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Troubleshooting Common WP Rollback Errors: From 'Plugin Not Found' to Critical Crashes

43 threads Sep 7, 2025 Plugin → Wp rollback – rollback plugins and themes

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WP Rollback is a powerful tool for reverting plugins and themes to previous versions, but like any software, it can sometimes run into issues. Based on community reports, this guide covers the most common errors and their solutions.

1. "Plugin you're referencing does not exist" Error

This is a frequently reported error where the rollback process fails with this message.

Why it happens:

  • Plugin Conflicts: Another plugin, particularly one that manages updates (e.g., Easy Update Manager), can interfere with WP Rollback's ability to communicate with the WordPress.org API.
  • FTP Credentials Prompt: If your site is prompting for FTP credentials during updates, it can prevent WP Rollback from completing its process correctly.

How to fix it:

  • Conflict Test: The most reliable method is to perform a conflict test. Use the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin. It allows you to deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default theme without affecting your live visitors. Reactivate plugins one by one to identify the one causing the conflict.
  • Resolve FTP Prompts: To stop WordPress from asking for FTP credentials, ensure your web server's file ownership and permissions are correctly set. Your hosting provider's support team can often assist with this configuration.

2. Critical Error / White Screen of Death After Activation or Update

Some users report their site crashing with a fatal error immediately after updating to a new version of WP Rollback or activating it.

Why it happens:

  • Missing Class Error (e.g., Class 'WP_Rollback_Multisite_Compatibility' not found): This typically indicates a incomplete or corrupted plugin update where certain files were not properly installed.
  • TypeError on Update: Updates to major versions (e.g., v3.0.0) have introduced bugs where a function expects an array but receives a null value, causing a fatal crash.

How to fix it:

  • Reinstall Manually: If you cannot access your WordPress dashboard, use FTP or your hosting provider's file manager to delete the entire wp-rollback directory inside /wp-content/plugins/. Then, upload a fresh, manually downloaded copy of the plugin from the WordPress.org repository.
  • Rollback WP Rollback: If the site crashes after an update, you may need to manually install an older, stable version of WP Rollback (e.g., v2.0.7) via FTP to regain access to your site, after which you can update again once a patch is released.

3. REST API rest_no_route Error

Clicking a rollback link results in a "No route was found" error related to the REST API (rest_no_route).

Why it happens:

  • Security Plugins or Hosting Rules: A security plugin or strict server configuration (e.g., on GoDaddy) might be blocking access to the custom REST API endpoints that WP Rollback uses to fetch version data.
  • Incorrect Route Registration: In some past versions, a permission callback was missing from the route definition, which could trigger warnings and potentially cause issues.

How to fix it:

  • Check Security Plugins: Temporarily disable any security or firewall plugins to see if the error disappears. If it does, check the settings of that plugin to allow WP Rollback's API calls (the route is typically wp-rollback/v1/).
  • Contact Your Host: If the issue persists, your hosting provider might be blocking REST API requests. Contact their support and ask if they are restricting access to custom WordPress REST API endpoints.

4. JavaScript Errors "$ is not a function" or "Unexpected token"

These console errors can break functionality on plugin or theme management pages.

Why it happens:

  • jQuery Conflict: The "$ is not a function" error usually signifies a conflict with another plugin that is improperly loading jQuery, overriding the expected $ shorthand.
  • API Returning HTML: The "Unexpected token" error in JSON parsing often occurs when the plugin's request to the WordPress.org API fails and returns an HTML error page (like a 404) instead of the expected JSON data.

How to fix it:

  • Conflict Test: Again, use the Health Check plugin to deactivate all other plugins and identify which one is causing the jQuery conflict.
  • Check API Access: Ensure your server can make external requests to api.wordpress.org. A server firewall or configuration might be blocking it.

General Best Practices

  • Always Backup: Always create a full backup of your site before performing any rollback. As seen in one report, a failed rollback can necessitate a restore from backup.
  • Keep Everything Updated: Ensure your version of WordPress, PHP, and WP Rollback itself are up to date. Many bugs are patched in subsequent releases.
  • Check the GitHub Repository: The 'WP Rollback – Rollback Plugins and Themes' team manages a GitHub repository where known issues are tracked and discussed.

If you continue to experience issues after trying these steps, detailing your error message, WordPress version, and PHP version in a support forum can help others provide more specific assistance.

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