We hope it never happens but just like all other software products, we sometimes run into trouble. When that happens we often use WPBackItUp logging to help pinpoint the issue. WPBackItUp logging makes a record of every operation that is being performed during the backup and restore processes but sometimes that just isn’t enough. When this happens we may ask you to turn on WordPress debugging to help us determine what is going on with your install. WordPress debugging has a a built in logging feature that will log every error that occurs on your site. This level of logging will help us to identify problems that occur outside WPBackitUp but might be impacting your backup or restore. WordPress logging is turned off by default and should only be turned on when asked by support.
WP-CONFIG.php file
To turn on WordPress debugging you will need to modify your wp-config.php file. This file contains many configuration options for WordPress but for now we will be focusing solely on the debug options. One of the simplest ways to access this file is by using your favorite ftp tool. Once you are connected to you site via ftp you will find the wp-config.php file in the root of your web site. Many ftp tools allow you to modify the file without downloading, editing and then uploading again. In the screenshot below you can see how I use FileZilla to find the wp-config.php in the root of my site. I then simply right click the file and select the “view/edit” option to modify the file.
Turning on Debugging
Once you have the file open for editing it will look something like the image below.
To turn on WordPress logging you will need to add a few lines to the beginning of this file. Scroll all the way to the top of the file and add the following lines.
// Debugging
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);
// End Debugging
When added your file should look the the image below where the new lines are highlighted.
Now just save the file and debugging will be turned on for your site. If this was done correctly you should see no visible differences in your site, however, any errors that occur will now be logged.
Logging may be turned back off by simply removing these lines from your wp-config.php file. We do not recommend leaving WordPress debugging on so please remove these lines from your wp-config.php file when the issue is resolved.