WordPress error logs record every PHP error, warning, and notice generated by your site. When something breaks — a white screen of death, a 500 error, a plugin conflict that produces unexpected behaviour — the error log is where the diagnosis starts. Knowing where to find the log, how to read it, and what the common error types mean turns troubleshooting from guesswork into a systematic process.
Where to Find WordPress Error Logs on WP Engine
WP Engine provides direct access to error logs from the dashboard. Navigate to your environment, click on Logs in the left sidebar, and you will see access logs and error logs for your site. Logs can be viewed in the browser or downloaded for analysis.
Error logs on WP Engine are stored at /tmp/php-errors.log within your environment’s file system. You can also access them via SFTP or SSH. The WP Engine dashboard log viewer is convenient for quick checks; SFTP or SSH access is better for searching large log files or reviewing error history.
On standard hosting with cPanel, error logs are typically found in your home directory’s logs folder (~/logs/domain.com.error.log) or accessible through the Error Logs section in cPanel. On shared hosting without cPanel, the location varies by host — check your host’s documentation.
Enabling WordPress Debug Logging
WordPress has a built-in debug mode that writes errors to a debug log file. This is disabled by default on production sites (correctly — you never want error output visible to visitors). To enable debug logging, add these lines to your wp-config.php file:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
With these settings, WordPress writes all PHP errors, warnings, and notices to a file called debug.log in the /wp-content/ directory. The DISPLAY setting being false ensures errors are logged but not displayed to site visitors. Enable this on staging when diagnosing problems and disable it on production once the issue is resolved.
On WP Engine, PHP errors are logged to /tmp/php-errors.log automatically regardless of wp-config.php settings, so the WP_DEBUG_LOG setting adds an additional WordPress-level log rather than being the primary log source.
Reading a WordPress Error Log: What the Entries Mean
A typical error log entry looks like this:
[10-May-2026 14:23:11 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function wp_get_attachment_image() in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/my-plugin/functions.php on line 47
Reading this entry: the timestamp shows when the error occurred. PHP Fatal error is the severity level. The message describes what went wrong. The file path and line number tell you exactly where in the codebase the error occurred.
| Error type | Severity | What it means |
| PHP Fatal error | Critical | Execution stopped. Page cannot load. |
| PHP Parse error | Critical | Syntax error in PHP code. Usually a missing bracket or semicolon. |
| PHP Warning | Moderate | Non-fatal problem. Page still loads but something is wrong. |
| PHP Notice | Low | Minor issue. Often outdated code using deprecated functions. |
| PHP Deprecated | Low | Function being used will be removed in future PHP versions. |
Common WordPress Error Log Patterns and What to Do
Fatal error after a plugin update. The most common scenario. The file path in the error points to a plugin file. Deactivate that plugin (via SFTP if the WordPress admin is inaccessible: rename the plugin folder in /wp-content/plugins/) and the site will recover. Then update or replace the plugin.
White screen of death with no visible error. Enable WP_DEBUG_LOG as described above to capture the error that caused the blank screen. Almost always a Fatal error or Parse error in a recently changed plugin or theme file.
Memory exhausted errors. The log will show PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted. Increase the PHP memory limit in wp-config.php: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');. On WP Engine, memory limits can be adjusted from the dashboard.
Database connection errors. Error establishing a database connection typically means the database credentials in wp-config.php are wrong, the database server is down, or the database has reached its connection limit. Check wp-config.php credentials first, then contact your host if credentials are correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the WordPress error log on WP Engine?
PHP error logs on WP Engine are accessible from the dashboard under your environment’s Logs section. They are also stored at /tmp/php-errors.log within the environment’s file system, accessible via SFTP or SSH. If you have enabled WP_DEBUG_LOG in wp-config.php, WordPress also writes a debug.log file to /wp-content/.
Should WP_DEBUG be enabled on a live production site?
WP_DEBUG should be enabled only temporarily when diagnosing a specific problem, and only with WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY set to false so errors are not shown to visitors. Leaving WP_DEBUG enabled on a production site can expose sensitive information in error messages and slow down the site slightly from the overhead of error reporting. Enable for diagnosis, disable when done.
What does PHP Fatal error: Call to undefined function mean?
This error means code in a plugin or theme is calling a function that does not exist in the current environment. Common causes: a plugin is calling a WordPress function before WordPress has loaded (incorrect hook priority), a plugin requires another plugin that is not active, or a function was removed in a WordPress or PHP update. The file path and line number in the error message identify exactly where to look.
