in the background, retrieving the requested information on demand. But if there’s a problem, you may encounter the following warning: “Error establishing a database connection.”

Fortunately, there are various ways to fix this common WordPress error. By working your way through these possible fixes, you can get your site back on track as quickly as possible.

In this post, we’ll discuss why your site may be struggling to connect to its underlying MySQL database. We’ll then share seven ways to fix the “Error establishing database connection” issue in WordPress. 

What the “Error establishing database connection” issue is (and why it occurs)

The “Error establishing database connection” error means that WordPress is unable to make a connection to the database.

WordPress stores all of your website data and content in a database. Every time someone visits your site, the Content Management System (CMS) connects to this database and retrieves the necessary information. When you encounter this error, it means that your site is inaccessible to everyone, including admins and site visitors. 

There are several reasons why WordPress could be struggling to make a connection. This issue may be caused by incorrect database information in your WordPress configuration file or corrupt files in your database. You might also encounter this message if the database server is down. 

Since there are various causes, there are also several solutions. This makes the database connection error notoriously tricky to troubleshoot.

How to fix the “Error establishing database connection” issue in WordPress

“Error establishing database connection” is one of the most common WordPress errors and it isn’t always easy to diagnose. In this troubleshooting guide, we’ll help you get to the root of the problem so you can get your site back on track. 

1. Check your database credentials

To connect to the database, WordPress needs the database name, username, password, and server. These credentials are stored in wp-config.php, which is your site’s configuration file. 

If any of this information is incorrect, then WordPress will be unable to connect to the database. To check these credentials, you’ll need to connect to your server using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client like FileZilla. 

After connecting to your site over FTP, you’ll need to locate your configuration file. You’ll usually find this in your website’s root directory, which is typically called public_html or is named after your site’s domain. Open this folder and look for a file called wp-config.php.

Then, control-click this file and select Open. FileZilla will launch it in your computer’s default text editor. 

The MySQL settings section contains the credentials that WordPress uses when attempting to access your database. To check whether this information is correct, you’ll need to log into your hosting panel. The location of this information will vary depending on your provider, but be on the lookout for any settings labeled Database or MySQL.

Then, check that the database name, username, password, and host match the information stored in your wp-config.php file. If there’s a discrepancy, you’ll need to update your configuration file.

In your FTP client, control-click the wp-config.php file and choose Download. Open this file for editing and update your database credentials. After making this change, you can re-upload the modified wp-config.php file by dragging it into FileZilla.

2. Check your database host information

Your MySQL hostname defines where your database is hosted. If you want to connect to your database, you’ll need to use the correct MySQL hostname. 

Most WordPress hosting companies use localhost, but some providers host their databases on separate servers. This is particularly true for managed WordPress hosts.

If you’ve verified that your database name, username, and password are correct, then it’s worth checking that you’re using the correct database location. This typically requires you to contact your hosting company.

Alternatively, you may be able to retrieve this information manually using the phpMyAdmin tool. If your provider supplies cPanel, then you can typically find phpMyAdmin by logging into your cPanel dashboard. Then, search for the phpMyAdmin option.

Inside phpMyAdmin, find the Database Server block. This displays information about your server setup, including its location. For example, if it lists your server as “LocalHost via UNIX socket,” then your server is located at localhost. 

To check this against your database credentials, connect to your site using FileZilla and open your wp-config.php file. You’ll find the MySQL hostname in the following section: 

/** MySQL hostname */

define( ‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’ );

If this is incorrect, then you can download the wp-config.php file to your local computer and update this information in any compatible text editor. Then, simply reupload the edited file to your server. WordPress should now be able to connect to your server at the correct location. 

3. Repair the database

Over time, the files in your database can become corrupted. Fortunately, WordPress includes a tool that promises to repair a scrambled database with the click of a button.

To enable this repair tool, download your wp-config.php file using FileZilla. You can then open it in a text editor and add the following line:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Now, save your changes and reupload the modified wp-config.php file to your server. Next, enter your site’s domain name and append the following: /wp-admin/maint/repair.php. 

