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WP_DEBUG Configurator

Turn on the debug log without breaking your live site

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Where is this site?

This changes the recommendation, not just the wording. The safe configuration on a live site is genuinely different from the useful one on your laptop.

Verdict

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Options
wp-config.php

Paste these ABOVE the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! */ — anything below it is ignored, which is why so many people report that WP_DEBUG 'does nothing'.

About the WP_DEBUG Configurator

Generate the WP_DEBUG constants that write errors to a log file instead of printing them to your visitors. The default WP_DEBUG snippet most sites copy will display PHP errors publicly — this one will not.

Related

Other tools you might need

PHP Fatal Error Decoder

Paste the error. We name the plugin.

wp-config.php Generator

Build a correct wp-config.php without copy-pasting from a 2014 blog post

FAQ

Questions

Is it safe to enable WP_DEBUG on a live site?

Only with WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY set to false. On its own, WP_DEBUG prints PHP notices and warnings — including your server's absolute file paths — directly into pages your visitors load. Almost every tutorial hands you that one line and stops. Pair it with WP_DEBUG_LOG and WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY false and it is safe.

Where does the WordPress debug log go?

wp-content/debug.log by default. Worth knowing: on many hosts that file is publicly fetchable — anyone can request it in a browser. You can pass a path to WP_DEBUG_LOG instead and write the log above the web root, which this tool will generate for you.

I set WP_DEBUG to true and nothing happened. Why?

Almost always because the constant was added BELOW the line that says "That's all, stop editing!" in wp-config.php. Everything after that line is ignored. Move it above.