As far as HTTP errors go, the 429 error is relatively easy to fix because it tells you what the issue is right away.
The error code is usually accompanied by a “Too Many Requests” message.
With that information, you already know why your website is having issues and it becomes easier for you to narrow down the suitable techniques for resolving the problem.
There are several variations of the code and some 404 error messages do omit vital information. Some of the popular variations are:
- Error 429 (Too Many Requests)
- 429 Too Many Requests
- 429 Error
- HTTP 429
With that in mind, I wrote this article to show the common issues that can trigger the message and the techniques you can use to fix the HTTP 429 error.
How To Fix The 429 Error: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the questions people are asking about 429 errors on Google:
- What are 429 errors?
- What causes 429 errors?
What Are 429 Errors?
The error shows up when your server detects too many requests in a given period. Essentially, a rate-limiting feature is activated as a protective measure against users that are exhausting your server resources.
What Causes 429 Errors?
The error can be triggered when your server detects abnormal behavior like brute force login attempts from a specific IP address. It also comes up when the number of requests you are getting is straining your server.
What Is Needed To Fix A 429 Error
Here are the tools are resources you need to fix the issue that triggered the 429 error:
- FTP Client — a large number of 429 errors may make it impossible for you to directly access your WordPress dashboard. An FTP program like FileZilla lets you work around that problem to access your site files.
- WordPress Plugin for Changing Login URL — you can do this with the WPS Hide Login plugin to help prevent Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks that are targeting your default login page.
How To Fix The 429 Error: Step-By-Step Instructions
The only way to fix the 429 error is to identify the issue that triggered it in the first place.
For WordPress users, the most common triggers are malicious attacks, defective plugins, and overly complex themes.
Below, I will explore four methods that you can use to fix each of these issues.
These methods are:
- Change your login URL
- Uninstall all your plugins
- Uninstall your active WordPress theme
- Contact your hosting provider
Method 1: Change Your Login URL
It’s easy for hackers to target your login page because the default login URL for every WordPress site is https://example.com/wp-admin.
The hackers only need to replace “example.com” with your domain name and they will land on your login page.
They will then use a trial and error method to try and figure out your login details.
When they do this repeatedly, your server may detect the malicious activity and output the 429 code to deny that IP address access to your page.
You can prevent such attacks by using the WPS Hide Login plugin to change your login URL.
Once you change the URL, attackers will no longer be able to find your wp-login.php page unless you make the information available to the public.
Method 2: Uninstall All Your Plugins
The scripts in a poorly coded plugin have the tendency to generate excessive amounts of HTTP requests, and this can trigger the 429 error.
The only way to figure out whether a plugin is the source of the problem is to disable all of them.
You will then check your website to see if the error has disappeared. If it’s gone, then a faulty plugin is the problem and you must identify the exact extension that’s triggering the error.
To do this, you must connect your FTP program to your website. Once you gain access to your site’s files, find the public_html folder and open it to access the wp-content file.
Scroll through the wp-content folder till you find the Plugins folder.
Right-click the folder and select Rename from the pop-up box. Change the name of the folder to deactivate it. You can rename it to plugin-folder-deactivated.
Go back to your site to confirm whether a plugin is the cause of the problem. If that’s the case, you will have to go through all your plugins till you find the culprit.
Change the name of the folder back to Plugins to reinstall all your plugins. They will still be deactivated so your WordPress backend should now be accessible.
You will now activate each plugin from your WordPress backend and see if the error appears again on your web page.
The plugin that triggers the error again is the faulty one. Delete the plugin to remove the error from your website.
Method 3: Uninstall Your Active WordPress Theme
Your theme may be the source of your problems. Once again, you will have to disable your theme to determine whether it’s responsible for triggering the 429 error.
It’s a very similar process to how you disabled your Plugins folder. What’s different is that you will be looking for the Themes Directory folder directly within the public_html root folder.
When you find the folder, rename it to themes_deactivated to uninstall it from your website.
This action will automatically activate the default WordPress theme.
Go back to your webpage to see whether the 429 error code has disappeared. If it has, then your theme is the culprit.
You should also notice that the design of your site will have changed to that of the default WordPress theme.
Method 4: Contact Your Web Hosting Provider
This is the only solution if the 429 error persists after you have duly implemented the steps in the three methods explained above.
The combination of those methods will only fail if the issue originated from your web host rather than from your website.
Contact your hosting provider’s customer support staff and discuss the issues you are facing with them.
Similar Tutorials To Check Out
- How To Fix 404 Errors: this article will help you discover the factors that can trigger the error and the techniques you can use to find and fix the error code on your website.
- How To Reduce Server Response Time: discover how a rapid response time contributes to a positive user experience and the techniques you can use to speed up your site.
- How To Fix the Redirected You Too Many Times Error: here you will learn what the error means and how to troubleshoot the problem.
Wrapping Up
It’s fortunate that HTTP static codes like the 429 error are easy to fix.
Encountering any HTTP error will always be frustrating, but by applying the methods I covered in this article, you will get your website back to normal in little time.
If you have any questions about the techniques used to fix the HTTP 429 error, feel free to reach out to me in the comments section below.