For example, if your website is located at https://www.mysite.com, you’ll need to head over to https://www.mysite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php. This will launch WordPress’ built-in database repair tool. 

You can now choose whether to repair or repair and optimize your database. Fine-tuning your database may improve your site’s performance, which can boost your position in search engine rankings. It’s also great for the overall visitor experience. 

With this in mind, we recommend that you select Repair and Optimize Database. WordPress will now attempt to repair your database and display a page of code once it completes the process. 

As we’ve just seen, accessing the database repair tool is as simple as appending wp-admin/maint/repair.php to your domain URL. This is a security risk, so it’s important to disable this tool as soon as you’ve performed your scan.

You can use FileZilla to open your wp-config.php file and remove the ‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’ line. Then, re-upload this modified file to your server. This will disable the database repair tool and close the potential security loophole. 

4. Check whether your database server is offline

Occasionally, your database server may go down. In particular, this might occur if your site experiences a period of heavy traffic.

You’re also at a greater risk of downtime if you’re using shared hosting or opted for budget-friendly hosting that offers limited resources. If your server is offline, WordPress will be unable to connect to your database and you’ll encounter an error. 

If you run multiple sites on the same server, it’s worth visiting all of these sites in your web browser. If they all display the same database error message, then you’ll know that this problem isn’t tied to a specific website. In this scenario, it’s likely that your database server is offline. 

Assuming that you’re running multiple sites on the same hosting account, you can also attempt to connect to your database via phpMyAdmin. If you encounter errors, or strange behavior inside this tool, then an unresponsive server may be to blame. 

If you suspect your database server is offline, then it’s a good idea to contact your hosting provider. Your web host may be able to give you a timeframe for when they expect to resolve this problem. They may even be completely unaware that your database is offline. 

If you have a dedicated server, local server, or Virtual Private Server (VPS), you can try rebooting your server manually. This process will vary depending on your setup and hosting provider, so you may need to check your web host’s documentation for more information. Alternatively, if you’re unsure how to restart your server, you can always contact your provider for assistance. 

5. Update your site URL

Some WordPress users have reportedly resolved this error by updating their WordPress site URL. You can make this change via the phpMyAdmin tool. 

After logging into the phpMyAdmin dashboard, select the database that’s causing problems. Then, select the SQL tab.

You’ll now need to enter the table name, which is displayed in the left-hand column of the phpMyAdmin dashboard. This is usually wp_options by default. 

You can now enter the following MySQL query, being sure to replace MY_URL with the URL of your WordPress website. You’ll also need to change wp_options to your own table name:

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value='MY_URL' WHERE option_name='siteurl'

After running this query, try re-accessing your website. This may have resolved your database error. 

6. Check if your themes or plugins are corrupted

WordPress’ huge community of themes and plugins are one of the platform’s greatest strengths. Sadly, adding third-party code to your website can result in conflicts, errors, and other strange behavior. 

There’s also a chance that this code may become corrupted. In particular, if you’ve recently added some new software, run any updates, or manually edited your site’s code, then a theme or plugin may be causing the database error.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to deactivate all of your themes and plugins. You can then test whether this resolves your database error. 

Using an FTP client like FileZilla, navigate to your wp-content folder. You can then control-click on the plugins directory and opt to rename it. You can use any title, as long as it’s not plugins (e.g. plugins.bak).

This will deactivate every plugin across your website. If this resolves the error, then you’ll know that third-party software is to blame. You can now rename this folder back to plugins in order to reactivate all of your plugins. 

In order to pinpoint the culprit, open this folder and rename each plugin in turn. As soon as the database error disappears, you’ll have successfully identified the plugin that’s causing so many problems. 

If deactivating every plugin doesn’t resolve the error, you can repeat this process with your themes directory. If neither of these tricks resolve the issue, then you’ll know that your third-party software isn’t contributing to your database issue. 

