{"id":3532,"date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/attributesuseraccess.com\/?post_type=docs&p=1043"},"modified":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","slug":"debug-mode-instructions","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/docs\/debug-mode-instructions\/","title":{"rendered":"Debug Mode Instructions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Version: 1.2.1<\/span>\nLast Updated: December 2025<\/span>\nDifficulty: Intermediate<\/span>\nTime Required: 10 minutes<\/span><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n

Debug mode reveals detailed error messages and logs that help diagnose issues. This guide shows how to enable WordPress debug mode and interpret error messages.\n<\/p>\n\n

Enabling WordPress Debug Mode<\/h2>\n\n

Step 1: Edit wp-config.php<\/h3>\n\nAccess wp-config.php via:<\/strong>\n
    \n
  • FTP (FileZilla, WinSCP)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
      \n
    • cPanel File Manager<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
        \n
      • SSH\/command line<\/li><\/ul>\n\nFind this line:<\/strong>\n\n
        \ndefine('WP_DEBUG', false);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nReplace with:<\/strong>\n\n
        \n\/\/ Enable debug mode\ndefine('WP_DEBUG', true);\n\n\/\/ Log errors to file\ndefine('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);\n\n\/\/ Don't display errors on frontend (security)\ndefine('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);\n@ini_set('display_errors', 0);\n\n\/\/ Log database queries (optional, for performance issues)\ndefine('SAVEQUERIES', true);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nSave file and upload back to server.<\/strong>\n\n
        Step 2: Check Debug Log<\/h3>\n\nLog location:<\/strong>\n\n
        \/wp-content\/debug.log\n<\/p>\n\nAccess via:<\/strong>\n
          \n
        • FTP\/download file<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
            \n
          • cPanel File Manager<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
              \n
            • View in text editor<\/li><\/ul>\n\nLog grows large over time. Check regularly and delete when not debugging.<\/strong>\n\n
              Understanding Error Messages<\/h2>\n\n
              PHP Fatal Errors<\/h3>\n\nExample:<\/strong>\n\n
              PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function attrua_get_option() \n<\/p>\n
              in \/wp-content\/plugins\/attributes-user-access-pro\/includes\/functions.php:45\n<\/p>\n\nWhat it means:<\/strong>\n\n
              Function doesn’t exist\n<\/p>\n
              Likely causes:\n<\/p>\n
                \n
              • Plugin file missing\/corrupt<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                  \n
                • Plugin not fully activated<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                    \n
                  • PHP version incompatibility<\/li><\/ul>\n\nSolution:<\/strong>\n\n
                      \n
                    • Deactivate and reactivate plugin<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                        \n
                      • Reinstall plugin from fresh download<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                          \n
                        • Check PHP version meets requirements<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                          Database Errors<\/h3>\n\nExample:<\/strong>\n\n
                          WordPress database error Table ‘wp_attrua_audit_log’ doesn’t exist \n<\/p>\n
                          for query SELECT * FROM wp_attrua_audit_log\n<\/p>\n\nWhat it means:<\/strong>\n\n
                          Database table missing\n<\/p>\n\nSolution:<\/strong>\n\n
                            \n
                          • Deactivate plugin<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                              \n
                            • Reactivate (triggers table creation)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                \n
                              • Or run table creation SQL manually<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                JavaScript Errors<\/h3>\n\nCheck browser console:<\/strong>\n\n
                                Chrome\/Edge: F12 \u2192 Console tab\n<\/p>\n
                                Firefox: F12 \u2192 Console tab\n<\/p>\n\n
                                Common errors:\n<\/p>\n
                                “$ is not defined” \u2192 jQuery not loaded\n<\/p>\n
                                “Uncaught TypeError” \u2192 Function doesn’t exist\n<\/p>\n
                                “Script error” \u2192 Cross-origin issue\n<\/p>\n\n
                                Plugin-Specific Debug<\/h2>\n\n
                                Attributes Debug Mode<\/h3>\n\nEnable additional plugin logging:<\/strong>\n\n
                                \n\/\/ Add to wp-config.php\ndefine('ATTRUA_DEBUG', true);\n\n\/\/ This logs:\n\n<ul>\n<li>Login attempts<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<ul>\n<li>2FA verification<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<ul>\n<li>IP blocking checks<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Redirect decisions<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Database queries<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nView extended logs:<\/strong>\n\n
                                Users \u2192 Settings \u2192 Debug\n<\/p>\n\n
                                Recent Activity:\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:15] Login attempt: username=john\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:15] IP check: 203.0.113.50 – ALLOWED\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:16] 2FA required: YES\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:16] 2FA code sent to: john@example.com\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:45] 2FA verified: SUCCESS\n<\/p>\n
                                [2025-12-19 14:30:45] Redirect to: \/dashboard\/\n<\/p>\n\n
                                Using Query Monitor Plugin<\/h2>\n\n
                                Installation<\/h3>\n\nInstall Query Monitor:<\/strong>\n\n
                                  \n
                                • Go to Plugins \u2192 Add New<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                    \n
                                  • Search “Query Monitor”<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                      \n
                                    • Install and activate<\/li><\/ul>\n\nBenefits:<\/strong>\n\n
                                      \u2713 See all database queries\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See slow queries\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See duplicate queries\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See PHP errors\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See hook usage\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See HTTP API calls\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u2713 See template hierarchy\n<\/p>\n\n
