Encountering the dreaded “Updating failed” error in WordPress can be frustrating—especially when you’re on a tight deadline or have just crafted the perfect blog post. This error can appear suddenly and prevent you from updating posts or pages, publishing new content, or making edits. It often pops up in the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) and leaves many users wondering what went wrong—and more importantly, how to fix it.
Fortunately, this isn’t a dead end. In this article, we’ll walk through the common causes of the “Updating failed” error in WordPress and offer real, effective solutions you can implement right away.
The root issue behind this error usually stems from a disrupted connection between your WordPress site and the REST API—a critical part of WordPress that allows the block editor to communicate with your website’s server. If the REST API becomes unavailable, WordPress won’t be able to save changes to posts or pages, resulting in the “Updating failed” message you see.
Other factors can also trigger this error, including:
It might seem basic, but your internet connection can cause connectivity issues that affect communication with the server. Before diving into deeper troubleshooting steps, make sure your internet connection is stable. Sometimes, a page refresh or clearing the browser cache can help.
WordPress has a built-in debugging system that can help you identify what’s going wrong. To enable debug mode, follow these steps:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );Once enabled, WordPress will log errors to a file located at wp-content/debug.log. Check this file after trying to update a post again—it might reveal PHP errors or REST API issues causing the failure.
To verify if your REST API is functioning properly:
If there’s an error here, it’s likely the REST API is indeed the source of the problem. The message might even tell you what’s causing the failure, such as blocked headers or server misconfiguration.
Your site’s permalink settings may also be the culprit. Resetting these can often solve unexpected WordPress behavior. Follow these steps:
This forces WordPress to regenerate the .htaccess file, which can solve many puzzling update and rewrite issues.
Having mismatched or incorrect WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) settings can lead to failed request errors.
http or https—whichever your site is using—and match your site’s domain exactly.If your site uses HTTPS and you’re still seeing issues, make sure your SSL is properly configured and not blocking REST calls.
Misbehaving plugins—especially security, caching, or optimization ones—can interfere with the REST API. To rule out a plugin conflict, do the following:
If the error disappears, reactivate your plugins one by one while testing after each. Once the problem returns, you’ll know which plugin is the culprit.
Sometimes, a theme might be poorly coded or override important scripts, leading to update errors. Change your theme temporarily to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three:
If the error disappears, the issue lies in your active theme and may require developer support to fix.
If your site is loading content (scripts, fonts, etc.) from both HTTP and HTTPS sources, browsers might block them, leading to a communication breakdown with the REST API. Use browser developer tools (right-click > Inspect > Console) to look for blocked scripts or CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) errors. Solve these by:
Security plugins like Wordfence or server-level firewalls may block admin-ajax or REST API requests, assuming they are malicious. Try temporarily disabling these plugins or whitelisting your IP address in the plugin settings.
If you’re using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) such as Cloudflare, ensure it isn’t blocking requests to /wp-json/. You may need to add rules to bypass the firewall for REST-related endpoints.
Keeping everything up to date ensures compatibility and minimizes the chance of errors. Go to Dashboard > Updates and install the latest versions of:
Additionally, consider upgrading your PHP version to 7.4 or later via your hosting control panel.
If all else fails, reach out to your web hosting provider. Server-side issues like misconfigured ModSecurity settings or rate limiting policies may be interfering with REST API calls. Most reputable hosts are skilled at helping with WordPress-related issues and can check server logs for additional clarification.
The “Updating failed” WordPress error might seem concerning at first, but it’s rarely something you can’t resolve. In most cases, the issue comes down to connectivity problems with the REST API, plugin conflicts, or minor misconfigurations in your WordPress setup.
By methodically working through the solutions outlined above—
—you’ll be able to identify the root cause and get back to publishing content smoothly.
Just remember: keep regular backups, stay up to date, and use trusted themes and plugins to minimize the likelihood of these errors cropping up in the future.