If you run a WordPress website, you may encounter file and directory permission errors. These errors can cause certain features of your website to stop working properly or prevent you from uploading or installing files. In this blog post, we'll show you how to fix these errors.
What are file and directory permissions?
Before we dive into troubleshooting, it's important to understand what file and directory permissions are. Every file and directory on your server has certain permissions that determine who can access them and what they can do with them. There are three types of permissions: read, write, and execute.
Read: If a file or directory is readable, it can display its contents.
Write: If a file or directory is writable, it can change or delete its contents.
Carry out: If a file or directory is executable, it can be executed.
How to fix file and directory permission errors?
There are several ways to fix file and directory permission errors in WordPress. Here are three examples:
Example 1: Changing file and directory permissions via the FTP client
An FTP client is a program that allows you to manage files and directories on your server. Here are the steps you need to follow to change file and directory permissions using an FTP client:
1. Connect to your server using the FTP client.
2. Right-click on the file or directory whose permissions you want to change.
3. Select “File Permissions” or “Properties” from the context menu.
4. Change the permissions of the file or directory to the desired values.
5. Save the changes.
Example 2: Changing file and directory permissions via the file manager
A file manager is a program that allows you to manage files and directories on your server. Here are the steps you need to follow to change file and directory permissions using the file manager:
1. Log in to your hosting provider and open the file manager.
2. Click on the file or directory whose permissions you want to change.
3. Select “File Permissions” or “Properties” from the context menu.
4. Change the permissions of the file or directory to the desired values.
5. Save the changes.
Example 3: Changing file and directory permissions via the command line
If you have access to the command line, you can also change file and directory permissions from the command line. Here are the steps you need to follow:
1. Open the command line.
2. Navigate to the directory that contains the file or directory whose permissions you want to change.
3. Enter the command “chmod” followed by the desired permissions and the name of the file or directory.
4. Save the changes.
Default file permissions for most WordPress files/folders
In general, the correct file permissions for WordPress should be as follows:
- Files: 644
- Folder: 755
However, there are a few specific exceptions that are important to note:
- wp-config.php file
- .htaccess file
- nginx.conf file
And no matter what you do, you should never set the permissions for anything to 777 (unless you're an expert and have a good reason to do so).
The most used FTP clients for Windows and MacOS
Here are two most used FTP clients for Windows and MacOS:
Windows
MacOS
Conclusion
File and directory permission errors can cause problems in WordPress. It's important to fix these errors quickly to ensure your website runs smoothly. In this blog post, we've shown you how to fix these errors by changing file and directory permissions using an FTP client, the file manager, or the command line. We've also covered the most commonly used FTP clients for Windows and macOS.
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