                                      Reading Query Monitor<\/h3>\n\nAdmin toolbar shows:<\/strong>\n\n
                                      \u26a0 45 queries in 0.85s\n<\/p>\n
                                      \u26a0 2 errors\n<\/p>\n\nClick to see details:<\/strong>\n\n
                                      Queries by Component:\n<\/p>\n
                                        \n
                                      • Attributes User Access: 12 queries (0.15s)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                          \n
                                        • WordPress Core: 25 queries (0.50s)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                            \n
                                          • Theme: 8 queries (0.20s)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                            Slow Queries (>0.05s):\n<\/p>\n
                                            SELECT * FROM wp_usermeta WHERE meta_key LIKE ‘attrua_%’ (0.12s)\n<\/p>\n\n
                                            Common Debug Scenarios<\/h2>\n\n
                                            Scenario 1: Login Not Working<\/h3>\n\nDebug steps:<\/strong>\n\n
                                              \n
                                            • Enable WP_DEBUG<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                \n
                                              • Attempt login<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                  \n
                                                • Check debug.log<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                    \n
                                                  • Look for:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                       – PHP errors\n<\/p>\n
                                                       – Database errors\n<\/p>\n
                                                       – Authentication failures\n<\/p>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    • Enable ATTRUA_DEBUG for details<\/li><\/ul>\n\nTypical log entries:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:15] Attempting login for: john\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:15] wp_authenticate_user: Invalid username\n<\/p>\n
                                                      \u2192 Username doesn’t exist\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                      OR:\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:15] Attempting login for: john\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:15] wp_check_password: FAILED\n<\/p>\n
                                                      \u2192 Wrong password\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                      Scenario 2: Redirects Not Working<\/h3>\n\nEnable redirect debugging:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                      \n\/\/ wp-config.php\ndefine('ATTRUA_DEBUG', true);\ndefine('ATTRUA_DEBUG_REDIRECTS', true);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nCheck log:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:45] Redirect check for user ID: 5\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:45] User role: subscriber\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:45] Redirect rule match: \/member-area\/\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:45] Final redirect URL: https:\/\/example.com\/member-area\/\n<\/p>\n
                                                      [19-Dec-2025 14:30:45] Redirect executed: wp_redirect()\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                      Scenario 3: Performance Issues<\/h3>\n\nEnable query logging:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                      \n\/\/ wp-config.php\ndefine('SAVEQUERIES', true);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nCheck query count:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                      \n\/\/ Add to footer.php temporarily\nglobal $wpdb;\necho "<!-- " . count($wpdb->queries) . " queries -->";\nforeach ($wpdb->queries as $q) {\n    if ($q[1] > 0.05) { \/\/ Queries slower than 50ms\n        echo "<!-- SLOW: " . $q[0] . " (" . $q[1] . "s) -->";\n    }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n
                                                      Browser DevTools<\/h2>\n\n
                                                      Network Tab<\/h3>\n\nMonitor AJAX requests:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                        \n
                                                      • Open DevTools (F12)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                          \n
                                                        • Go to Network tab<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                            \n
                                                          • Filter: XHR<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                              \n
                                                            • Attempt action (login, register)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                \n
                                                              • Check AJAX request status:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                   – 200: Success\n<\/p>\n
                                                                   – 400: Bad request\n<\/p>\n
                                                                   – 403: Forbidden  \n<\/p>\n
                                                                   – 500: Server error\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                                Console Tab<\/h3>\n\nCheck for JavaScript errors:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                                  \n
                                                                • Open Console tab<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                    \n
                                                                  • Attempt action<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                      \n
                                                                    • Look for red error messages<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                        \n
                                                                      • Note file and line number<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                        Sharing Debug Information<\/h2>\n\n
                                                                        When Contacting Support<\/h3>\n\nProvide this information:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                                        \n
                                                                          \n
                                                                            \n
