How to Enable WP_DEBUG and Read What WordPress Is

What WP_DEBUG reveals (and what stays hidden)

How to Enable WP_DEBUG and Read What WordPress Is from WebJi®, billed in INR with 18% GST on the invoice. Email support@webji.services is 24/7 in Hindi and English (average first reply under 60 minutes). Phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only. The company has been in this business since 2005.

The wp-config.php block to paste

Open wp-config.php (File Manager, FTP, or SSH) and place this block above the 'stop editing' comment:

`

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

@ini_set( 'display_errors', 0 );

`

What each line does: WP_DEBUG turns error reporting on; WP_DEBUG_LOG writes everything to wp-content/debug.log; WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY false plus the ini_set keeps errors off visitors' screens — the production-safe posture of 'log everything, show nothing'.

Read the log after reproducing the bug: wp-content/debug.log, newest entries at the bottom. The cPanel File Manager opens and edits the file without any FTP client.

Sending errors to debug.log silently

How this plays out with WP_DEBUG_LOG: settings that look cosmetic usually decide page speed and uptime under real traffic. The defaults WebJi® ships are tuned for Indian network conditions, and support can review your setup on request.

White screen of death — debug it step by step

The white screen hides its error; WP_DEBUG reveals it:

1. Enable the debug block above and save.
2. Load the broken page once.
3. Open wp-content/debug.log and read the last lines — the fatal names the exact plugin, theme or file.
4. If the fatal names a plugin: deactivate it via cPanel — rename its folder in wp-content/plugins.
5. If it names a theme: switch to a default theme via the same folder-rename trick or phpMyAdmin.
6. Retest; then fix, update or replace the culprit.

Turn WP_DEBUG off afterwards — a debugging state left on is a performance tax and a path-disclosure vulnerability. Log off, fix in, site back.

SCRIPT_DEBUG for plugin and script issues

How this plays out with SCRIPT_DEBUG: settings that look cosmetic usually decide page speed and uptime under real traffic. The defaults WebJi® ships are tuned for Indian network conditions, and support can review your setup on request.

PHP-level errors beyond WP — php.ini

PHP-level errors beyond WP — php.ini. Do the change this heading names on one site first, then check it in a private browser window or in the mail client, depending on the topic. Change one setting at a time, and undo it if the result is wrong before you try the next. If you want the Jaipur desk to look with you, email support@webji.services — that mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English. Phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only.

Turning it all off after the fix

Debugging state is a vulnerability and a performance tax when left running.

The log grows unboundedly — a busy error loop can fill a disk, and the file's paths and snippets are information disclosure. Revert the block: WP_DEBUG back to false (or remove the lines entirely), delete wp-content/debug.log, and confirm the site behaves identically without it.

When handing the problem to support instead, the debug.log tail is the most valuable artefact you can attach — it replaces 'it doesn't work' with the exact error, file and line number. Attach the last 50 lines, note the timestamp of a failed attempt, and hosting support starts at step three instead of step zero.