7. Restore default WordPress files

There’s a chance that the core WordPress files may become corrupted. In some cases, a hacker may attempt to break into your site by editing the WordPres code. Or you might edit some of the core files by accident. It’s even possible that a plugin may make some modifications to the WordPress code without your knowledge. 

If this is the case, you may be able to restore your database connection by reinstalling a fresh version of WordPress. The easiest method is to download a clean copy of WordPress core.

Then, unpack the archive and delete the wp-content folder. This is crucial, as it ensures that you’re not overriding all of your content with a completely empty directory. You’ll also want to back up your site to ensure that you don’t lose any valuable information.

When you’re ready, drag all of the fresh WordPress core files into your FTP client. When prompted, opt to override all of your previous files. 

You can now attempt to access your site. If this has resolved the error, then it’s wise to spend some time exploring your site. It’s possible that installing a fresh copy of WordPress may remove some of your site modifications or settings. In this case, you may need to customize the fresh install. 

How to avoid the “Error establishing database connection” issue in WordPress

While there’s no way to protect your site against all database connection errors, there are ways to minimize your chances of encountering this problem.

In some scenarios, you may need to contact your hosting provider for assistance. Here, it helps to have a web host who offers 24/7 customer support or fast response times. This can help you resolve the error and get your site back online fast. 

For this reason, it’s smart to invest in a quality hosting provider who can offer the expertise and quick turnaround times you need in the event of a database connection error. It’s also a good idea to opt for a provider who specializes in WordPress. These hosts often optimize their offerings for the WordPress platform, which can reduce your chances of encountering the database error.

It’s also smart to create regular backups. This ensures that you always have the option to restore an earlier version of your website. Depending on the nature of the database error, this may be enough to resolve the problem.

There are plenty of WordPress backup plugins to choose from, but Jetpack Backup can save up all of your content, including your database in real time. You can also access and restore backups even if your site is completely down.

If you’re out and about when you notice the database error message, you can restore a backup from your mobile device, using the Jetpack mobile app. Jetpack also creates redundant copies on multiple servers, so you can be confident that you can restore a working version of your site.

Fixing the WordPress “error establishing database connection” problem

If you can’t access your WordPress website, then neither can anyone else — including potential customers. Therefore, you’ll want to resolve the “Error establishing a database connection” issue right away. 

There are many reasons why your site may be struggling to connect to its database, but it’s always a good idea to check your database credentials, including your host information. WordPress also includes a built-in database repair tool, which can help restore corrupted database files.

If you do encounter this error message, then a recent backup can be a lifesaver. By installing Jetpack Backup on your website, you’ll always have the option to restore a working copy of your content. This includes a recent version of your WordPress database. 

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Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience building WordPress websites. We have been creating WordPress tutorials since 2009, and WPBeginner has become the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry.

Few things are as frustrating as finding that your website is down — particularly if you rely on it for business. The Error Establishing a Database Connection message represents a serious issue and prevents all access to your site, so fixing it is a top priority. However, if you’re not familiar with how WordPress works, it can be a confusing problem.

Don’t fret. Although this error is serious, it’s also highly fixable. With a few troubleshooting steps, you can have your site back online in no time. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is the Error Establishing a Database Connection?
• Common Causes of Database Connection Errors
• How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection (4 Steps)

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Understanding the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

Before we dig too much into this particular error message, let’s have a brief lesson on how WordPress sites work. Nearly all website information — including post data, plugin settings, login credentials, and more — is stored and organized in a MySQL database.

When a visitor comes to your site, WordPress uses PHP to query the database and pull the correct information, which is then displayed as the complete page.

If, for whatever reason, WordPress can’t access your site’s database or it isn’t working properly, the result is an Error Establishing a Database Connection message.

This error prevents the entire page from loading. In fact, you won’t even be able to access the WordPress dashboard (your site’s back end).

