Keeping your WordPress website running smoothly requires a healthy database. If your database gets corrupted, then it can lead to many problems, including error messages, white screens, and even a complete loss of functionality.

We have experience with quickly repairing a WordPress database, and we will teach you how to get your site up and running in no time. For instance, you can check the login credentials or use different tools and plugins to fix WordPress databases.

In this article, we will show you how to repair a WordPress database in a few simple steps.

Here’s a quick overview of everything we will cover in this guide. You can click the links below to jump ahead to any section:

How to Tell If Your WordPress Database Needs Repairs

A WordPress database is a collection of all the information needed to run your website properly. This includes all your blog posts, pages, registered users, media files, and settings.

If your database is corrupted and needs repairs, then here are some common signs to watch out for:

• White Screen of Death (WSoDs): This is a general term for a situation where your website displays a blank white page instead of its usual content. A corrupted database can be one reason why you’re seeing a WSoD.
• Error Messages: You might see error messages related to the database. For example, errors like ‘Error establishing a database connection‘ or ‘Unable to select database’ show that something is not right with the database.

• Missing Content or Formatting Issues: If your website’s content appears to be missing or the formatting is out of place, then it could be a sign of database corruption.
• Plugin or Theme Malfunctions: Similarly, if plugins or themes suddenly stop working properly, then it’s possible that the underlying database is to blame.

That said, let’s see what could cause your WordPress database to corrupt.

What Causes Damage to WordPress Databases?

By understanding common causes that can damage your WordPress database, you can take steps to prevent them and keep your database healthy.

For instance, problems with your web server, such as a sudden power outage or hardware malfunction, can corrupt your database. Or a malicious attack on your website could target your database, potentially leading to corruption.

On the other hand, if the database credentials (username, password, etc.) stored in your wp-config.php file are incorrect, then it can lead to database connection problems.

Similarly, if your website is trying to use more memory than your web server allows (PHP memory limit), then it can also lead to database errors and potential corruption.

Now, let’s look at different ways you can easily repair a WordPress database.

1. Check and Edit WordPress Database Credentials

One of the most common and easy ways to repair your WordPress database is by checking the credentials. Usually, incorrect usernames and passwords lead to database connection errors, especially if you recently moved your site to a new host.

The WordPress database credentials are stored in the wp-config.php file. To edit the file, you’ll need to use an FTP client or File Manager tool. If you haven’t edited the file before, then please see our guide on how to edit the wp-config.php file.

Once you open the file, look for the following lines:

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' );
/** MySQL database username */
define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' );
/** MySQL database password */
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here' );
/** MySQL hostname */
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Next, you must ensure that the information for the database name, username, password, and database host is correct.

You can confirm this information from your WordPress hosting provider. For example, in Bluehost, you can head to your site’s settings.

From here, switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab and scroll down the Database section.

Then click the ‘Manage’ button to continue.

This will open the MySQL Database page in the cPanel.

From here, you can find the username and password in the ‘Current Database’ section. If the credentials don’t match, copy and paste them into a Notepad (.txt) file so you can add them to the wp-config.php file.

2. Access phpMyAdmin to Repair WordPress Databases

If you’re comfortable with databases, then you can use phpMyAdmin to repair your WordPress database. phpMyAdmin is a web-based interface for managing MySQL databases.

First, you’ll need to log in to your WordPress hosting dashboard and head to the cPanel. In Bluehost, you can open website settings, go to the ‘Advanced’ tab, and then click the ‘Manage’ button in the cPanel section.

Next, you will see the cPanel of your hosting provider.

Simply navigate to phpMyAdmin and click the link.

On the next screen, you should see the phpMyAdmin panel.

Now, you can select a database you want to repair from the left column or go to the ‘Databases’ section at the top.

Next, you’ll see different tables in the database. Simply scroll down and click the ‘Check All’ option.

You will also need to click the With selected dropdown menu and choose the ‘Repair table’ option.

phpMyAdmin will now attempt to repair the selected tables. If any errors are found, they will be fixed.

You should see a success message when the repair is done.

You may also want to see our beginner’s guide to WordPress database management with phpMyAdmin.

3. Repair a WordPress Database Using a Plugin

Another way to repair WordPress databases is to use a plugin. This method is best if you’re not comfortable editing files or using phpMyAdmin.

