Your site could not complete a loopback request, error 405

The HTTP 405 error typically indicates that a particular HTTP method is not allowed for the requested resource. It’s often related to server configuration or specific website settings. Let’s explore some troubleshooting steps:

1. Deactivate All Plugins Temporarily: Sometimes, plugins can conflict with each other or with WordPress core, causing unexpected issues. Deactivate all plugins temporarily to see if the issue resolves. If it does, reactivate them one by one, checking after each to identify the culprit.
2. Switch to a Default Theme: If deactivating plugins doesn’t help, try switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. This can help rule out any theme-related issues.
3. Check Server Configuration: Sometimes, server settings can cause this issue. If you’re on a shared hosting, you might need to contact your hosting provider.
4. Inspect Network Requests: Use your browser’s developer tools to inspect network requests while replicating the error. Look for any failed requests and examine the details. This can provide clues about what’s going wrong.
5. Review .htaccess Again: Although you’ve checked it, it might be worth revisiting your .htaccess file. Sometimes, issues aren’t immediately apparent. You can temporarily rename it and use a default WordPress .htaccess file to see if it solves the issue, which would indicate a problem within this file.

Remember to back up your site before making any significant changes, especially when dealing with core files or server configurations.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by luisherranz.

The HTTP 405 error you’re encountering in the context of a WordPress site can be quite challenging to diagnose, especially since it’s not directly related to the common culprits like plugins or .htaccess configurations you’ve already checked. Here’s a structured approach to troubleshooting this issue:

1. Check Server Configuration:
   • Web Server Software: Determine whether you’re using Apache, Nginx, or another web server. The 405 error often relates to the server’s configuration, particularly in how it handles HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, etc.).
   • Server Logs: Review your server logs for any additional information about the error. These logs often provide more context that can help pinpoint the issue.
2. Rule out theme issues: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) to rule out any theme-specific issues.
3. Deeper Plugin Analysis:
   • Even though you’ve listed your plugins, sometimes plugins can cause issues indirectly. Temporarily deactivate all plugins and see if the issue persists. If it resolves, reactivate them one by one to identify the culprit.
   • Pay special attention to plugins that might modify HTTP requests or have advanced caching functionalities.
4. External Factors:
   • CDN or Firewall Settings: If you’re using a CDN (like Cloudflare) or a web application firewall, check their configurations as they can sometimes block or modify HTTP requests leading to a 405 error.
   • Hosting Provider: Sometimes the issue might be at the hosting level. Contact your hosting provider for insights into the problem.
5. Debugging: Enable WordPress debugging by setting define('WP_DEBUG', true); in your wp-config.php file. This might reveal more details about the error.

Well thank you for posting two ChatGPT replies, I can ask it myself if I want a bunch of useless answers.

Hey @randomcoder, without having access to your site, it’s not possible to know what is wrong, so you must follow the normal debugging steps yourself:

• Disable all plugins
• Change to a default theme
• Check the configuration of your hosting (or contact them)
• Take a look at the 405 errors in the browser (headers and such)
• Replace the .htaccess file with a default one

Once you’ve done that, if you have more information about the problem, you can come back here, and we, or any other volunteer, will try to keep helping you to the best of our knowledge.

Okay, thank you, I understand. How severe is this issue? What are the things that would commonly break if I ignore this?

Could you tell me what page or what request is used for testing loopback functionality so that I could execute it in a browser? Actually, is it even possible, I thought loopback always means “local”, as in 127.0.0.1?

And how can I trigger a re-check?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by randomcoder.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by randomcoder.

A 405 error, as I said, typically indicates that a particular HTTP method is not allowed for the requested resource. A loopback is when your server tries to connect to itself. They are independent.

What are the things that would commonly break if I ignore this?

Things that could break include cron jobs, site health checks, API request, etc.

Actually, is it even possible, I thought loopback always means “local”, as in 127.0.0.1?

As far as I know, WordPress doesn’t use localhost because different servers are configured in different ways so there’s no guarantee that localhost will point to the WordPress server.

Could you tell me what page or what request is used for testing loopback functionality so that I could execute it in a browser?

I don’t think there’s any special URL. You can check if it works following these steps:

1. Access the WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Tools > Site Health.
3. Check if something like “Your site could not complete a loopback request.” appears.

—

I strongly suggest you follow the debugging steps outlined before because it can help you narrow down the root of the problem.

I’m getting the loopback error notification, the specific HTTP error indicated is 405.

Where to you see this notification? And in what context?

In the “site health” report: WordPress admin dashboard -> Tools -> Site Health.

Deactivate all plugins as a test.

Which WordPress version do you have? If it’s before 6.0, update it to the latest version (there used to be a bug with older versions).

Thanks for the advice! I deactivated all the plugins, went back to “Site health” and the loopback error was still there. Do I need to also reset or restart something after deactivating the plugins?

The WP version is not too old – 6.4.1.

Site Health has an internal cache for the output of some data. Check back later – now, for example ??

That could be a problem as I can’t have a company’s site without plugins, it doesn’t work at all. But I get your point, I will make a copy on a test domain and will try there. Very odd that such info would be cached, if it really is – that’s a bug, in my opinion.

Disabling ALL plugins still does not solve the loopback problem. For good measure, I also removed all the extra stuff from .htaccess, and that didn’t help either. No idea how I could troubleshoot it further, since it happens on a rented hosting and I don’t have direct access to the underlying OS (I do have SSH, but with very limited set of capabilities).