Fix the “Error Establishing a Database Connection” in WordPress – Offline Supports

Learn how to fix the “Error Establishing a Database Connection” in WordPress. Step-by-step guide to check wp-config.php, MySQL server, and user credentials.

What Does This Error Mean?

When you see “Error establishing a database connection”, it means WordPress cannot connect to your MySQL database.

This can happen if:

Database credentials are incorrect
MySQL server is down
Database is corrupted
User privileges are missing

Step-by-Step Fix

✅ Step 1: Check wp-config.php

Open wp-config.php and confirm your database settings:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'your_database_name' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'your_username' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

DB_NAME → must match your actual database name
DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD → must match your MySQL user credentials
DB_HOST → usually localhost, but can differ on some hosts (127.0.0.1 or remote IP)

✅ Step 2: Test Database Connection Manually

Run this from the terminal:

mysql -u your_username -p your_database_name

If you can log in → credentials are fine.
If not → fix your MySQL user or password.

✅ Step 3: Check MySQL Server Status

Make sure MySQL is running:

sudo systemctl status mysql

If it’s stopped, restart it:

sudo systemctl restart mysql

✅ Step 4: Repair Database (Optional)

If the database is corrupted, add this line to wp-config.php:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Then visit:

http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

Repair and optimize the database.
Remove the line after repair.

✅ Step 5: Check User Privileges

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON your_database_name.* TO 'your_username'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

✅ Step 6: Restore Backup (if needed)

If nothing works, restore your database from a backup.

⚡ Quick Recap

This error means WordPress can’t talk to MySQL.
Fix by:
1. Checking wp-config.php credentials
2. Testing MySQL connection
3. Restarting MySQL
4. Repairing the database
5. Restoring from backup

✅ Following these steps should help you fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection and get your site back online.