How to fix Error Establishing Database Connection

Published: July 31, 2023

Error Establishing Database Connection is a WordPress error that indicated that there’s an issue in connecting to the MySQL database.

Causes

Corrupt database; Wrong database connection credentials; Hosting server MySQL errors.

Fix 1

Make sure the wp-config.php file is connected to the correct database.

Fix 2

Go to cPanel > MySQL Databases, and make sure the Database User is added to the Database with Full User Permissions.

Fix 3

Change MySQL Password in cPanel > MySQL Databases, and replace the credentials in the wp-config.php file. If this happened after a migration, make sure the database host is set to localhost, like a default WordPress installation.

Like all technical areas, errors will happen. It’s important to note a few things regarding using the fixes in this article:

  1. Check DNS & make sure everything is proper before resorting to changing files.
  2. When handling any files, make sure to follow this guide: How to handle WordPress files
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