Can I Log into My Website if WordPress Is Down?
Hey there! Remember me? I wrote a few articles for SmartBlogger.com. I’ll be posting more frequently now that I’m hosting my own blog. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook. I’d love to connect there, too.
The point of this blog post is to discuss ways to continue operating your blog/website when the inevitable happens, and your database goes down. I’ll cover the upsides and downsides of various solutions, and suggest which one to use in which case.
The Database Is Down
I know, I know. You just logged into your WordPress dashboard, and things seem fine. The data is there, and it appears to be accessible as usual. But, wait a minute… your WordPress database is down. What now?
There are a few ways to continue operating your blog without the use of a database. If you need to, you can drop down to a more basic server, or even move off WordPress entirely. For the purpose of this post, we’ll assume that this is not a viable option. The database is down. How can you continue operating without it?
The Website Is Down
If the database is down, but your website is still up and serving content, you may be able to log in and access your site. Depending on the type of content you have stored there (i.e. user data, articles, etc.), you may or may not want to proceed trying to access it. If the data is easily accessible through a backup, you may choose to restore it to avoid any disruptions. But, if you need to dig into your website’s code to figure out what went wrong, you may run into more trouble.
No Backups Available
Even in the event of a hardware malfunction, corruption, or cyberattack, you should always have a backup. If you don’t have any available, you’ll need to figure out a way to make some, or hire some professional help. There are many different solutions out there to back up a WordPress site. You can opt for the simpler and less expensive solution, or go all the way and choose a hosted backup. You may also choose to use a different platform, like Google Apps or Dropbox to store and sync your content.
The Server Is Down
A dedicated server is a special type of server used to host websites and databases. It is managed by a company that provides these servers, and you pay them accordingly. You don’t want to use this solution if you’re looking for a free solution, as it costs money. Hosting a website on a dedicated server doesn’t require much tech knowledge, as you just have to follow some simple guidelines. If you’re interested in using a dedicated server for your blog, you may choose to look into the managed WordPress hosting solution from Bluehost.
The Log In Is Unaccessible
The last resort, and the one that I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re really out of options, is to create a new user with admin privileges and log in with that. This way, you can access the backend of WordPress and make changes as necessary. While this is a quick and dirty option that may work in the short term, it’s not a great solution if you’re looking for the long term.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out what happens when your database or WordPress installation is down. But, just in case, remember these solutions, and make sure you have backups available in case something goes wrong.