If you’ve noticed that your WordPress installation has started to show errors and has been failing to load, then it’s most likely because you are missing the MySQL extension from your PHP installation. The MySQL extension is required by WordPress to connect to the database. The extension is not available by default on every operating system, so you’ll need to install it yourself or contact your hosting provider.
The problem can also be caused by the wrong configuration of your PHP extension directory. Sometimes, it’s not installed or configured properly. For example, you might have installed PHP on a server with an outdated MySQL extension and not realized that you didn’t have it. This could be because the server is not yet aware of the extension. If you’re unsure of what to do next, try one of the five solutions listed below.
If you’re unable to resolve this error by yourself, try visiting your WordPress dashboard and checking for the version of PHP installed. If your installation doesn’t have a dashboard, you can access the website via FTP client. This process can be done quickly and easily. Once you’ve done this, your website will be back up and running. So, keep reading to learn how to fix this error.
One of the most frustrating aspects of running a WordPress website is troubleshooting. Sometimes, the error message is quite clear, allowing you to pinpoint the cause and fix the problem. For example, “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the mysql extension which is required by wordpress.” is a good example of an error message that may not be immediately apparent.