If your WordPress site is returning an error message such as "Updating Failed" or "Publishing Failed" when you try to make changes, the results can be not but frustrating but tin can also prevent visitors from accessing what they need.

Fortunately, in that location are a few common causes and workarounds that can help yous resolve this issue if you encounter information technology. With a trivial troubleshooting, you should exist dorsum to your regular posting schedule in no time.

In this commodity, nosotros'll talk over what causes the "Updating Failed" and "Publishing Failed" errors in WordPress. Then we'll explain iv ways y'all can set up or work around the problem, to get your content up for readers.

Permit'southward get to information technology!

Why WordPress Sometimes Fails to Update or Publish Content

The Block Editor has been around for a while now. Information technology's even so being met with mixed reactions, however, and there are also new challenges and errors that WordPress users can face because of it.

One such event is a message reading "Publishing Failed" in the WordPress editor:

wordpress updating failed and publishing failed error
Publishing Failed error in the Block Editor

This bulletin may announced after you click on the blueish Publish push button, in an attempt to make your content live. A variation of this fault is the "Updating Failed" message, which may show upwardly when y'all attempt to make changes to a post or page that you've already published:

wordpress updating failed error
Updating Failed fault in the Block Editor

Equally y'all can imagine, this problem can be an specially frustrating one for bloggers, likewise as any site possessor who finds themselves needing to update key information on their spider web pages.

There are a few unlike causes of the "Publishing Failed" fault, simply i in particular is linked to the Cake Editor. The new WordPress editing interface relies on the REST API to create, save, and publish posts. In the result that something is blocking or disabling this process on your site, you won't exist able to launch new content.

If you're a beginner or just a less-technical user, any mention of the Residuum API can seem intimidating. However, in this case, there'southward no demand to worry.

All you demand to empathise for the purposes of resolving the "Publishing Failed" error is that the REST API is how the Block Editor communicates with WordPress.

When this communication is broken or disabled, the Block Editor's publishing functionality breaks. If that is what's causing the error on your site, you'll demand to get the REST API working over again in order to fix it.

How to Ready the WordPress Updating Failed and Publishing Failed Errors (In four Steps)

One time you lot empathize why your WordPress content is failing to update or publish, resolving the trouble becomes easier. Here are 4 steps you lot can take to go most fixing this problem on your site.

Step 1: Determine Whether the Residuum API Is Being Blocked

A mutual cause of the "Publishing Failed" error in WordPress (since the Block Editor was launched) is that the REST API is beingness blocked or disabled. If you're seeing this message, a wise place to start troubleshooting is by testing the Rest API to make sure it'due south working.

Y'all tin do this directly in WordPress using the Site Health tool. To access it, navigate to Tools > Site Health:

access site health
Accessing the Site Health tool in WordPress.

Nether the Condition tab, WordPress volition list any existing problems with your installation. If the REST API is being blocked, you lot'll see the following message:

"The REST API encountered an unexpected effect.

The Remainder API is one mode WordPress and other applications communicate with the server. One example is the block editor screen, which relies on this to display and save your posts and pages."

The Site Health tool will also display a specific error that is producing the 'unexpected result'. This could be a "401 Non Authorized" response, an operation timeout, a "403 Cookie Nonce Is Invalid" message, or another error.

How you should go nearly resolving this problem and enabling the Remainder API again will depend somewhat on the fault you see listed here.

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Step 2: Re-Enable the REST API by Resolving the Specified Mistake

Ideally, the Site Wellness tool will provide some indication as to how you can re-enable the Remainder API on your WordPress site. Some common solutions include:

  • Checking to meet if Cloudflare is blocking the Remainder API. If y'all're a Cloudflare user, your firewall may be inadvertently blocking legitimate requests. Check your Rule Set to determine if the REST API is existence blocked, and disable rules as necessary to allow it through.
  • Making sure a plugin is not blocking or disabling the Balance API. Some plugins may block the Remainder API as well. Disabling your plugins one at a time tin help y'all determine which 1, if any, is causing the problem. Yous may then remove, supervene upon, or modify the settings for that plugin to enable the Rest API again. Security and performance optimization plugins are mutual culprits.
  • Authenticating your WordPress site with the Remainder API via your .htaccess  file. The REST API requires your website to authenticate itself before it can connect. In the effect that your site is not doing then, you can make a small edit to your .htaccess file to resolve this issue.
  • Determining if the issue is server related. Some users take plant that they encounter this problem when running WordPress on a Windows server. Y'all'll demand to edit your spider web.config file to fix information technology.

Plugins and firewall applications are the source of the trouble well-nigh of the time, so it would be wise to start your troubleshooting attempts at that place.

Chances are, you lot'll exist able to find the tool that'due south causing the "Publishing Failed" error in WordPress and disable it or change its settings to resolve the issue.

Step 3: Enable Debugging Mode to Search for Errors

If yous can't re-enable the Balance API using one of the solutions listed in Step ii, you can endeavour turning on WordPress' debug mode. This characteristic is meant for temporary utilise as a troubleshooting tool.

When activated, the debug mode volition log all PHP responses in a file named debug.log in your site's wp-content directory. You can search this file for errors that may be preventing WordPress from connecting to the REST API, and therefore from publishing or updating posts.

To activate debug way, add the following code to your wp-config.php file before the line that reads "/* That's all, cease editing! Happy blogging. */":

          // Enable WP_DEBUG mode  ascertain( 'WP_DEBUG', true );  // Enable Debug logging to the /wp-content/debug.log file  define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );        

Make sure to remove this code from wp-config.php once you've resolved the error.

Equally an culling, Kinsta customers can access the error logs available in their MyKinsta dashboard.

To admission yours, log in to your MyKinsta and navigate to the Sites tab:

Sites tab in the MyKinsta dashboard
Sites tab in the MyKinsta dashboard.

Click on the name of the website experiencing the mistake in the resulting list. Then navigate to Logs and select error.log from the drop-down menu:

MyKinsta error log viewer
MyKinsta error log viewer

Yous should then see a list of any issues your WordPress site is currently experiencing.

Pace 4: Install and Actuate the Classic Editor Plugin every bit a Temporary Solution

In the unlikely event that the above steps are not helpful in resolving the "Publishing Failed" error in WordPress, you'll likely demand to seek support from ane of the following sources:

  • Your hosting provider if you believe the issue is related to your server or if your host provides WordPress support.
  • A specific plugin or firewall application, such as Cloudflare, if you believe a tool that is integral to your site is blocking the Balance API and you lot're unable to remedy the trouble yourself.
  • The WordPress Support forums, if you feel you need further guidance, such as for a costless plugin that does not provide user support.

While you piece of work with a relevant support provider to resolve the "Publishing Failed" error, you may wish to install the Classic Editor plugin as a temporary workaround:

classic editor plugin
Archetype Editor plugin

Since the TinyMCE editor does not require the use of the REST API to publish or update posts, yous should be able to brand the necessary changes to your content with it.

Even so, this is but a stopgap measure. You'll still want to resolve the root cause of the fault in the Block Editor and so re-enable it.

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Summary

Not being able to publish or update your WordPress site's content tin exist a serious problem. Fortunately, there are a few common causes of these errors that you can quickly troubleshoot to put things back in lodge.

If you lot're receiving an "Updating Failed" or "Publishing Failed" bulletin in the WordPress Block Editor, try:

  1. Determining whether the Residual API is being blocked.
  2. Re-enabling the Remainder API by resolving the specified fault.
  3. Enabling debugging mode to search for errors.
  4. Installing and activating the Classic Editor plugin as a temporary solution.

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