There are many WordPress database plugins you can use. For this tutorial, we’ll use the WP-DBManager plugin. It is a free plugin and allows you to perform different actions on the database, like optimization, repair, backup, and more.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the WP-DBManager plugin on your site. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you can go to the Database » Repair DB page from the WordPress dashboard.

Next, you can select the tables you want to repair in the database. If you’re not sure which tables to repair, then simply select all of them and click the ‘Repair’ button at the bottom.

The plugin will then attempt to fix your WordPress database and resolve any problems.

4. Use the Built-in WordPress Database Repair Tool

WordPress also offers a built-in repair tool that you can use to fix minor database corruption issues. However, you’ll need to manually edit the wp-config.php file to access the repair tool.

First, you’ll need to open your website’s files using an FTP client or file manager. From here, locate the wp-config.php file, which is typically located in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

Go ahead and open the file using a text editor or notepad file. Next, you’ll need to add the following code snippet just before the /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ line:

define ('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Once that’s done, you can enter the following URL in the web browser to open the repair tool:

http://www.example.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

Just remember to replace ‘example.com’ with your own domain name.

Once the tool opens, simply click the ‘Repair Database’ button.

After you’ve repaired the WordPress database, you can remove the code snippet from the wp-config.php file to prevent unauthorized access.

The repair tool doesn’t require users to log in to use it, so leaving the code can lead to security vulnerabilities.

5. Fix WordPress Database from Hosting Service cPanel

You can also access a pre-built repair tool from your web hosting provider’s cPanel to fix corrupted WordPress databases.

First, you’ll need to open the cPanel from the hosting service’s dashboard. For example, in Bluehost, you can open the website settings.

After that, you will need to switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab.

From here, scroll down to the cPanel section and click the ‘Manage’ button.

Once the cPanel opens, scroll down to the Database section.

Next, you can click the ‘MySQL Databases’ option.

After that, you can click the dropdown menu under Repair Database and choose the database to fix.

Go ahead and click the ‘Repair Database’ button to continue.

The hosting service will automatically repair your database.

Once the process is complete, you should see a success message.

6. Using WP-CLI to Repair WordPress Database

For developers and advanced users, there’s a command-line option for repairing the WordPress database using WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface).

WP-CLI is a powerful tool, but it’s also more technical than the other methods mentioned here. If you’re not comfortable with the command line, it’s best to stick with one of the other repair methods.

To start, you will need to access your website’s server using SSH. For this, you will need to know your SSH credentials to perform this step.

If you are using Mac or Linux, then SSH software comes preinstalled. However, Windows users will need third-party software like PuTTY to use SSH. To learn more, please see our guide on how to use PuTTY SSH in WordPress.

Once the installation is complete and you’re connected to your site files, make sure you’re in the directory where your WordPress installation resides.

From here, simply run the following command in your terminal window:

wp db repair

This command will attempt to repair any corrupted tables in your WordPress database.

Bonus: Hire a WordPress Expert for Help

If you’re still having trouble fixing your WordPress databases or performing general maintenance, then it might be time to hire an expert.

With the WPBeginner WordPress Maintenance & Support plan, you will get our expert’s undivided attention. They’ll handle everything from updates to error fixes in the background and ensure your site continues to function without any issues.

Plus, you get 24/7 support and around-the-clock uptime monitoring. Our experts can not only handle database repairs but also optimize your site for speed. This way, you get to deliver exceptional user experience while boosting SEO performance.

Besides maintenance, there are other services you can also use. For instance, we offer website design, repair hacked sites, optimize your site for SEO, and more. Check out all our Pro services for your website.

We hope this article helped you learn how to repair WordPress database in simple steps. You may also want to see our guide on how to preview your WordPress site before going live and the best website maintenance services for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Repair WordPress Database (6 Easy Methods) first appeared on WPBeginner.

One easy way to improve WordPress email reliability is by using the Amazon Simple Email Service, which is also known as Amazon SES.

In this article, we will show you how to send emails from your WordPress site using Amazon SES.

Why and When You Need Amazon SES for WordPress Emails

All too often, we hear that users have trouble sending emails from their WordPress websites. That’s a problem because you rely on email to keep your website running smoothly.

For example, your site uses email to reset lost passwords or send notifications when new users register or someone fills in your contact form.

By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail function to send out emails. However, this function doesn’t always work as expected. That’s often because WordPress hosting companies block it to prevent abuse and spam.

