How to Fix the 'site_verification_failed.connection_error' in Solid Security

If you're seeing a site_verification_failed.connection_error during a security scan with the Solid Security plugin, you're not alone. This is a common error that can be frustrating, but it's often straightforward to resolve. This guide will walk you through what this error means and the most effective steps to fix it.

What Does This Error Mean?

The site_verification_failed.connection_error error occurs when the Solid Security plugin cannot successfully communicate with your own website to perform a security scan. The plugin attempts to send a request to a URL on your site (like your homepage or the admin-post.php file) but the connection fails or is blocked. The error array often includes an HTTP status code, such as 403 (Forbidden), 500 (Internal Server Error), or 200 (which would indicate an unexpected response).

Common Causes and Solutions

Based on common support threads, here are the most effective troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue.

1. Check Your Server's Authorized Hosts List

Many hosting providers, especially those using firewalls like CloudLinux, block requests that do not originate from a pre-approved list of IP addresses. If your server's own IP address is not on this list, it will block the plugin's scan request, resulting in a 403 error.

How to fix it:

1. Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Security → Settings → Global Settings → Authorized Hosts.
3. Add your web server's IP address to the list. You may need to contact your hosting provider to confirm the correct IP address to use.
4. Save the changes and run the scan again.

2. Investigate a 500 Internal Server Error

A status code of 500 suggests a temporary server error or a problem with your site's code that is preventing a proper response. This could be a brief timeout or a more serious conflict.

How to fix it:

• Retry the scan: Sometimes, the error is temporary. Wait a few minutes and try running the scan again.
• Enable WordPress Debugging: Enable WP_DEBUG to log any PHP errors that might be occurring during the scan request. These logs can provide crucial clues. Instructions for enabling debug mode can be found in the official WordPress documentation.
• Check for Plugin/Theme Conflicts: A conflict with another plugin or your theme is a frequent cause. To test for this, temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) and disable all other plugins except Solid Security. If the scan works, re-enable your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

3. Verify Your Site's URL Settings

An incorrectly configured site URL can cause connection loops or failures.

How to fix it: Ensure your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) are correctly set in Settings → General in your WordPress admin dashboard. Both should start with https:// if your site uses SSL.

4. Review Server and Security Logs

Your hosting provider's error logs or security logs (e.g., ModSecurity) might contain more detailed information about why the connection was blocked. Contact your host's support team and ask them to check for any blocks or errors related to requests coming from your server's IP address to itself around the time you ran the scan.

When to Seek Further Help

If you have tried all the steps above and the error persists, the issue may be related to a specific server configuration that requires deeper investigation. In this case, providing detailed information can help others assist you. Be prepared to share:

• The full error details from Security → Logs (click "Show Raw Details").
• Any relevant entries from your server's error logs.
• Any findings from your conflict test.

By methodically working through these common solutions, you should be able to resolve the connection error and get your Solid Security scans running smoothly again.