What Is WP_DEBUG?

WP_DEBUG is a PHP constant defined in your site’s wp-config.php file. When it is set to true, WordPress stops hiding PHP notices, warnings, and errors and shows them directly — either on the page or in a log file. It is disabled by default on every WordPress installation to keep visitors from seeing raw error output.

Three constants work together for debugging:

• WP_DEBUG — master switch that activates debug mode
• WP_DEBUG_LOG — saves errors to wp-content/debug.log instead of showing them on screen
• WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY — controls whether errors appear visually on the page (set to false when using the log)

Where to Find wp-config.php

The wp-config.php file sits in the root folder of your WordPress installation — the same directory that contains wp-admin/ and wp-content/. You can edit it via:

• FTP / SFTP — connect with FileZilla or your preferred client and open the file in a text editor
• cPanel File Manager — navigate to public_html/ (or your subdirectory), right-click wp-config.php, and choose Edit
• SSH — nano wp-config.php from your site root

Always make a backup of wp-config.php before editing it. A syntax error in this file will take down the entire site.

How to Enable WP_DEBUG in WordPress

Open wp-config.php and find this line near the bottom of the file:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

Change false to true:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

Save the file. WordPress will now display PHP errors, warnings, and notices directly on every page of your site. This is useful for a quick look, but not ideal if other people can see the site — move to the log-based approach below.

Log Errors to a File Instead of Showing Them on Screen

The recommended approach for debugging on a live or staging site is to write errors to a file. Add all three constants to wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
@ini_set( 'display_errors', 0 );

With this configuration:

• Errors are written to wp-content/debug.log
• Nothing is shown to visitors on the front end
• The @ini_set line suppresses errors at the PHP level as a safety net

To read the log, open wp-content/debug.log in any text editor or tail it over SSH:

tail -f wp-content/debug.log

Custom Log File Location (WordPress 5.1+)

Since WordPress 5.1 you can specify a custom path for the log file by passing a path string instead of true:

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', '/home/youruser/private/debug.log' );

This keeps the log outside the webroot and prevents it from being publicly accessible — a good practice on production environments.

How to Disable WP_DEBUG

When you have found and fixed the issue, always turn off debug mode before restoring normal traffic to the site. Set all constants back to false:

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

Or simply revert wp-config.php to its original state with only:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

Leaving WP_DEBUG enabled on a production site is a security risk — error messages can expose file paths, database table names, and plugin/theme code to anyone who visits the site.

WP_DEBUG and WordPress Themes

If you are using a WebGeniusLab theme and something is not working as expected, enabling WP_DEBUG is the first diagnostic step we recommend. A PHP notice or deprecated function warning in the log will immediately point to the file and line number causing the problem.

Common things WP_DEBUG reveals in theme environments:

• A required plugin is deactivated (undefined function errors)
• A PHP version incompatibility (deprecated function warnings)
• A missing file referenced by a child theme
• A memory exhaustion error that caused a blank page

Once you have the error from the log, you can include it in a support ticket and our team will diagnose it much faster.

Quick Reference

Summary

Enabling WP_DEBUG in WordPress takes one line in wp-config.php. For production sites, combine it with WP_DEBUG_LOG and WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY = false so errors are captured silently in a log file. Always disable debug mode once you are done — leaving it on exposes internal details about your site to the public. With the error in hand, fixing the problem (or reporting it to a theme or plugin author) becomes straightforward.

1. Increase PHP Memory Limit

WordPress requests 40 MB of PHP memory by default, but modern themes and plugins — Elementor, WPBakery, Revolution Slider — need at least 256 MB to run reliably.

Method 1: wp-config.php (recommended)

Open wp-config.php in the site root and add the following line before “That’s all, stop editing!”:

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );

Method 2: .htaccess (Apache servers)

php_value memory_limit 256M

Method 3: php.ini

memory_limit = 256M

Note: If your hosting plan does not allow changing this value, contact your host’s support or upgrade to a plan with a higher memory limit.

2. Increase Maximum File Upload Size

By default PHP limits uploaded files to 2–8 MB depending on the server. You’ll need a higher value when importing demo content, uploading videos, or working with large images.

Method 1: .htaccess

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M

Method 2: php.ini

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M

Method 3: wp-config.php

@ini_set( 'upload_max_size', '64M' );
@ini_set( 'post_max_size', '64M' );

Note: post_max_size must be equal to or larger than upload_max_filesize. If post_max_size is smaller, the effective upload limit will not increase.

3. Increase max_input_vars

max_input_vars caps the number of fields that can be submitted in a single POST request. Themes with large options panels (Redux Framework, Kirki) may silently fail to save settings when this value is too low. 3000 or higher is recommended.