Also, spam filters on popular email service providers check incoming emails to verify the sender. Default WordPress emails fail this check and sometimes may not even make it to the spam folder.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the industry standard for sending emails. Unlike the PHP mail function, SMTP uses proper authentication, which increases the chances your emails will be successfully delivered.

Amazon SES is an SMTP service designed for business email. It’s a good solution for sending WordPress notification emails to just you and your team and also sending email newsletters to large mailing lists.

The service is free for the first year. After that, you may need to pay as you go, depending on the number of emails you send and other factors. You can get an idea of what it will cost you on the Amazon SES pricing page.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to send emails to the Amazon SES service from your WordPress website using the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

Let’s begin! Here is a quick overview of the steps we will cover in this tutorial:

Step 1. Configure Your Amazon AWS Account

Step 2. Switch Amazon Web Services to Production Mode

Step 3. Install WP Mail SMTP on Your WordPress Website

Step 1: Configure Your Amazon AWS Account

First, you will need to sign up for a free account by visiting the Amazon Web Services website. While the account is free, you will need to enter credit card details when setting up the account.

You will need to enter contact information and other details during the setup of your AWS account.

Once you have created an AWS account, you will need to set up a User. This will provide you with access keys, which you will need later.

To do that, you need to open the Amazon Web Services Users page. Within this page, you must click the ‘Create user’ button.

Next, you need to set up a new user. In the User name field, you can add any name you’d like, but we recommend you use the format yourdomain_wpmailsmtp.

This will be helpful in the future if you create additional users for other websites. You’ll know at a glance which website each user is for and that the WP Mail SMTP plugin uses it.

Once you are finished, you can click the ‘Next’ button at the bottom of the screen.

You will now see the ‘Set permissions’ screen. You need to click on the third option, ‘Attach policies directly.’

Then, you should type ‘AmazonSESFullAccess’ into the search bar to filter the list. Just one policy should be listed and make sure you click the checkbox to the left of that policy.

We don’t need to change any settings on the ‘Add tags’ page, so just click the ‘Next’ button, and you’ll be taken to the Review and Create page.

Once there, you can see all the details you have chosen for this user. If everything looks correct, then simply click on the ‘Create user’ button.

You will now see a message that you successfully created the user.

You will need these later in the tutorial, so you should make a copy of them in a safe location or simply download the CSV file. Alternatively, just keep this browser window open so you can come back to it later.

Step 2: Switch Amazon Web Services to Production Mode

By default, your Amazon SES account will be run in Sandbox Mode. This limited mode will only allow you to send emails to verified email addresses and is designed to stop spammers from abusing the system.

If you want to send emails to anyone, then you will have to make a request to move from Sandbox Mode to Production Mode. The first step is to visit the AWS Support page to create a new case.

Start with filling in the case details. Amazon will use your answers to ensure you won’t be sending spam emails.

You should leave the limit type as ‘SES Service Limits’ and select ‘Transactional’ as the mail type. In the Website URL field, you should type in your site’s address.

The next section is labeled ‘Describe, in detail, how you will only send to recipients who have specifically requested your mail’. Here, you should share some details about your email-sending process.

For example, you could say that you are only sending site notifications to the site administrator or sending mail only to those who have filled out a form on your site.

Then you are asked to ‘Describe, in detail, the process you will follow when you receive bounce and complaint notifications’.

For example, you can explain that the ‘Force From Email’ setting in WP Mail SMTP will send all bounce notifications to a specified email address.

When asked whether you will comply with the AWS terms of service, you should answer ‘Yes.’

Next, you should scroll down to the Requests section. Start by selecting the same region as when you set up your AWS account. This should be the region closest to where your site’s server is located.

For the quota field, the answer is auto-selected. After that, under ‘New quota value’, you should type in your estimate of the maximum number of emails you expect to send in a day.

The last section on the page is ‘Use Case Description’. Here, you should share details of the kind of website you have and why you will be sending emails.

Make sure you include the types of emails that will be sent, such as confirmations of form submissions, purchase receipts, or newsletters. A more detailed response here may give your application a greater chance of success.

Once you have completed the application, go ahead and click the ‘Submit’ button. You will get two emails from Amazon Web Services confirming that a new case has been created.

You should receive a decision from Amazon within one business day. But in the meantime, you can continue with this tutorial.

