If you’re running a WordPress site and you’ve suddenly come across the “WordPress Memory Exhausted Error – Increase PHP Memory” issue, don’t worry — you’re not alone. This can be frustrating, especially if you don’t know how to resolve it. The initial fact you must understand is that this can happen for a number of reasons, but the most common one is that your website is growing.

Luckily, we’re here to help. We’ll show you how to fix the issue and how to avoid it in the future.

What Is the WordPress Memory Exhausted Error?

One of the most common WordPress errors is the “memory exhausted” error. This typically occurs when your website or blog uses more memory than what is allocated to your WordPress account; as a result, the website may become slow or unresponsive and eventually crash. This could occur due to many reasons, but the most common culprit is a poorly coded plugin or theme. Another potential cause is an influx of traffic to your site all at once, which can overwhelm your server resources.

When this happens, you will see a message that says, “WordPress ran out of memory. Please contact your host and ask them to increase your memory limit.” This error message can be confusing for any business owner in South Africa, especially if you’re not a technical person. However, this causes your WordPress site to become inaccessible, which is a big issue. If you see this error message, try not to freak out! There are some things you can try to fix the problem.

How to Fix the WordPress Memory Exhausted Error

It’s happened to the best of us: you’re working on your WordPress site, making some final adjustments before you launch, and all of a sudden you see the dreaded “white screen of death.” Or, even worse, you get an error message telling you that your memory has been exhausted. If you see any of these errors, don’t worry — there are a few things you can try to fix the problem.

Here are some steps you can take to fix the WordPress memory exhausted error:

• Increase the PHP memory limit in WordPress: This is the simplest way to fix the WordPress memory limit error. If you don’t feel comfortable editing your WordPress code, then you can ask your web hosting provider to do it for you to ensure the smooth operation of your site.
• Restart your web server: If you still have issues, you can try restarting your web server. This will frequently fix the WordPress memory exhausted error.
• Upgrade your web hosting plan: If you’ve tried the above methods and you’re still seeing the WordPress memory exhausted, you may need to upgrade your web hosting plan. The issue may be with your web server, not WordPress.
• Check your plugins and themes: Poorly coded plugins or themes can also cause the WordPress memory limit error. You can identify which plugin or theme is causing the error by using the Query Monitor plugin, which determines the memory usage of each plugin and theme on your WordPress site. If you see that something is taking a shocking amount of memory, that’s likely to be the culprit.

These are just a few of the ways you can try to fix the memory exhausted error in WordPress. If you’re still having problems after trying the above, we suggest contacting the team that handles your website hosting for assistance.

How to Prevent the WordPress Memory Exhausted Error

Anyone who’s ever worked with WordPress knows that errors are bound to happen from time to time. However, there are things you can do to prevent such WordPress errors, including:

Using the Latest Version of PHP

Make sure that your WordPress site is using the latest version of PHP. Older versions are more susceptible to memory leaks, so upgrading to the latest version reduces the chances of this error happening again.

Optimizing Plugins

Any WordPress user knows that plugins are essential for adding functionality to your site. Nevertheless, with many plugins readily accessible, it’s easy to end up with a plugin-laden site that runs slowly and is difficult to maintain. That’s where plugin optimization comes in.

Plugin optimization can be done by checking for updates, removing unused plugins, and changing your plugin settings. This cleans up your database and removes unused files, making it easier for your website to load quickly and run smoothly. By carefully selecting and configuring plugins, you can significantly improve your site’s performance.

Plugin optimization can also reduce server load and improve page loading times. This makes plugin optimization an essential practice for anyone looking to improve their site’s performance.

Disabling Unused Plugins

While some plugins are essential for specific sites, others are nothing more than unnecessary bloat. Therefore, it’s necessary to conduct a thorough inventory of your plugins on a regular basis and disable any that you’re not using. Not only will this declutter your backend, but it will also improve your site’s performance and security.

By following these suggestions, you can reduce the chances of the WordPress memory exhaustion error happening on your website again.

How Can We Help

Businesses nowadays, especially in South Africa, need to have a strong online presence in order to be successful. WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, but errors can cause a lot of frustration and even lost business. Thankfully, our team of experts at Launch Digital is here in South Africa to help you with any WordPress errors you may experience.

Our WordPress care plan service keeps your website secure, improves your website speed and performance, regularly updates your plugins and themes, takes regular backups, and fixes any errors that may occur.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help, please contact us today or visit our website for helpful tips and tricks for getting the most out of your WordPress site.