If your site uses caching, visitors may still see stored copies of your pages. Therefore, if you catch the error early and resolve the problem before your site’s cache refreshes, you can avoid too many interruptions to your site and business.

Fortunately, as WordPress errors go, a database connection error is usually pretty simple to resolve. The most common cause, by far, is just a mismatch of login credentials for the database.

Common Causes of the Error Establishing a Database Connection

There are four typical causes of the database connection error:

• Incorrect database login credentials. Possibly the most common cause of the Error Establishing a Database Connection is simply that WordPress has incorrect login credentials for your database. This could be either the database name, username, or password. Remember, these login details are different from the ones you use to access your site.
• Database corruption. A WordPress MySQL database contains a lot of information. If any part is deleted or corrupted, the result can be the error in question. Corruption can result from manually tinkering with the database, but it can also just happen as a consequence of normal use. Although MySQL is quite robust, nothing is perfect, and errors do occur.
• WordPress core file corruption. Similarly, corruption can occur in the core WordPress files that make up your site. Even though these files are outside the database, they may sometimes result in the same error.
• Problems with the web server or hosting provider. If problems arise with your host or server (if you’re self-hosting) and WordPress can’t reach it to query the database, it will throw this error. These problems can include outages, data loss, and hardware failures.

As we said, incorrect credentials are the most common cause of the error, but any of these could be the culprit. For that reason, fixing the error can involve some troubleshooting.

How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress (In 4 Steps)

Although this is a serious error, it’s fortunately fairly easy to resolve. Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting and fixing the problem. Note that you should try each step in order, only moving to the next if one doesn’t work.

Step 1: Check Your WordPress Database Credentials

Since this is the most likely cause of the error, it should also be the first step in your troubleshooting. The first thing you’ll need to do is locate the credentials WordPress is currently using to access your database.

This information is stored in your site’s wp-config.php file. You can use a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client to access it.

Alternatively, if your site is hosted with DreamHost, you can access the file system from the DreamHost Control Panel. To do so, sign in to your control panel and navigate to Domains > Websites. Hover the mouse over the domain you’d like to fix, then click ‘manage’ to see the folder icon. Then click on the file folder symbol next to the site that’s experiencing the error.

Inside the file browser, select the folder named after your website, then open wp-config.php. Here, look for three pieces of information — the database name, username, and password. They should be near the top of the file.

With this information in hand, head to your DreamHost Panel and navigate to More > MySQL Databases. Look for the hostname that corresponds to your website’s name. It will be formatted as mysql.yoursitename.com, with “yoursitename” being the name of your website.

If the hostname isn’t on this page, skip down to Step 2 and come back here when you’re done adding it.

In the section called Database(s) on this server, make sure the database name matches the one you pulled from wp-config.php earlier. If it does, this isn’t the problem, and you can move on to the next step.

If it doesn’t match, go back to wp-config.php and update it with the correct database name.

Next, you can find the usernames that have access to each database beside their names on the MySQL Databases page.

To view the password, click on the username. On the page that opens, scroll down to the Current Password field and click on Show.

If the username or password doesn’t match your wp-config.php file, update it with the correct details. Alternatively, if the username matches but the password doesn’t, you could update the database password on the User Details screen.

Step 2: Check Your Database Host Information

If you’ve checked the database login credentials and fixed any errors, but you’re still getting the Error Establishing a Database Connection message, the next thing you should check is your database host information.

The hostname for your database can be found in wp-config.php, right alongside the database name and login credentials.

Note this information, then head back to your DreamHost Panel and navigate to More > MySQL Databases. This time, you’re looking to make sure the hostname in your wp-config.php file is listed on this page. If it’s not, you’ll need to add it.

To add a hostname, simply click on the Add New Hostname button. On the next page, enter the hostname you want to use and select the correct website domain from the dropdown.