Step 3. Install WP Mail SMTP on Your WordPress Website

WP Mail SMTP is the best SMTP plugin for WordPress. You will need to buy a Pro plan or higher to use Amazon SMTP. This also gives you access to premium support and white glove setup by one of their experts.

If you’d like to have the WP Mail SMTP support team set this up for you, then you can follow their guide on how to request white glove setup for SMTP instead of following the steps below.

First, you will need to install and activate WP Mail SMTP on your website. For more details, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Installing WP Mail SMTP

On activation, the WP Mail SMTP setup wizard will start automatically. You will need to click on the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button.

Next, you will be shown a list of supported email services.

Here, you need to select Amazon SES and then click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

You will see a message explaining that Amazon SES is a good choice for technically advanced users. You should click the ‘I Understand, Continue’ button to dismiss the message.

After that, you will be asked to configure your mailer settings. You need to fill in the Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, and Region fields with the information you copied earlier when you created an Amazon AWS account.

Now, you need to scroll down to the SES Identities section. You can choose to verify either your domain or email address.

Verifying Your Domain

The benefit of verifying by domain is that it will verify any email address that uses that domain. Verifying an email address is easier, but then you will have to verify every email address you wish to use separately.

To verify your domain name on Amazon SES, you need to make sure the ‘Verify Domain’ option is selected. After that, you should type in the domain name you used when signing up for Amazon AWS.

Once you have entered the domain name, you need to click the ‘Verify Domain’ button.

You will be given a name and value to add to a new TXT record in your domain’s DNS settings.

For instructions on how to create a TXT record to your site’s DNS settings, see our DNS guide.

After you have successfully verified your domain, you should return to your site’s WP Mail SMTP settings and then refresh the page. Any verified domains will now be displayed.

You can now skip the ‘Verifying Your Email’ section below and move on to ‘Setting Up the From Name and Email’.

Verifying Your Email

If you only plan on using a single email address with WP Mail SMTP, then verifying your email address is a good choice.

First, you need to click on the ‘Verify Email Address’ option, and then you should type the email address you plan to use in the field provided.

Once you have entered the email address, you need to click the ‘Verify Email’ button. You will see a notice asking you to check your email inbox for a confirmation email.

This email will be sent from Amazon Web Services and include a verification link. You must click this link within 24 hours to verify this email address.

After you have successfully verified your email, you can return to your site’s WP Mail SMTP settings and refresh the page. Any verified email addresses should be displayed.

Setting Up the From Name and Email

Now, you should scroll down to the final section of the page where you can enter the ‘From’ name and email address.

You need to type a name in the From Name field. This is the name associated with the emails you send and will be set to your site’s name by default.

You can change this to any name, such as your business name or personal name. You can also check the ‘Force From Name’ option to apply this setting site-wide.

You can enter any verified email address into the From Email field. For best results, we recommend using a business email address with your site’s domain, such as example@yourwebsite.com.

We recommend you check the box labeled ‘Force From Email’. This means you will automatically use the same outgoing email address across your WordPress site.

This option will save you the trouble of editing the email settings throughout your site and makes it less likely that your emails will go to spam.

Once you have finished entering the settings, you can click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

Enabling WP Mail SMTP Features

In the next step, you will be asked which email features you wish to enable. By default, a few options will be enabled. Some of these include improved email deliverability and email error tracking.

If you like, you can enable detailed email logs as well. Once you have selected it, you should click the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

Now, you should enable the email logging features. You should choose to store the sent emails and attachments.

It also asks if you want to enable email tracking and other features. Once enabled, you can click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

Lastly, you should see a success message. Simply click ‘OK’ to acknowledge the message, and then click on the ‘Continue’ button.

WP Mail SMTP will now check your mailer configuration. If everything works as expected, then you will see a screen with the message ‘Congrats, you’ve successfully set up WP Mail SMTP!’

If there is something wrong, then you will see a message that says, ‘Whoops, looks like things aren’t configured properly’. You will need to click the ‘Start Troubleshooting’ button to fix the error.

Sending a Test Email

Once you have finished troubleshooting, you might like to send out another test email to make sure everything is working correctly.

You need to navigate to WP Mail SMTP » Tools and click on the ‘Email Test’ tab. By default, the test email will be sent to your site’s admin email address, but you can change this.

Next, click ‘Send Email’.

