Common Installation Issues

Issue 1: Plugin Won’t Install

Symptoms

• Plugin doesn’t appear in search results
• “Install Now” button grayed out
• Upload fails with timeout error

Solutions

Solution 1: Check Permissions

// Verify you have admin access
current_user_can('install_plugins') // Should return true

Solution 2: Increase PHP Limits

Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

Solution 3: Manual Installation

1. Download plugin ZIP from WordPress.org
2. Upload via FTP to /wp-content/plugins/
3. Extract the ZIP file
4. Activate from Plugins page

Issue 2: Activation Fails

Symptoms

• White screen after activation
• Error: “Plugin requires PHP 7.4+”
• “Headers already sent” warning

Solutions

Check PHP Version

// Check at Tools → Site Health → Info → Server
PHP Version: Must be 7.4 or higher

Clear Output Before Headers

Check for whitespace or BOM in wp-config.php

Disable Conflicting Plugins

1. Deactivate all other plugins
2. Activate Attributes User Access
3. Reactivate other plugins one by one
4. Identify conflicts

Issue 3: Dependencies Not Met

Solutions

Issue 4: Database Errors

Common Errors

• “Error establishing database connection”
• “Table doesn’t exist”
• “Cannot create table”

Solutions

Verify Database Credentials

Check wp-config.php:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_database');
define('DB_USER', 'your_username');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Recreate Tables

1. Deactivate plugin
2. Delete plugin folder
3. Reinstall fresh copy
4. Activate again

Enabling Debug Mode

Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
define('SCRIPT_DEBUG', true);

Check logs at: wp-content/debug.log

Common Error Messages

Prevention Tips

• ✅ Always backup before installing plugins
• ✅ Test on staging site first
• ✅ Keep WordPress and plugins updated
• ✅ Use quality hosting with adequate resources
• ✅ Monitor error logs regularly