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When the WordPress installer will not load, the cause is usually one of five layers: the request is reaching the wrong directory, PHP is not running, the database details are wrong, WordPress core files are damaged, or the hosting server has an outage or limit. Identify the browser symptom first, then test that layer instead of repeatedly reinstalling WordPress.

Identify the failure before changing anything

Record the exact page you see, the URL you requested, and whether the failure occurs on the main domain, /wp-admin/, or /wp-admin/setup-config.php. Different messages point to different components.

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What you see Most likely layer First check
Completely blank page PHP fatal error, exhausted resources, or a server error being hidden Enable temporary logging and inspect the PHP and WordPress logs
“Error Establishing Database Connection” Database credentials, permissions, server availability, or quota Compare every value in wp-config.php with the database account
Raw <?php code in the browser PHP is being served as text instead of executed Ask the host to verify the PHP handler for the domain
A directory listing The web server is not using index.php as its directory index Confirm the document root contains WordPress and that index files are enabled
“Headers already sent” Malformed PHP configuration, often whitespace or a byte-order mark Inspect wp-config.php for characters before <?php or after the final statement
Redirect loop or repeated setup redirects URL, HTTPS, proxy, or cookie handling at the server layer Check the requested scheme and the domain’s document root before editing WordPress files

Do not delete files or create a second database until this classification is complete. A reinstall can hide the original routing or hosting problem and may destroy evidence needed to diagnose it.

Confirm the request reaches the intended WordPress directory

Check the domain’s document root

Use the hosting control panel, FTP, or another file-transfer method to open the directory assigned to the domain. A normal WordPress installation contains index.php, wp-admin, wp-includes, and wp-content. If those items are in a nested folder such as public_html/wordpress while the domain points to public_html, the installer URL will not reach them.

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Correct the domain’s document-root setting or move the WordPress files into the directory that the domain actually serves. Make sure you are checking the same domain and subdomain that appears in the browser; hosting accounts often assign separate roots to the main domain, subdomains, and temporary URLs.

Open the installer directly

Request https://example.com/wp-admin/setup-config.php (replace the example domain with yours). The official installer should present database fields and can create wp-config.php after you submit them. A 404, a directory listing, or a download prompt at this path indicates a routing or PHP problem rather than an incorrect database password.

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If the page redirects to another domain, note the destination and stop the loop. A redirect can mean the domain is pointed at an old installation, an HTTPS rule is being applied by a proxy, or a partially configured site is forcing a URL that does not match the request.

Check file-transfer completeness

Interrupted uploads can leave wp-admin or wp-includes incomplete. Compare the directory structure with a fresh WordPress package of the same release. Do not overwrite wp-content or wp-config.php merely to fix a path problem; those contain your content and configuration.

Verify the server prerequisites

WordPress Developer Resources lists PHP 7.4 or greater, MySQL 5.7 or greater or MariaDB 10.3 or greater, and HTTPS support as requirements. The setup process also assumes that you can log in to the server, edit a text file, and transfer files through FTP or an equivalent method.

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  • PHP: Confirm the version assigned to this specific domain, not just the default version shown for the hosting account. A host may run different PHP versions for different sites.
  • Database server: Confirm that the account includes a running MySQL or MariaDB service and that your database is on a supported version.
  • HTTPS: Verify that the certificate covers the exact hostname and that HTTP-to-HTTPS redirection is not sending the installer between mismatched URLs.
  • Access: Keep a text editor and a reliable file-transfer method available before modifying configuration files.

If the host cannot provide the PHP version, database version, or service status, treat that as a hosting-side blocker. Changing WordPress files cannot repair a disabled PHP handler or a stopped database server.

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Fix a blank installer page with temporary diagnostics

Add WordPress logging safely

Make a backup copy of wp-config.php, then open the original in a plain-text editor. Add the following definitions before the line that says That's all, stop editing! (the wording may vary slightly):

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

Save the file without changing its encoding, reload the failing installer URL, and reproduce the error once. WordPress normally writes the resulting entries to wp-content/debug.log. Also inspect the PHP error log and the web server’s error log in the hosting panel; a fatal error can occur before WordPress has enough code loaded to write its own log.

Interpret the first useful log entry

  • A “PHP Fatal error” naming a missing function or incompatible syntax points to the PHP version or a damaged file.
  • An “Allowed memory size exhausted” entry points to a host resource limit; ask the provider what the account’s PHP memory and process limits are.
  • An error naming a plugin or theme is relevant only if those files are being loaded. During a new installation, a core or server error is more likely.
  • A database exception or authentication error belongs in the database checks below.

Turn debugging off after the test by restoring the original values or changing the definitions to false. Remove or protect wp-content/debug.log; it can contain file paths, usernames, queries, and other information that should not be public. Never leave detailed errors displayed on a production domain.

Repair “Error Establishing Database Connection”

That message means WordPress cannot connect to the database; it does not identify one single cause. Credentials, permissions, a stopped or quota-limited service, and a host outage can all produce it.

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Check the five values in wp-config.php

Open the file and locate these definitions:

define('DB_NAME', 'database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'database_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'database_host');
$table_prefix = 'wp_';

Compare each value with the database list in the hosting control panel. Hosting systems commonly prepend an account name to the database and user, so a database named site_wp is not interchangeable with wp. Passwords are case-sensitive; retype the value if there is any doubt, taking care not to add a space before or after it. Preserve the quotation marks and semicolons.

DB_HOST is often localhost, but not always. Some providers use a separate hostname or port. Use the exact host supplied by the provider rather than assuming that localhost is correct.

