Last Updated on May 22, 2022 by WP Knowledge Hub
Wordfence is one of the best WordPress plugins, but sometimes, conflicts can happen that prevent it from running the scan function properly. This could be dangerous as your website may have been hacked, and you would have no way to know. If you are having issues with your Wordfence scan function, such as getting it to start or complete, please look at some possible solutions below:
Basic Wordfence Troubleshooting
- Stop the current scan if it is still running
- Go to your Scan > Scan Options > Scheduling page and locate the “Performance Options”
Set “Maximum execution time for each scan stage” to 20 on the options page - Save your changes
- Go to Tools > Diagnostics
- In the “Debugging Options” check “Enable debugging mode”
- Save these changes
- Start a new scan
This could potentially solve your issues right away. By adding 20 for the “Maximum execution time for each scan stage”, it tells the scan to batch scan every 20 seconds and start again at the last location where it stopped over and over until it’s done.
If the issue is resolved, please un-check “Enable Debugging Mode”, and everything else can stay the same. If the issue still persists, it may be related to something else, such as plugin conflicts.
Known Wordfence Plugin conflicts
Sometimes, plugins can be a wonderful thing, since they increase productivity by making it easier to add tons of functionality to your site instantly. But if you install too many plugins, issues can start to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. Having many third-party plugins can cause what’s known as conflicts, where the code of some plugins might interfere with the code of other plugins. The following plugins have been known to possibly cause issues with scans:
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is a caching plugin that can store files and database entries to its memory to improve loading speeds, but the “Database cache” functionality can return outdated database records to Wordfence during a scan. If you are having issues, try disabling it.
Query Monitor
For query troubleshooting, this plugin is useful, but it saves all database queries, causing Wordfence to use lots of memory during scans. If your WordPress website is not actively using this plugin, remove it to possible resolve the Wordfence scan issue.
PilotPress
This plugin can cause scans to stop working. Try disabling the “Lock all users without Admin role out of profile editor” option and try your scan again.
Hosting and Other Issues
Some hosting providers are known to have issues with Wordfence scans:
- 1and1 or IONOS, formerly 1&1 Hosting
- WPX Hosting
- Vodien Hosting
- Quadra Hosting
- 123 Reg Hosting
- Heart Internet
Some other hosts who offer managed WordPress hosting may have custom stacks that can interfere with the scan process as well. If in doubt, contact your hosting provider.