                                                                          • WordPress version<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                              \n
                                                                            • PHP version<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                \n
                                                                              • Plugin version<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                  \n
                                                                                • Active plugins list<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                    \n
                                                                                  • Active theme<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                      \n
                                                                                    • Relevant debug.log entries<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                        \n
                                                                                      • Browser console errors (if applicable)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                          \n
                                                                                        • Steps to reproduce issue<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                            \n
                                                                                          • Screenshots of error messages<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
                                                                                            Sanitizing Sensitive Data<\/h3>\n\nBefore sharing logs:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                                                            Remove:\n<\/p>\n
                                                                                              \n
                                                                                            • Passwords (should never be in logs anyway)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                \n
                                                                                              • Email addresses (replace with user@example.com)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                • IP addresses (replace with 203.0.113.1)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                  • API keys \/ license keys<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                    • Database credentials<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                      Keep:\n<\/p>\n
                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                      • Error messages<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                        • Stack traces<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                          • Query structures (without actual data)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                            • Timestamps<\/li><\/ul>\n\n
                                                                                                              Disabling Debug Mode<\/h2>\n\n
                                                                                                              When Finished Debugging<\/h3>\n\nIMPORTANT: Disable debug on production sites<\/strong>\n\nEdit wp-config.php:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                                                                              \n\/\/ Change back to:\ndefine('WP_DEBUG', false);\n\n\/\/ Remove these:\n\/\/ define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);\n\/\/ define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);\n\/\/ define('SAVEQUERIES', true);\n\/\/ define('ATTRUA_DEBUG', true);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\nDelete debug.log:<\/strong>\n\n
                                                                                                              Delete \/wp-content\/debug.log\n<\/p>\n
                                                                                                              (May contain sensitive information)\n<\/p>\n\n
                                                                                                              Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n
                                                                                                              Never Enable on Production Without Hiding Errors<\/strong>
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                              Always use WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY = false on live sites. Only log to file.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
                                                                                                              Monitor Log File Size<\/strong>
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                              debug.log can grow to hundreds of MB. Delete regularly.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
                                                                                                              Use Staging for Intensive Debugging<\/strong>
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                              Clone production to staging. Debug there first.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
                                                                                                              Document Findings<\/strong>
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                              Keep notes on errors found and solutions applied.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
                                                                                                              Enable debug mode to diagnose plugin issues.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_surecart_dashboard_logo_width":"180px","_surecart_dashboard_show_logo":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_orders":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_invoices":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_subscriptions":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_downloads":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_billing":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_account":true,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"chapter":[370],"class_list":["post-3532","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","chapter-troubleshooting"],"acf":{"reading_time":"","difficulty":"beginner","plugin_version":"1.2.2","last_updated":null},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/3532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/3532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attributeswp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter?post=3532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}