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Troubleshooting Complianz: Fixing REST API and Settings Saving Issues

52 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Complianz – gdpr/ccpa cookie consent

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Users of the Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent plugin sometimes encounter a frustrating issue where they are unable to save settings in the plugin's backend. This often manifests as an error message stating "Connection to the server lost. Please try reloading this page," and is frequently accompanied by a dashboard notice warning that the WordPress REST API is disabled. This guide will explain why this happens and provide the most common solutions to resolve it.

Why Does This Happen?

This problem is almost always related to the WordPress REST API. The Complianz plugin relies heavily on the REST API to communicate between its interface and your WordPress database. When this connection is blocked or broken, the plugin cannot save your configuration. Based on community reports, this is typically caused by one of the following:

  • Plugin or Theme Conflicts: Another plugin or your theme might be interfering with the REST API or outputting unexpected data that breaks the communication.
  • Caching: Aggressive server-side or object caching can sometimes cache API responses, preventing new data from being saved.
  • Security Configurations: Overly strict security plugins or server-level firewalls (e.g., ModSecurity) might be blocking the specific REST API endpoints used by Complianz.
  • Debug Mode: Having WordPress debugging enabled (WP_DEBUG) can sometimes output warnings or notices that corrupt the data expected by the plugin's scripts.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue

Follow these steps to identify and resolve the problem. It is recommended to test these on a staging site first or during a period of low traffic.

Step 1: Perform a Conflict Check

The first and most critical step is to determine if another plugin or your theme is causing the conflict.

  1. Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Deactivate all other plugins except Complianz.
  3. Try to save a setting in the Complianz wizard. If it works, you have confirmed a conflict exists.
  4. Re-activate your plugins one by one, testing the Complianz settings after each activation, until you find the culprit.
  5. Finally, switch back to your original theme and test again.

Step 2: Clear All Caches

If the conflict check does not reveal the issue, thoroughly clear all caching layers.

  • Clear any caching from your caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache).
  • Clear your server-level or object cache if you have one (e.g., Redis, Memcached).
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies, or test in an incognito/private browser window.
  • If you use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare, purge its cache as well.

Step 3: Check Security and Debug Settings

Security tools and debug modes can inadvertently break functionality.

  • Security Plugins: Temporarily disable any security or firewall plugins (e.g., Wordfence, Sucuri). If this resolves the issue, check your security plugin's logs for blocked requests and whitelist the Complianz REST API endpoints.
  • WP_Debug: Ensure that WP_DEBUG is set to false in your wp-config.php file. Debug mode can output PHP warnings that disrupt the JSON data Complianz expects.

Step 4: Check the Browser Console

For more technical users, the browser console can provide specific error messages.

  1. Open the Complianz settings page in your browser (e.g., Chrome).
  2. Right-click and select "Inspect," then navigate to the "Console" tab.
  3. Look for any red error messages, particularly 500 Internal Server Errors on requests to /wp-json/complianz/ endpoints. These errors can provide a clue about the root cause on your server.

Conclusion

Being unable to save settings in Complianz is a common but solvable problem. In the vast majority of cases, the root cause is a conflict with another element on your site, most often a plugin or caching mechanism. By methodically working through the conflict check and ensuring your REST API is accessible, you can get your cookie consent configuration back on track. If these steps do not resolve your issue, searching for your specific error message on independent forums like BugWP.com may yield more targeted solutions from other users.

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