Fixing the Dreaded "406 Not Acceptable" Error on Your WordPress Site

Seeing strange and confusing error messages pop up on your pride and joy – your WordPress website – is upsetting. I totally get it! Especially when that error prevents your beautiful content from being displayed properly in browsers.

Not to worry – these issues happen to even the best web developers. The key is staying calm and using effective troubleshooting processes to get answers fast. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explore the 406 error many WordPress admins come across at one time or another.

By the end, you‘ll fully understand:

• Exactly why 406 errors happen
• 6 key troubleshooting steps for deducing the cause
• Simple configuration tweaks to prevent future headaches

Let‘s get started!

What is a 406 Error Anyway?

The official name for the 406 issue is "406 Not Acceptable" and it falls under the broader class of HTTP status code errors…

Step-By-Step Guide to Fixing 406 Errors

Now that you know exactly what causes 406 errors, let‘s systematically walk through processes WordPress pros use to diagnose issues quickly.

I‘ll provide 6 critical troubleshooting steps complete with handy hdrscreenshots for reference:

#1 Review Error Logs

The very first place…

#2 Simplify Components

One of the best web debugging practices I rely on…

#3 Use Browser Dev Tools

The Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers all come with powerful developer tools…

#4 Try Alternate Themes and Plugins

Loading WordPress without any active plugins and switching temporarily to a default theme…

#5 Check Server Configurations

Many 406 error causes come down to slight mismatches between…

#6 Seek External Help

If you‘ve tried all other steps exhaustively and are still stumped on the root cause…

Avoid Headaches With Proactive Prevention

Having a solid methodology to address 406 errors quickly is useful but avoiding the annoyances proactively is ideal.

As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", right?

Here are 5 tips from WordPress experts:

Use Staging Sites for Major Updates

"When making substantial changes to your stack…

Let‘s Keep In Touch!

Hopefully with the troubleshooting game plan and preventative measures outlined above you‘ll keep pesky 406 errors off your site for good. But if any questions come up, feel free to reach out. Happy to help however I can!

You‘ve got this 🙂

John Smith
Web Dev Hero