If you’ve ever encountered the “Updating failed. Could not update post in the database.” error in WordPress, you know how frustrating it can be. This issue prevents users from updating or publishing content, and the causes can vary from database issues to plugin conflicts. However, in our case, we found that the culprit was surprisingly simple: emojis.
Let’s dive into the possible causes of this error and explain how removing emojis helped us fix it.
Possible Causes of the “Updating Failed” Error
- Emoji or Special Character Issues (Our case!)
Some WordPress database configurations don’t support certain Unicode characters, including emojis. If your database uses an older collation type (e.g., utf8 instead of utf8mb4), it may reject certain emojis, causing the update to fail. - Plugin Conflicts
Sometimes, SEO plugins, security plugins, or page builders interfere with WordPress updates, blocking changes from being saved in the database. - Theme Issues
A poorly coded theme or outdated theme files might conflict with WordPress updates, leading to errors when saving posts. - Server or Database Problems
If the WordPress database is overloaded, corrupted, or misconfigured, it may not allow new data to be written, leading to this error. - Cache and CDN Problems
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) or aggressive caching plugins might prevent updates from reflecting, making it seem like the post isn’t saving. - REST API or Permalink Issues
WordPress relies on the REST API to communicate with the database. If it’s blocked by a security plugin, firewall, or incorrect permalink settings, updates may fail.
The Solution We Found: Remove the Emoji!
After troubleshooting multiple possibilities, we discovered that the issue was caused by emojis in our post. Here’s how we figured it out:
- We removed different parts of the text to see which section was causing the issue.
- We noticed that the issue disappeared after deleting emojis.
- We tested different emoji characters to find the one responsible.
Which Emoji Caused the Issue?
We tested the following emojis:
Although we don’t have an exact technical breakdown, in many cases, certain complex emojis (like the globe
or rocket ) may not be supported in some database settings. Removing these emojis completely resolved the error, allowing the post to update successfully.
How to Fix This Issue in WordPress
If you are experiencing the same error, here’s how you can fix it:
1. Remove Emojis and Special Characters
- Edit your post and remove any emojis or special characters.
- Try updating the post again.
2. Check Database Collation
- If removing emojis fixes the issue, but you still want to use them, update your database collation to
utf8mb4. - You can do this via phpMyAdmin by running:
ALTER DATABASE your_database_name CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
3. Disable Plugins and Test Again
- Deactivate plugins one by one and test if the issue is resolved.
- Some security or SEO plugins may block certain characters.
4. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme
- Change your theme to a default one (like Twenty Twenty-Four) and see if the error persists.
5. Clear Cache and CDN
- If you use caching plugins or a CDN, clear your cache and try updating again.
6. Check WordPress REST API Status
- Go to WordPress Dashboard → Tools → Site Health and check for REST API issues.
- If blocked, whitelist WordPress API endpoints in your security settings.
Conclusion
While many WordPress errors can have complex causes, sometimes the fix is simple—removing emojis was all it took for us to resolve the “Updating failed” issue. If you run into this problem, try removing any special characters first before diving into deeper troubleshooting!
Did this solution work for you? Let us know in the comments!
