Title: Troubleshoot a WordPress site launch
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: April 7, 2021
Last modified: August 8, 2024

---

 1. [Launch a site](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/)
 2. Troubleshoot a WordPress site launch

#  Troubleshoot a WordPress site launch

If a WordPress site launch did not complete as expected, and assistance is still
needed after following the troubleshooting steps below, [create a request with VIP Support](https://wordpressvip.zendesk.com/).
If needed, the Support team can assist with restoring a site to its most recent 
backup.

## Site Not Found error

The “Site Note Found” (`SITE_NOT_FOUND`) error can be caused by issues related to
domain or reverse proxy configurations.

 * In the [VIP Dashboard](https://dashboard.wpvip.com/), verify that the domain 
   was correctly added [according to the instructions](https://docs.wpvip.com/map-a-domain/).
 * If “Site Not Found” errors occur for a site that is set up with a reverse proxy,
   [test the configuration of the reverse proxy](https://docs.wpvip.com/reverse-proxy-testing/)
   to determine if the source of the issue is the reverse proxy or the VIP Platform
   site.
 * **For WordPress multisite environments:** Redirects between the `www` and non-`
   www` variants are not automatic, and can cause a “Site not found” error if they
   are not configured correctly. For example, if a site was launched with a domain
   that has the `www` prefix (e.g. `www.example.com`) and the “Site Not Found” error
   is returned when attempting to access the site at the non-`www` variant (e.g.`
   example.com`) the user should:
    - Verify that [both variants of the domain have been correctly added to the VIP Dashboard](https://docs.wpvip.com/map-a-domain/)
      and the DNS for both [domains are correctly pointed at VIP](https://docs.wpvip.com/point-dns-to-vip/).
    - Verify that the custom code to handle [redirects between a domain’s `www` and non-`www` variants for network sites](https://docs.wpvip.com/redirects/domain-redirects-in-vip-config-php/)
      has been added to the application’s `vip-config.php` file.

![Example screenshot of the "Site not found" error ](https://docs.wpvip.com/wp-content/
uploads/sites/2/2021/03/site-not-found.png?w=1024)

Example screenshot of the “Site not found” error

## Incomplete `search-replace` operations

The launch tools in the VIP Dashboard automatically run search and replace operations
from the old domain to the new domain throughout the site’s tables, and flush the
site’s object cache when the operation is complete. For some sites, additional `
search-replace` operations may be necessary (e.g., if a site’s theme is Elementor,
or if domain values are stored in serialized content).

Before running any commands, refer to [the search-replace guide to format the appropriate WP-CLI command](https://docs.wpvip.com/search-replace/)
for a single site or a multisite environment. Be sure to test each command with 
the `--dry-run` option first.

 * When running a `search-replace` command for a site launch, the search value must
   match the site’s previous domain, and the replacement value must match the newly
   mapped domain. The value of the newly mapped domain must match exactly what was
   [added to the VIP Dashboard](https://docs.wpvip.com/map-a-domain/), especially
   the `www` prefix or lack of.
 * For most launches, a site’s previous domain value is the [convenience domain](https://docs.wpvip.com/domains-tls/domains/#h-convenience-domains).
   If a site previously replaced the convenience domain with a temporary custom 
   domain prior to launch, run the `search-replace` to replace the temporary custom
   domain with the newly mapped domain.
 * After running a `search-replace` operation, instances of the site’s previous 
   domain should be [flushed from the object cache using VIP-CLI](https://docs.wpvip.com/flush-the-object-cache/).
   If instances of the old domain value are still present on the site or in the 
   database, additional `search-replace` operations may be necessary.

## DNS issues

The site’s DNS records can be queried via the command line:

    ```wp-block-preformatted
    dig <domain-name>
    ```

Example output for `dig wpvip.com`:

    ```wp-block-preformatted
    $ dig wpvip.com

    ; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> wpvip.com
    ;; global options: +cmd
    ;; Got answer:
    ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 16517
    ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

    ;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
    ; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096
    ;; QUESTION SECTION:
    ;wpvip.com.			IN	A

    ;; ANSWER SECTION:
    wpvip.com.		3600	IN	A	192.0.66.32

    ;; Query time: 44 msec
    ;; SERVER: 192.168.1.1#53(192.168.1.1)
    ;; WHEN: Tue Feb 15 13:52:48 PST 2022
    ;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 54
    ```

In the `ANSWER SECTION`, the `3600` denotes the domain’s [Time to Live (TTL)](https://docs.wpvip.com/check-dns-record-time-to-live/),
whereas the `A` denotes the DNS record type (queries the A record by default if 
no type is specified in the command).

Ensure that the [domain’s DNS is pointed to VIP](https://docs.wpvip.com/point-dns-to-vip/),
but that the domain’s nameservers are pointed to the DNS provider. A service like
[DNS Checker](https://dnschecker.org/) can be used to track progress of propagation
of the domain’s updated DNS.

## Unable to access the WordPress Admin

If the WordPress Admin dashboard is not accessible after launch, or the options 
on the dashboard appear unfamiliar or incorrect, verify that the logged in user 
account has a [role](https://wordpress.org/support/article/roles-and-capabilities/#roles)
assigned to them with sufficient capabilities. VIP-CLI can be used to [run WP-CLI commands](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/basic-usage/#wp-cli-commands)
to [retrieve information about a user](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/user/get/),
and if needed, [update the user’s role](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/user/set-role/).

For network sites on a WordPress multisite that were previously single sites, users
with an Administrator role are promoted to [Super Admins](https://wordpress.org/support/article/roles-and-capabilities/#super-admin),
which have access to all network sites and can create new sites. These are different
from site-specific [Administrators](https://wordpress.org/support/article/roles-and-capabilities/#administrator),
which only have admin capabilities and access for the designated sites.

## Data sync does not work after a network site launch

For network site launches performed on multisite networks, [data syncs](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-dashboard/data-sync/)
from production environments to develop or preprod environments will continue to
work as expected if the launched site is the main site (site ID 1).

If a network site other than the main site has been launched, the [YAML-based domain mapping config file](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-dashboard/data-sync/#h-domain-mapping-config)
must be updated in the site’s code repository to reflect the newly launched site
before data syncing between environments will work as expected.

## Reverse proxies

Reverse proxies can add another layer of complexity when launching a site on a multisite
network. Investigating the specific [configuration of the reverse proxy setup](https://docs.wpvip.com/configure-a-reverse-proxy/),
including the required headers and proxy return values, will help debug any errors
that may occur.

## Jetpack is not connected

Jetpack might become disconnected during a site launch. If the issue does not resolve
on its own after 30 minutes, [contact VIP Support](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-support/)
to request assistance with reconnecting Jetpack.

Last updated: August 08, 2024