When you’re finished, click on Create this MySQL hostname now! Note that it can take a few hours for this new hostname to propagate through the DNS, so feel free to take a break here. When some time has passed, come back and check if your site is working. If you’re still getting the database error message, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Repair Your WordPress Database

If you’re still receiving the error message, you can try repairing the database to fix possible corruption. We recommend using the built-in WordPress database repair tool for this.

To access it, open up your wp-config.php file and add the following code at the end:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Next, open a new browser tab and navigate to https://yoursitename.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php, replacing “yoursitename” with your website’s actual domain. This will bring up the database repair tool.

Click on Repair Database and let it do its thing. You can choose Repair and Optimize Database if you like, but it takes considerably longer. Either way, when the tool is finished, load your website again and check for the error. If it’s gone, then you’ll know a corrupted database was the cause.

However, if you’re still seeing the error message, head to the next step. Before you do, make sure to head back into wp-config.php and delete the code you added to turn on the tool. If you leave it there, someone with ill intentions could gain access to your site easily.

Step 4: Check if Your Database Server Is Down

If all the above steps have failed, one final possibility is that your database server has gone down. At this point, it’s a good idea to verify with your hosting provider that everything is working correctly.

There are a number of reasons why your database host or server might be experiencing issues:

• Too many simultaneous connections to the database. Some providers have limits on how many connections a server can have at one time.
• Problems with another site on your shared hosting server. If you’re on a shared hosting plan, you’re splitting resources with other sites. If one of them has problems, it can spill over to your site. This is one of the reasons dedicated or managed WordPress hosting plans can be beneficial.
• Hardware troubles. Hardware eventually fails, and it’s possible that the server your database is stored on has done just that. Ideally, your host will have redundancies in place so that if one server goes down, there’s another copy of your data available, but this isn’t always the case — especially if you’re hosting your own database on a home or office server.

Your best bet here is to reach out to your web host and inquire about outages or other known issues. If there are none, you can report your problem and ask the support staff to look into it for you.

At DreamHost, you can always find your support options by clicking on the Support button in the top right corner of your control panel:

DreamHost offers 24/7 support, so you can get help any time you need it.

Additional Tips and Solutions That Have Worked for Other Users

If you’ve tried all of the above tips and you’re still having trouble with the Error Establishing a Database Connection, there are a couple of other options that have worked for some users. You can try these either before or after going through the troubleshooting steps above:

• Update your WordPress site URL. If you’ve recently moved your WordPress installation for any reason (such as moving to a new domain name or migrating to HTTPS), you may need to update your site URL in the database. You can find full instructions for doing so in our knowledge base.
• Reboot your web server. This one might seem a little basic, but sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. If you host your database on your own server, try turning it off and back on. Computers are complex, and a simple reboot can fix all manner of odd problems you may be experiencing.
• Ask for help. If you’re not comfortable doing your own troubleshooting, or you’ve tried everything and still can’t get rid of the Error Establishing a Database Connection message, there’s no shame in reaching out for help. You can get in touch with DreamHost support 24/7 by clicking the Support button in your DreamHost panel. You can also try searching on help forums such as Stack Exchange or Quora. Your question may have already been answered on one of these sites. If not, you can always ask.

At this point, you’ve hopefully resolved the issue and gotten your site back up and running.

Further Reading

Want to learn more about fixing common WordPress errors? We’ve got you covered!

• How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress
• How to Fix Syntax Errors in WordPress
• How to Fix the WordPress Not Sending Email Issue

Ready to Fix a Database Connection Issue?

If you’ve gone to check on your website and found yourself greeted by the Error Establishing a Database Connection message, you’re not alone. It’s a common error with relatively simple fixes, so getting your site up and running again shouldn’t be too difficult.

You should follow these steps to troubleshoot a database connection error:

1. Check your WordPress database credentials.
2. Check your database host information.
3. Repair your WordPress database.
4. Check if your database server is down.

If you’d rather not have to deal with these types of problems in the future, consider upgrading to DreamPress, our managed WordPress hosting service. Then you can leave the troubleshooting to us!