How to Fix the WordPress connection timeout

One of the common WordPress error is the ‘connection timed out’ which is caused by an overburdened shared server. The main causes are heavy plugins, theme function issues, and exhausted PHP memory limit.

How to Fix It?

This error can be fixed very easily in different ways:

First possibility is to increase the memory limit of PHP  in wp-config.php. If you are using shared hosting you may have to ask your hosting provider to increase your memory limit. This allows you to run heavy plugins successfully.

The second way is to increase the maximum execution time in your php.ini file. However this is not a WordPress core file, so if you are not sure how to edit it, contact your hosting provider to increase your maximum execution time.

PHP Parameter	Default Value	Recommended Value	Description
memory_limit	128M	256M or higher	Max memory PHP can use
max_execution_time	30 seconds	60 seconds or more	Max time script can run
max_input_time	60 seconds	120 seconds	Max time to parse input data

Another way is to first deactivate all the plugins and reactivate them one-by-one to see which plugin is causing the problem and then carefully remove the one that is causing the trouble.

The last method that you can adapt to resolve the problem is to switch to a default WordPress theme to identify if there is any problem caused by the theme.

Solution	Pros	Cons	When to Use
Disable Problematic Plugins	Easy and quick	May disable needed functionality	If plugin conflict is suspected
Increase PHP Memory	Improves performance	Needs hosting permission	When memory limit is low
Check DNS Settings	Fixes domain resolution issues	Requires DNS knowledge	If DNS errors detected
Upgrade Hosting Plan	More resources and stability	Additional cost	If hosting limits reached

Category: Web Hosting Tutorials