How to Suppress Errors and Warnings in WordPress for Emergencies

There are times in website development when errors or warnings start displaying on your WordPress site, sometimes affecting its look and functionality. If you’re facing a critical issue on your live site and need a quick way to hide these errors temporarily, WordPress allows you to suppress them in emergencies by adding a couple of lines of code.

Suppressing Errors and Warnings in WordPress

WordPress has a built-in debugging mode that developers use to catch issues. However, on a live website, you typically want this debugging turned off to prevent visitors from seeing backend issues. Here’s how to do it:

1. Locate wp-config.php

First, connect to your website using an FTP client or access your hosting control panel, then find and open the wp-config.php file, which is in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

2. Set WP_DEBUG to False

Make sure the debugging mode is off by setting WP_DEBUG to false. Look for the following line in your wp-config.php file:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

3. Add the Suppression Code

Right after the WP_DEBUG line, add the following code to suppress any errors or warnings:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );
/*Suppress any errors or warnings*/
error_reporting(0);
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);

Here’s what each line does:

• error_reporting(0); – This tells the server not to report any errors, effectively silencing warnings, notices, and error messages.
• @ini_set('display_errors', 0); – This setting prevents errors from being displayed to users by setting display_errors to 0.

Why Use This Code?

When you’re in an emergency situation—such as if your site is displaying unsightly errors or breaking the layout due to warnings—this code can provide a quick solution. Keep in mind that it’s best to suppress errors only as a temporary measure. Long-term, you should address the underlying issues causing the warnings or errors to keep your website stable and secure.

Important Note

While suppressing errors can help in an emergency, it’s crucial to track down the source of any issues afterward. Hidden errors can make debugging more difficult and may affect website performance or functionality over time. For a better long-term approach, consider using a staging environment where you can fix issues without affecting your live site.

Conclusion

In emergencies, suppressing errors and warnings in WordPress is a helpful, quick solution to keep your site looking professional and functional. Just add the code above to your wp-config.php file after WP_DEBUG is set to false, and your visitors won’t see any backend issues on the front end. However, always remember to investigate and resolve any issues afterward for a stable, error-free site.