How to Fix 429 Too Many Requests Error in WordPress: A Comprehensive Guide

Does your WordPress site suffer from the dreadful 429 too many requests error?

Experiencing the 429 Too Many Requests error in WordPress can be quite a headache. Even worse, unlike other WordPress errors, this one doesn’t offer many clues as to what might be causing it.

You should immediately start troubleshooting this error since it will cause your website to become inaccessible. Hopefully, this comprehensive guide will help you troubleshoot and fix this perplexing issue in no time, even if you are new to web development or WordPress.

So let’s get started!

What Is The HTTP 429 Too Many Requests Error?

The HTTP 429 Too Many Requests error essentially serves as a rate-limiting mechanism, stopping a user or bot from making too many requests in a short span. This indicates that the user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time (“rate limiting“).

The response representations SHOULD include details, explaining the condition and MAY include a Retry-After header indicating how long to wait before making a new request.

What Causes WordPress 429 Too Many Requests Error?

Here are the most common factors that can trigger this classic WordPress error:

1. Too Many API Calls: APIs have a limit on the number of requests they can handle. Exceeding this can cause a 429 error.
2. DDoS Attacks: When your website faces an unusual number of requests in a short period, your website firewall can enter into action and block every requests made.
3. Misconfigured Plugins or Themes: Poorly coded plugins or themes can sometimes send an excessive number of requests.

Comprehensive Solutions to Troubleshoot the 429 Too Many Requests Error in WordPress

If you’ve previously encountered issues like the Error Too Many Redirects in WordPress or had to sort through Folder Permissions in WordPress, then you already know how tricky resolving WordPress errors can be.

We’ve identified 5 proven methods to help you fix the WordPress 429 Too Many Requests issue:

Step 1: Change Your WordPress Default Login URL

Attempting to login with brute-force is one of the main reasons for WordPress websites to encounter the 429 error. You can prevent hackers from finding your WordPress login page by changing its URL from the default option.

The free WPS Hide Login plugin is the easiest way to change your default WordPress login URL. Here is how to do it:

• Install the free WPS Hide Login plugin.
• Navigate to Settings >> WPS Hide Login in your dashboard.
• Update the URL and make sure it’s not easy to guess.

This should keep the hackers away and thus make the 429 too many requests error in WordPress.

Step 2: Check HTTPS Internal Links

Sometimes, mixed content issues can cause 429 Too Many Requests. Make sure that all your internal links are correctly set to HTTPS.

Step 3: Deactivate Misbehaving Plugins and Themes

Plugins or theme are typically to blame for 429 errors on your website. You should try to deactivate all plugins in your WordPress admin area.

Go to your WordPress admin area and deactivate all the plugins you’re currently using. Choose ‘Deactivate’ from the ‘Bulk Actions’ dropdown menu and click on ‘Apply’.

Check your website to see if the problem has been resolved. If yes, congratulations! You’ve just confirmed a plugin is messing things up.

Now, reactivate each plugin one by one, checking your website after each activation. This will help you pinpoint the troublemaker.

Found the culprit?

You can either replace the plugin causing the error with an alternative or notify the plugin author of the error, which is a similar step to when you’re troubleshooting Pluggable.php File Errors in WordPress.

Step 4: Change Your Website Theme

The 429 Too Many Requests error can also be caused by poorly coded or outdated WordPress themes. Free-theme websites are also prone to having this problem. See if the issue is resolved by changing your current theme.

Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress admin dashboard. Activate the default theme of WordPress.

If you don’t have access to the admin dashboard, access your website using FTP and rename the Themes folder.

If this fixes the problem, then you’ll have to upgrade or change your website theme.

Step 5: Contact Your Hosting Provider

If all else fails, your hosting company should be your next point of call. Sometimes the issue can be from their end, especially if they’re experiencing a traffic surge.

Make contact with your hosting technical support team and ask them to take a look at your site to fix the error: at this stage, it’s more certainly coming from a firewall issue.