Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions for WPSEC Security.
Plugin Does Not Activate
- Verify your PHP version is 7.4 or higher.
- Check for plugin conflicts by deactivating other plugins temporarily.
- Ensure WordPress is version 5.8 or higher.
- Check the
wp-content/debug.logfile for error messages.
Firewall Blocking Legitimate Traffic
- Go to WPSEC → Firewall → Blocked IPs.
- Find the blocked IP address.
- Click Whitelist to permanently allow it.
- Consider whitelisting your office or home IP address proactively.
Security Score Not Updating
- Run a fresh scan from the Hardening tab.
- Clear any caching plugins you have active.
- Allow up to 5 minutes for score recalculation after applying fixes.
Email Notifications Not Arriving
- Check that your email address is correct in WPSEC → Settings → Notifications.
- Verify your WordPress site can send emails (test with a password reset).
- Check spam/junk folders for WPSEC emails.
- Consider using an SMTP plugin for reliable email delivery.
Performance Concerns
WPSEC is designed for minimal performance impact:
- The firewall adds less than 5ms to request processing.
- Background scans run during low-traffic periods.
- The Performance Guard monitors latency budgets and flags slow operations.
- Check WPSEC → Diagnostics → Performance for detailed timing data.
Compatibility Issues
WPSEC is tested with popular plugins and themes. If you experience conflicts:
- Update all plugins and themes to their latest versions.
- Deactivate other security plugins (running multiple security plugins causes conflicts).
- Check the WPSEC diagnostics page for detected incompatibilities.
- Contact support with your diagnostics export if the issue persists.
How to Export Diagnostics
For support requests, export your site diagnostics:
- Go to WPSEC → Diagnostics.
- Click Export to download a JSON file with system information.
- Attach this file when contacting support.
Tip: Always keep only one security plugin active. Running WPSEC alongside another firewall plugin will cause conflicts.