{"id":947919,"date":"2019-01-25T16:31:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T15:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-rocket.me\/?page_id=947919"},"modified":"2023-07-26T14:05:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T12:05:29","slug":"w3-total-cache-fixes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp-rocket.me\/faq\/w3-total-cache-fixes\/","title":{"rendered":"Having Problems and Errors with W3\u00a0Total\u00a0Cache and WordPress?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Full disclosure:<\/strong> WordPress websites can improve their load times in many ways, with or without our plugin. We\u2019d like to help you fix some common issues you can encounter when using W3 Total Cache. The answer isn\u2019t always to throw in the towel and use another plugin. Let\u2019s try to fix some of these errors together first! W3 Total Cache is a great caching plugin but it\u2019s not always easy to fix caching problems when you are new to the world of WordPress load times.<\/p>\n\n

Fixes for Common W3 Total Cache Error Notifications<\/h2>\n\n

If W3 Total Cache is slowing down your WordPress website, or if you’re facing caching errors, keep reading!<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache minify may break WordPress plugins, themes or your ability to even log into WordPress depending on its compatibility with other plugins or themes used and the overall configuration of this caching plugin. So how can you tell if this plugin is causing all your troubles? Typical symptoms are pictures not showing, pages not displaying correctly, Woocommerce shopping carts not updating or showing the wrong order. Here are some common errors that you can encounter when using W3 Total Cache:<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache error some files appear to be missing<\/h3>\n\n

If you get this error, sadly, you need to uninstall the plugin and make sure that residual files are removed as well before reinstalling.<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache status not cached<\/h3>\n\n

Sometimes, W3 Total Cache doesn\u2019t cache certain resources. The debug tool will simply provide you with information regarding what is or isn\u2019t cached. You can check your plugin works with this online tutorial<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

If you have done all the tests and still run into issues or if your load time simply isn\u2019t up to your standards, it\u2019s time to consider using a new caching plugin.<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache error 404<\/h3>\n\n

With some of the latest WordPress updates, W3 Total Cache can cause 404 errors. Some have noticed that in Google Search Console or in GTMetrix. When you use free plugins, one of the downsides is that sometimes they aren\u2019t maintained or compatible with WordPress updates. One of the fixes offered for this issue is to disable caching of 404 pages in the plugin\u2019s settings but it\u2019s not a guaranteed fix for everyone.<\/p>\n\n

If you have tweaked this plugin over the years and forget some of the changes you made or why, it can be very hard to find the source of your 404 problem. In that case, you can investigate, do a fresh install or switch plugins to find something that will alway be kept up-to-date and will remain 100% compatible with WordPress, no matter how many updates happen.<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache error 500 or wp-admin error notification<\/h3>\n\n

This caching plugin can cause issues with using WordPress in network mode when the page caching option is enabled. W3 Total Cache has been known to cause many 500 errors. It also depends on some hosting services\u2019 use of Varnish in which case changes to your .htaccess are your best bet. Some people solved this issue by turning On to \u201ccombine only\u201d option on the CSS tab of the plugin\u2019s settings and then selecting \u201cauto\u201d on the Minify tab settings.<\/p>\n\n

500 errors caused by caching plugins can be pretty difficult to fix on your own. Once again, if you are seeking an easy to use caching plugin that doesn\u2019t require this work to keep your website loading fast, you should consider other options.<\/p>\n\n

W3 Total Cache Error Unable To Resolve Hostname<\/h3>\n\n

This issue occurs sometimes when you use a CDN (CloudFront and MaxCDN in particular). The main solution offered is to downgrade the plugin version. However, the one major drawback of downgrading is that a high risk XSS vulnerability<\/a> was found in W3 Total Cache. As a result, it\u2019s not recommended for security reasons. This is one of the areas where premium plugins like WP Rocket are most effective. Keeping up with changes made by third-party services is not easy and requires a dedicated team of developers to provide new caching plugin versions that are compatible.<\/p>\n\n

How To Uninstall W3 Total Cache WordPress Plugin<\/h2>\n\n

If you suspect that W3 Total Cache is causing issues on your website or if you would like to install another WordPress caching plugin, it is very important to make sure that you uninstall it the right way. Otherwise, it could end up causing you even more trouble!<\/p>\n\n

If you were using other cache plugins before WP Rocket, you should make sure to remove their leftovers inside your FTP. Within the wp-content\/cache folder, the only 3 folders WP Rocket creates are \/min, \/busting and \/wp-rocket. All others should be removed.<\/p>\n\n

Tutorial Requirements<\/h3>\n\n

You should have:<\/p>\n\n