A new problem has just appeared where updating one of my post types (houses) is causing a server timeout. It only happens with this one post type, and only in the default language. I have been chatting to WPML support already and we established that no PHP errors are being produced and that WPML is not the source of the problem.
I have tried disabling all plug-ins, except wp-types (since the posts in question would then disappear), and the problem persists.
I ran my weekly plug-in updates yesterday, but can't remember if Types was one of those plug-ins that was updated.
Given that the server is timing it it could be an issue with the Apache. What i would recommend you do is to try finding the Apache server logs on the server and send it to me or contact the hosting company and have them look at the logs to see what is wrong.
Once you have done this please let me know and we can take it from there.
Hi Shane, thank you for your reply. I have been in contact with the hosts, and they have just sent back a few of the timeout errors that I was already aware of. They all look something like this:
[Mon Jan 13 10:46:11.298405 2020] [:warn] [pid 26105] [client xxxxxx]Timeout waiting for output from CGI script /xxxx/xxxx/public_html/wp-admin/post.php, referer: hidden link
They say they have also increased the dynamic timeout limit to 300 seconds, but it should never have been taking more than a couple of seconds to save a post anyway, so I don't think that will resolve the problem.
They also noted that there were some slow database queries and suggested I optimise the database. But the problem is very specific: it is only when trying to update any post of this particular post type that the problem occurs. It is updated, but takes more than a minute to do so. Otherwise, everything seems to be running perfectly.
Hi Shane, I can see you're really busy, but have you any updates please? I'm under a lot of pressure here from a client who still can't update their site after 3 days.
If it's any help, I installed the Duplicator package on MAMP, also replicated the problem, and think it is related to the "property media" custom fields as the problem went away when those were disabled. Beyond that, I still have no idea.
Could you try something for you me. Could you disable the property media custom fields and add a new set of image fields to your post. Then enable the block editor for the CPT and then try updating.
Once you have done this please let me know.
Thanks,
Shane
Ok I did that and even without actually adding any images to the new image fields, the save time went from 4 seconds to 15+. With the block editor enabled, the post itself seemed to save immediately, but the new image fields carried on spinning for much longer. With 12 images added to the new custom fields, the save time is as bad as with the original property media fields.
Hi Shane, has there been any update? I submitted this support ticket a week ago now. Is there maybe somebody else on the support team who has more time to help? I have always had really good support here before, but I can't wait over a week to resolve an important client issue.
Hi Shane, I think I have solved the problem. The database was in a mess with thousands of duplicate attachments, so by removing the majority of those and using a plug-in to clean up the database, things are now working reasonably well. How it got in to that state is another question, but the site is a complex combination of WP All Import, WPML and Types, and there is a lot that can and does go wrong from time to time.
This ticket is now closed. If you're a WPML client and need related help, please open a new support ticket.
