Problem: AWS Lightsail WordPress and Database Issues – "Why Is My Lightsail WordPress Site Down?"

Problem: AWS Lightsail WordPress and Database Issues – "Why Is My Lightsail WordPress Site Down?"

Common Symptoms:

# Website Not Loading:
"Error establishing a database connection"

# Database Connection Issues:
mysqli_real_connect(): (HY000/2002): Connection refused

# Performance Issues:
"PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted"

# Lightsail Managed Database Fails to Connect:
"Access denied for user 'admin'@'%' (using password: YES)"

Issue: 

Lightsail’s pre-configured WordPress blueprints simplify setup, but common failures include:

• Database connection errors – MySQL/MariaDB may be unreachable or credentials may be incorrect.
• PHP memory limits – Insufficient memory causes WordPress to crash during high usage.
• Lightsail managed database issues – Security settings may prevent remote database access.
• Misconfigured domain settings – WordPress may be trying to load from an incorrect URL.

Fix: Diagnosing and Fixing WordPress & Database Issues

# Step 1: Check If the Database Service Is Running
$ sudo systemctl status mysql  

# If inactive or failed, restart it:
$ sudo systemctl restart mysql  

# Step 2: Verify WordPress Database Credentials
$ cat /opt/bitnami/wordpress/wp-config.php | grep DB_NAME

# Ensure DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD match the actual database settings.

# Step 3: Manually Connect to the Database
$ mysql -u root -p  

# If access is denied, reset the MySQL root password:
$ sudo mysqladmin -u root password 'NewPassword'

# Step 4: Test WordPress Connectivity to the Database
$ wp db check --allow-root  

# If the database is corrupted, attempt repair:
$ wp db repair --allow-root  

# Step 5: Fix PHP Memory Limit Issues
$ sudo nano /opt/bitnami/php/etc/php.ini

# Find and update:
memory_limit = 256M  

$ sudo systemctl restart apache2  

# Step 6: Fix Lightsail Managed Database Connection Issues
# If using a separate Lightsail database, check allowed connections:
$ aws lightsail get-relational-database 
    --relational-database-name "MyDatabase"

# Ensure "publiclyAccessible" is enabled if accessing remotely.

# Step 7: Verify WordPress Site URL Settings
$ wp option get siteurl --allow-root

# If incorrect, update it:
$ wp option update siteurl "http://yourdomain.com" --allow-root
$ wp option update home "http://yourdomain.com" --allow-root

# Step 8: Restart Services and Verify Site Availability
$ sudo systemctl restart apache2
$ sudo systemctl restart mysql

# Step 9: Test Website Response
$ curl -I http://yourdomain.com

# If it returns "HTTP/1.1 200 OK", the site is back online.

Need AWS Expertise?

If you're looking for guidance on Amazon Lightsail or any cloud challenges, feel free to reach out! We'd love to help you tackle your Lightsail projects. 🚀

Email us at: info@pacificw.com

Image: Gemini