Troubleshooting WordPress Connection Lost Errors: A Step-by-Step Guide

Experiencing a “Connection Lost” error while working on your WordPress site can be frustrating, especially when you are in the middle of an important task. However, this issue is quite common and can usually be resolved with a few simple steps. In this guide, we will walk you through the common causes of WordPress connection lost errors and provide solutions to help you get back to work quickly.

Common Causes of Connection Lost Errors:

  1. Internet Connection Interruption: A sudden drop in your internet connection can cause WordPress to lose its connection to the server, resulting in a “Connection Lost” error.
  1. Server Timeout: If your server takes too long to respond to requests from WordPress, it may result in a connection lost error.
  1. Server Resource Limit Reached: If your server’s resources (such as memory or CPU) are exhausted, it can cause WordPress to lose its connection to the server.
  1. Plugin or Theme Conflict: In some cases, conflicts between plugins or themes can lead to connection lost errors.

Steps to Fix Connection Lost Errors:

  1. Check Your Internet Connection: Ensure that you have a stable internet connection. If you’re using a Wi-Fi connection, try switching to a wired connection for better stability.
  1. Increase PHP Memory Limit: Sometimes, WordPress may lose connection to the server due to insufficient PHP memory. You can increase the PHP memory limit by editing the wp-config.php file or contacting your hosting provider for assistance.
  1. Disable Plugins and Themes: Temporarily disable all plugins and switch to a default WordPress theme (such as Twenty Twenty-One). Then, reactivate each plugin and theme one by one to identify the culprit causing the connection lost error. If you’re using a cache plugin or a recently activated one, that might be the reason for this. The plugins like W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache might give some conflict here.

The problem will be solved by either enabling the admin cache or disabling the object cache.

You should first head over to Performance > Object Cache if you’re using W3 Total Cache. You will see the last option to enable caching for wp-admin requests. Just click it and hit the save button.

Try opening the page the error will be gone. If not, you can surely try disabling object cache.

  1. Update WordPress and Plugins: Make sure that your WordPress core, themes, and plugins are up to date. Outdated software can sometimes lead to compatibility issues and connection lost errors.
  1. Check Server Status: Contact your hosting provider to check if there are any server-related issues that could be causing the connection lost error.
  2. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: Clearing your browser’s cache and cookies can sometimes resolve connection lost errors, especially if they are caused by browser-related issues.
  1. Use a Different Browser: If you’re experiencing connection lost errors in a specific browser, try using a different browser to see if the issue persists.
  1. Resource limit: If the resources limit is hit, here is how to find out.

The auto-saving feature uses a lot of resources as a request is sent after every few seconds. If you keep the page open for a long time, this might exhaust the limit.

So, you need to check this. You can simply head over to your cPanel and see it on the right side. There will be a couple of resources stated. If one or more are in red color, you need to take proper precautions. This simply means that your website resources are full.

You can also head over to the Ports option. This will tell you if one or more of your ports are blocked. If there are some viruses or malware in your files, the hosting provider might block the port. You will get all the information from port options.

Experiencing a “Connection Lost” error in WordPress can be frustrating, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can usually resolve the issue quickly. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to identify the cause of the error and implement the necessary fixes to get your WordPress site back up and running smoothly. If you continue to experience connection lost errors, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider or seek assistance from the WordPress community for further support.