How to Fix the Annoying ‘Are You Sure You Want to Do This?’ Error in WordPress
If you have encountered the frustrating ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ error on your WordPress website, there’s no need to panic. In this article, we will guide you through the troubleshooting process to help you resolve this issue.
Understanding the Irritating ‘Are You Sure You Want to Do This?’ Error
The ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ error occurs when nonce verification fails. Nonces are unique keys that provide an extra layer of security to protect your WordPress URLs, forms, and Ajax calls from abuse. This error often occurs due to plugins and themes that do not properly utilize this feature.
Steps to Troubleshoot and Resolve the Error
Follow these steps to identify and fix the ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ error in WordPress:
1. Deactivate Your Plugins
To begin, deactivate all your plugins and check if any of them are causing the error. Use an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting account to connect to your website. Rename the plugins folder to ‘plugins.deactivated’ in the wp-content directory. Then, go back to the Plugins page in your WordPress admin area to ensure that all plugins are deactivated. Test if the error reoccurs.
2. Reactivate Your Plugins
If the error disappears after deactivating all plugins, reactivate them one by one to identify the one causing the issue. Rename the plugins.deactivated folder back to ‘plugins’ in your site files. Activate each plugin individually and test for the error after activating each one.
3. Examine Your Themes
If the plugins are not to blame, your currently active theme might be causing the error. Repeat the previous procedure, but this time focus on your theme. Connect to your website via FTP or File Manager, then download your active theme as a backup. Delete the theme from your web server and let WordPress revert to the default theme. Test again to see if the error persists.
4. Replace Core WordPress Files
If the error continues, you can try replacing all core WordPress files with fresh copies downloaded from the official source. Before proceeding, make a complete backup of your site and download the wp-config.php file. Delete all WordPress files from your server, except for the wp-content folder. Download a fresh copy of WordPress, extract the files, and upload them to your web server. Rename the wp-config-sample.php file to ‘wp-config.php’ and edit it with your database information. Save and upload the modified wp-config.php file. Test if the error is resolved.
5. Clear Cache and Increase PHP Memory
Clearing your WordPress cache and increasing the PHP memory limit can also help fix the error. Cached data from a caching plugin can sometimes cause unexpected errors. Consult our guide on how to clear your cache in WordPress for detailed instructions. Additionally, if your site exceeds the allocated PHP memory, it can trigger the error. Follow our guide on how to fix the WordPress memory exhausted error to increase PHP memory.
Additional Resources
Resolving WordPress issues can be frustrating, but rest assured that solutions are available. Our WordPress troubleshooting guide offers expert tips and techniques for resolving common problems. Keep in mind that millions of users have faced similar issues before, so a simple Google search with the error message and ‘site:wpbeginner.com’ can often lead to helpful step-by-step guides.
We hope this article has successfully assisted you in resolving the ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ error in WordPress. For more informative WordPress content, subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video tutorials and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, explore our comprehensive WordPress security guide and check out our recommendations for the top managed WordPress hosting providers.
