When something breaks on a WordPress site, the visible symptom is often not enough to diagnose the problem.

You might see a blank screen, a failed import, a checkout issue, or a vague message about a critical error. These symptoms tell you that something went wrong, but they do not always explain why.

This is where WordPress error logs help.

What Are WordPress Error Logs?

WordPress error logs are behind-the-scenes records of problems that occur while your site is running. They can include PHP errors/warnings/notices, deprecated function messages, plugin or theme conflicts, and other technical issues.

The logs are useful because they give you more specific information about the issue. Instead of guessing which plugin, theme, file, or function is causing the problem, you can review the log and look at the error data.

There are two main ways to check WordPress error logs:

1. Enable WordPress’s built-in debug log manually.
2. Use a plugin that lets you view errors from the WordPress admin area.

Both approaches can work. The best choice depends on how comfortable you are editing site files and how often you need to troubleshoot WordPress problems.

Method 1: Check Error Logs Manually

The manual method uses WordPress’s built-in debugging system.

This requires access to your site files, usually through FTP, SFTP, SSH, your hosting control panel, or your host’s file manager.

Step 1: Open Your wp-config.php File

First, connect to your site files and find the wp-config.php file, which is usually in the root folder of your WordPress installation. This is the same area where you will typically see folders like:

• wp-admin
• wp-content
• wp-includes

Before editing wp-config.php, download a backup copy. It is an important configuration file, and a typo can cause severe problems.

Step 2: Turn On Error Logging

In wp-config.php, find the line that says:

/* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */

Place this code above it:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

This combination of settings tells WordPress to start collecting debugging information, save that information to a log file, and keep the messages from appearing publicly on your site.

The key setting for this article is WP_DEBUG_LOG. That is what creates the WordPress debug log, which is the file you will check when you want to review recorded errors. Setting WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY to false is important on live sites because error messages should be logged privately, not shown to visitors.

Where WordPress Stores the Debug Log

Once debug logging is enabled, WordPress normally writes errors to this file:

/wp-content/debug.log

To check the log, open your site files again, go to the wp-content folder, and look for debug.log.

If the file is not there yet, WordPress may not have logged anything since debugging was enabled. Try reproducing the problem, then check again.

For example, if an import fails, turn on logging, run the import again, and then open debug.log to see whether WordPress recorded an error.

What If debug.log Is Empty?

If debug.log is empty or missing, there are a few possible explanations.

The issue may not have happened again since logging was enabled. WordPress cannot log an error that hasn’t occurred while debug logging is active.

Your server may also be handling logs somewhere else. Some hosts store PHP, Apache, Nginx, or general server errors in the hosting dashboard rather than in WordPress’s debug.log file.

In that case, check your hosting control panel or ask your host where PHP error logs are stored.

Do Not Leave Debug Logging Enabled Permanently

After you finish troubleshooting, turn debugging off by changing WP_DEBUG back to false.

Method 2: Use WP Debug Toolkit

If you don’t want to open wp-config.php or search your server for debug.log, you can check errors from inside WordPress with WP Debug Toolkit.

This is useful because the main task is not just turning logging on. It is finding the errors quickly, reading them clearly, and using them to troubleshoot your site.

Instead of working through site files, WP Debug Toolkit gives you an error log viewer in the WordPress admin area. From there, you can review the warnings, notices, and errors being recorded by your site:

This can make troubleshooting easier because you do not have to switch between your WordPress dashboard, FTP client, file manager, and hosting account just to see what WordPress has logged.

Why This Is Easier Than Checking Logs Manually

Manual error logs work, but they are not always convenient to review.

A raw debug.log file can be hard to scan, especially if it contains many repeated warnings or older entries. You may also need to download the file, refresh it after testing, or clear it out so you can tell which errors are new.

WP Debug Toolkit gives you a more direct way to inspect the same kind of information. This can be helpful when you are trying to answer practical troubleshooting questions, such as:

• What error happened most recently?
• Did the same warning repeat multiple times?
• Did the error appear again after I tested the problem?
• Is the issue coming from a plugin, theme, or WordPress core file?

For site owners and support teams, this kind of visibility can make error logs much easier to use.

Final Thoughts

So, how do you check WordPress error logs?

The manual approach is to enable logging in wp-config.php, reproduce the issue, and then inspect /wp-content/debug.log. This gives you the raw WordPress debug log.

If you prefer not to work directly with server files, WP Debug Toolkit gives you a more accessible way to view logged errors from inside the WordPress dashboard.

For other plugins, see Best Plugins for WordPress Debugging and Troubleshooting.