WordPress error Failed to Load Resource

WordPress

Are you facing the error, Failed to load resource in WordPress?

This guide will help you.

Most WordPress users find it difficult to understand resource or file not loading in WordPress.
Generally, this issue is as a result of a missing resource which can cause your website to misbehave or not function properly.
Here at Ibmi Media, as part of our Server Management Services, we regularly help our Customers to resolve related WordPress errors.
In this context, we shall look into how to easily troubleshoot and fix the "Failed to Load Resource" error in WordPress.

Nature of WordPress error, Failed to load resource ?

WordPress includes several files when loading any page on a website. These files then load by the user's browser.
Generally, if the browser is unable to load a specific file, then it will display the page without that file.
In such a case, we will see the "Failed to resource" error in the browser's Inspect tool.

Below are few examples of the error that could pop up on your screen:

Failed to load resource net::ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)

Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 500 (Internal Server Error)

Failed to load resource: net::err_name_not_resolved

Though a specific file does not load, the rest of our web page will continue to load.
However, it may not look or behave as we expect.

How to resolve WordPress error, Failed to load resource ?

1. Replace The Missing Resource
Initially, we ensure that the failed resource actually exists.
Consider the missing resource as an image in a blog post or page, then we try to look for it in the media library.
If we find it in the media library, we try to add it back by editing.
However, if we fail to find the file in the media library, then we try to upload it again.
In some cases, we may see broken images or empty boxes. In that case, we need to fix the file permissions.

2. Replace theme or plugin files
On the other hand, if the missing resource is a WordPress plugin or theme file, we can replace it with a reinstall of the same.
Initially, we need to deactivate our current WordPress theme.
In order to do that, go to the Appearance » Themes page.
In case we have another theme installed on our website, we can go ahead and activate it.
This will deactivate the existing theme.
If we don't have another theme installed, we can install a default theme.
Once done, we can visit our website to see the resolution.
In the case of a WordPress plugin file, we need to reinstall the plugin.
We can also use FTP to connect to WordPress hosting account and manually replace a specific file.

3. Deactivate Your Antivirus Plugins
If you've encountered the "Failed To Load Resource" error with a 400 status error, like this: "Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 400 () /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php".
Then it usually means either the URL of the resource has been changed or a plugin is preventing WordPress from accessing the specified file.
In most cases, an antivirus plugin could be preventing WordPress from accessing some files that it thinks are suspicious.
If you have any antivirus plugins or firewalls installed on your WordPress website, try disabling them to see if it fixes the issue.

4. Update Theme And Plugins
A few WordPress users have complained about the "Failed To Load Resource" error appearing in the Chrome developer console followed by a "the server responded with a status of 404" message.

Almost all of the reported issues were found to be caused by either an outdated theme or a plugin. Updating to the latest patched version of the plugin fixed the problem.

If you’ve recently found the "Failed To Load Resource" error, try updating your plugins and see if there's a new version of your theme is available.

If not, report the issue to the developers.

5. Change The Default WordPress URL
The cause behind many cases of the "Failed To Load Resource" errors was very obvious. In most cases, the error only appeared after installing an SSL certificate and switching the website from HTTP to HTTPS.
Switching a website to use SSL usually means there will be changes to URLs. Occasionally, WordPress system and plugins might be confused about whether to fetch resources via the old HTTP or the new HTTPS.
For some users, the issue occurred because of the URL for the WordPress installation was still using the old HTTP after switching the website to HTTPS.
All they had to do to fix the issue was to change the WordPress Address URL.
If your website also has mixed URLs in the WordPress settings, go to the General Settings tab in WordPress dashboard and change the WordPress Address (URL) to HTTPS.
Keep in mind that this is a very risky solution. Please ask professional advice from an expert before changing this URL.