Verify the user’s permissions

In the database-management screen, confirm that the specified user is attached to the specified database and has permission to create, read, update, and delete tables. A database can exist and still reject WordPress if the user was never granted access or if the grant was removed during a migration.

Confirm that the server is running and within quota

Check the host’s service-status page or control panel for a MySQL/MariaDB outage. Look for account notices about a full disk, a database-size quota, too many connections, or a suspended service. If other applications on the same account also cannot connect, that is strong evidence of a host-side problem rather than a typo in WordPress.

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Test one change at a time

  1. Save a backup of wp-config.php.
  2. Correct one database value or permission.
  3. Reload /wp-admin/setup-config.php or the page that failed.
  4. Record whether the message changed before making another edit.

Do not paste database passwords into public support forums or browser screenshots. If the values are correct and the server is available, give the host the database name, username, host, and exact timestamp of the failure without disclosing the password.

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Stop raw PHP from appearing in the browser

If you see source such as <?php, echo, or define() instead of a rendered page, the web server is sending the file as plain text. WordPress cannot fix a PHP handler that is not enabled.

  1. Confirm that the file has a .php extension and is in the document root you checked earlier.
  2. Use the hosting panel to select a supported PHP version for the domain.
  3. Ask the host to verify that the web server passes PHP files to its PHP handler and that no static-file rule overrides it.
  4. After the host changes the handler, clear any server or proxy cache and request the installer again.

Treat exposed source as a security incident. If the displayed code includes database credentials from wp-config.php, stop public access, rotate the database password, and ask the host to review access logs before continuing.

Replace a directory listing with the WordPress index

A directory listing means the server reached a folder but did not select an index file. Confirm that index.php is present in the directory assigned to the domain. If WordPress files are one level deeper, fix the document root rather than copying random files into the parent directory.

Ask the host whether its directory-index setting includes index.php. Do not rely on a directory listing in production: it exposes filenames and can reveal backup files. Once the index setting and document root are correct, request the bare domain again and then open /wp-admin/setup-config.php.

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Resolve “Headers already sent” during setup

PHP issues this warning when output was sent before WordPress attempted to send an HTTP header. In a fresh installation, the usual cause is an edited wp-config.php containing spaces, blank lines, or a byte-order mark before the opening <?php tag, or text after the final PHP statement.

  1. Open the file in an editor that can display encoding and invisible characters.
  2. Ensure the first character in the file is the < of <?php; remove blank lines and spaces before it.
  3. Remove any closing ?> tag if it is followed by whitespace or comments, or delete all trailing text after the configuration.
  4. Save as UTF-8 without a byte-order mark if your editor offers that choice.
  5. Upload the file in text mode where required by your transfer tool and test again.

The warning usually names the file and line that produced the first output. Use that location to find the offending characters instead of suppressing the warning.

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Handle redirect loops and HTTPS mismatches

A setup page that bounces between HTTP and HTTPS, or between two hostnames, is usually being redirected by the server, proxy, or certificate configuration before WordPress can finish setup.

  • Use one canonical hostname consistently, including the www choice.
  • Confirm the certificate is valid for that hostname and that the host’s HTTPS mode matches the proxy’s mode.
  • Check whether the domain points to the same document root over HTTP and HTTPS.
  • Temporarily disable conflicting redirect rules in the hosting panel, then restore the intended rule after installation.

Do not keep changing URL values in configuration while a proxy is forcing a different scheme. Ask the provider to explain which layer is issuing each redirect and provide the redirect chain if possible.

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When to restore WordPress core files

If the document root, PHP runtime, database settings, and logs are clean but core files are missing or corrupted, download a fresh WordPress package and re-upload wp-admin and wp-includes. Leave wp-content, wp-config.php, and any uploaded media untouched. Replace files only after making a backup and confirming that the package matches the release you intend to run.

A failed upload, unexpected PHP files, altered timestamps, or errors that return immediately after a clean core upload can indicate a compromise. Preserve the logs and a copy of the affected files, change hosting and database credentials from a trusted device, and involve the host or a qualified WordPress security professional. Reinstalling files alone does not remove an attacker who still has an account, plugin, or server-level foothold.

Use the right escalation path

Evidence Who can resolve it What to provide
Wrong document root, missing files, or malformed wp-config.php Site administrator with file access Requested URL, directory listing, backup, and exact error text
PHP source displayed, unsupported PHP version, or server log fatal Hosting provider or server administrator Domain, PHP version selected, timestamp, and sanitized log entry
Database credentials or permissions rejected Site administrator and database/hosting administrator Database name, user, host, permission status, and timestamp; never the password
Outage, quota, stopped service, or connection limits Hosting provider Account identifier, affected database, error time, and host-status reference
Unexpected files or repeated reinfection Hosting provider and qualified security professional Preserved logs, backups, file copies, and a timeline of changes

Escalate with a concise timeline: when the domain was pointed, what was uploaded, the first failing URL, the exact browser message, and the first relevant log entry. This prevents support from repeating generic installation steps.

Final installation checklist

  • The domain and HTTPS hostname resolve to the intended document root.
  • index.php, wp-admin, and wp-includes are present in that root.
  • The selected PHP version is 7.4 or greater and is executing PHP rather than serving source.
  • The database server meets the MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.3 minimum and is running.
  • DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST match the account, and the user has access to the database.
  • Temporary debugging has been disabled and debug.log is protected or removed.
  • Backups exist before any core-file replacement or security cleanup.

If all local checks pass and the installer still does not load, the remaining fault is likely in the hosting network, PHP configuration, database service, or account limits. WordPress support guidance directs you to the host for those conditions; a maintenance professional is appropriate when you lack server access or the logs suggest compromise.

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