Method 1: .htaccess

php_value max_input_vars 3000

Method 2: php.ini

max_input_vars = 3000

Note: After editing php.ini, restart PHP-FPM (php-fpm reload) or Apache for the changes to take effect.

How to Check Current Values

Go to WordPress Admin → Appearance → Theme Dashboard → System Status. This page displays all current PHP values and flags anything that falls below the recommended threshold.

Recommended Minimum Values

• memory_limit — 256M
• upload_max_filesize — 32M (64M for demo import)
• post_max_size — 64M
• max_input_vars — 3000
• max_execution_time — 300

Why These PHP Values Matter

When you increase PHP memory limit, WordPress can hold larger arrays and process heavier operations without crashing mid-request. A low memory ceiling is the most common cause of the “white screen of death” during demo import or plugin activation, so raising it is usually the first fix to try. The same logic applies to the other two settings: upload limits control how large a single file can be, while max_input_vars decides how many form fields a theme options panel can save at once. Together these three values determine whether a feature-rich theme runs smoothly or fails silently.

Keep in mind that shared hosting often locks these values at the server level. If your edits to wp-config.php or .htaccess have no effect, the host is overriding them and you’ll need to open a support ticket or move to a plan with higher limits. On a VPS you have full control and can edit php.ini directly. After any change, always return to the System Status page to confirm the new values took effect, and if something breaks, enable debugging to see the exact error — our guide on how to enable WP_DEBUG walks through that process step by step.

A Quick Word of Caution

Before you increase PHP memory limit or edit any of these files, back up the original first — a single wrong character in wp-config.php or .htaccess can take the whole site down. Change one value at a time, reload the System Status page to confirm it applied, and remember that budget shared hosting often caps these limits at the server level no matter what you write in the file.

ThemeForest Purchase: Using Your Envato Purchase Code

What Is a ThemeForest Purchase Code?

A Purchase Code is a unique identifier for your ThemeForest license. It looks like this:

xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

Each purchase has its own code. Under a Regular License, one code is valid for one website only.

Where to Find Your Purchase Code

1. Go to themeforest.net and log into your account.
2. Click your profile avatar in the top-right corner.
3. Select Downloads from the dropdown menu.
4. Find the theme you purchased in the list.
5. Click the Download button next to the theme.
6. In the dropdown, choose License certificate & purchase code.
7. A text file will open. Copy the value next to Item Purchase Code.

Note: Your ThemeForest purchase code is always in Downloads → License certificate & purchase code — not in any confirmation email.

How to Activate

Once the theme is installed, go to WordPress Admin → Appearance → Theme Dashboard. Paste your ThemeForest purchase code into the activation field and click Activate.

Direct Purchase: Using Your Freemius License Key

What Is a Freemius License Key?

If you purchased the theme directly from the WebGeniusLab website, your license is managed by Freemius — a dedicated licensing platform for WordPress products. Instead of a Purchase Code, you receive a License Key that looks like this:

sk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A single license key covers one website (single-site license) or multiple websites, depending on the plan you purchased.

Where to Find Your Freemius License Key

1. Check your purchase confirmation email — the license key is included in the body of that email.
2. Alternatively, log into your account on the WebGeniusLab website.
3. Go to My Account → Licenses.
4. Find the theme in the list and copy the license key.

Note: If you purchased via Freemius and can’t find the email, use the account portal on the WebGeniusLab website to retrieve your key at any time.

How to Activate

After installing the theme, go to WordPress Admin → Appearance → Theme Dashboard. Enter your License Key in the activation field and click Activate. Your site’s domain will be registered to the license automatically.

ThemeForest vs. Freemius: What’s the Difference?

Both channels give you the full theme and access to updates. The main differences:

• ThemeForest: purchase is managed by Envato, updates are downloaded from ThemeForest or via the Theme Dashboard after activation.
• Freemius (direct): license is managed on the WebGeniusLab website, updates are delivered automatically via the WordPress dashboard without any manual steps.
• Multi-site licensing: Freemius offers flexible multi-site plans; ThemeForest requires a separate purchase per site.

Frequently Asked Questions

My ThemeForest purchase code isn’t being accepted — what should I check?

• Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the code when pasting.
• Confirm you’re entering the code for the correct theme.
• If the code is already registered to another domain, a new purchase is required.
• If the problem persists, contact support and include a screenshot of the Downloads page.

My Freemius license key isn’t working — what should I check?

• Verify you copied the full key without extra spaces.
• Check that your license hasn’t reached its site activation limit in the account portal.
• Make sure you’re on the correct theme — each product has its own license key.
• Contact support if the issue persists — include your order email address.

Can I transfer a license to a different domain?

Yes. For ThemeForest licenses, contact Envato support. For Freemius licenses, log into your account on the WebGeniusLab website, deactivate the license on the old site, and then activate it on the new one.