If everything has been set up correctly, then you should see a ‘Success!’ message.

It should look something like this.

That’s it!

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to send WordPress emails using Amazon SES. You may also want to learn how to use an SMTP server to send WordPress emails or our expert pick of the best WordPress SMTP plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Send WordPress Emails Using Amazon SES (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could update hundreds of posts with a single click… without having to update them manually?

If you’re like me and most other smart website owners, then you have at least wished for this solution a couple of times in your WordPress journey.

Today, I am excited to announce the new Search & Replace Everything by WPCode, a free tool to easily perform bulk search and replace operations in WordPress.

Why Did We Build This Tool?

By default, WordPress does not come with a Find and Replace tool. This makes it hard to do bulk updates on your site.

Especially if you want to quickly update a link on every page, change an image that’s used in multiple areas, or making bulk changes when you’re moving your site.

Website owners either have to update every page manually which is extremely inefficient and time-consuming, or hire a developer to write a SQL query which can be expensive.

And that’s why I decided to create Search & Replace Everything by WPCode.

Search & Replace Everything revolutionizes how you update your content on your site once and for all.

This tool is designed for anyone who manages a WordPress site and wants to save time and avoid errors.

Here are some of the top use cases:

• Bulk Update Content in WordPress Posts: As the plugin’s name suggests, you can search and replace any content on your website with a single click.
• Replace an Image Used Across Multiple Locations: Quickly replace outdated images anywhere on your site with the new ones with just a click.
• Updating URLs After WordPress Migration: When you migrate a WordPress website to a new address, you can replace URLs pointing to the old address. The plugin helps you fix all broken links while also saving you time.

Making Bulk Changes in WordPress Effortlessly

With Search & Replace Everything, our goal is to make it easy to make bulk changes to your website.

Instead of writing complex SQL queries on your own or hiring a developer, you can enter what you want to search for and what you need to replace it with.

Let me show you what makes Search & Replace Everything incredibly powerful yet so simple.

1. Update Everything Quick and Easy

Search & Replace Everything comes with a clean user interface. Just go to the Tools » WP Search & Replace page, enter the content you want to find, and then add the content you want to replace it with.

This simple layout ensures that even non-technical users can perform complex operations without hassle.

2. Control Where to Search

Target your changes precisely by selecting specific database tables or searching across all tables for comprehensive updates.

This feature ensures you’re making changes exactly where needed, preventing any unintended modifications.

3. Precision Search with Case Sensitivity

By default, the plugin performs case-sensitive searches, ensuring accurate and specific matches.

For example, a search for “WordPress” will not match “wordpress” or “WORDPRESS”.

However, if you need to make your searches case-insensitive, you can easily toggle the option. This allows you to find and replace text regardless of its case.

For instance, enabling case-insensitive search would allow “WordPress,” “wordpress,” and “WORDPRESS” to be treated as the same.

4. Preview Before Making Changes

Worried about making mistakes? Preview all the changes before you save them. This feature ensures you get everything right the first time.

5. Replace Any Image in Your Media Library

Replacing images used in multiple places? No problem.

Switch to the ‘Replace Image’ tab, find your image, and click ‘Replace’. It’s that simple.

6. Track & Undo Changes

You can keep track of Search & Replace activity in the ‘History’ tab. This allows you to quickly review the changes you made and undo them with the click of a button.

Note: This feature is available with the paid plan with an introductory $30 discount.

6. Fast, Even on Large Websites

Performing site-wide search and replace operations consumes server resources, which could slow down or crash a website. Search & Replace Everything is designed to be fast and efficient, even if you have a larger website with tons of data.

With Search and Replace Everything, making bulk changes has never been easier.

What’s Coming Next?

Search & Replace Everything by WPCode provides an incredibly powerful tool for WordPress site owners.

It makes advanced database search and replacement operations quite simple for all users.

Before performing bulk updates, always create a fresh WordPress database backup. I recommend using Duplicator. It’s an easy way to back up your database and restore it with a single click if needed.

We’re truly building something special here. If you have ideas on how we can make the plugin more helpful to you, please send us your suggestions.

As always, thank you for your continued support of WPBeginner. We look forward to serving you for years to come.

Yours Truly,

Syed Balkhi
Founder of WPBeginner

The post Introducing Search & Replace Everything by WPCode: Bulk Editing in WordPress Made Easy first appeared on WPBeginner.