How to Fix the 405 Method Not Allowed Error in WordPress

When troubleshooting WordPress, some error codes are straightforward, while others feel like trying to decipher a foreign language. The 405 Method Not Allowed error falls squarely into the latter category.

To understand this error, you need a basic understanding of how the internet works. When you visit a website, your browser sends an HTTP Request to the web server. These requests have specific “methods”:

• GET: “Server, please give me this webpage to read.”
• POST: “Server, here is some data I just filled out in a contact form; please process it.”
• PUT / DELETE: Methods typically used by APIs to modify data.

A 405 Method Not Allowed error occurs when your web server recognizes the request but actively refuses to process the specific HTTP method being used. For example, if a script tries to POST data to a read-only HTML file, the server will throw a 405 error because that method is not allowed on that specific resource.

While it shares DNA with a 403 Forbidden Error, a 405 error is specifically tied to the type of request being made, rather than strict file/folder ownership permissions. Here is how to fix it in WordPress.

1. Troubleshoot Security Plugins and REST API Blocks

Modern WordPress relies heavily on the WordPress REST API to function. Page builders like Elementor, Gutenberg block editors, and WooCommerce all use background API calls (using POST, PUT, and DELETE methods) to save your work without refreshing the page.

If you are using an aggressive security plugin (like Wordfence) or a third-party Web Application Firewall (WAF), it might falsely flag these API requests as malicious hacking attempts and block the HTTP method entirely.

The Fix:

1. Temporarily deactivate all security plugins, firewall plugins, and caching tools.
2. Attempt to perform the action that triggered the 405 error again.
3. If the error disappears, you know a plugin was aggressively blocking the REST API. You will need to dig into that specific plugin’s settings to whitelist the WordPress REST API endpoints.

2. Reset Your .htaccess Configuration

If you’ve recently migrated your site or copied a “security hardening snippet” from a tutorial into your .htaccess file, you may have accidentally blocked essential HTTP methods at the Apache/LiteSpeed server level.

Many outdated tutorials recommend adding code to .htaccess that explicitly blocks TRACE, TRACK, or even POST requests to certain directories. If configured incorrectly, this will cripple WordPress.

The Fix: You need to reset your .htaccess file to the default WordPress rules. This is a common diagnostic step also used to fix 500 Internal Server Errors.

1. Connect to your site via cPanel File Manager or FTP.
2. Locate the .htaccess file in your public_html directory.
3. Rename it to .htaccess-backup.
4. Log into your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Settings > Permalinks, and click Save Changes. WordPress will automatically generate a clean, fresh .htaccess file with correct routing rules.

3. Check for Server-Side ModSecurity Blocks

If neither plugins nor your .htaccess file are the culprits, the block is happening higher up the chain, directly on your hosting provider’s server infrastructure.

Many web hosts use ModSecurity, an open-source WAF, to protect their shared servers. While highly effective, ModSecurity rulesets can sometimes be too strict, blindly blocking valid POST requests from legitimate WordPress themes or payment gateways, resulting in a 405 error.

If you suspect this is the case, you must contact your hosting provider’s support team. They can check the server’s error logs to see exactly which ModSecurity rule tripped and whitelist it for your domain.

Avoid Artificial Server Limitations

Troubleshooting complex HTTP method blocks on cheap, generic shared hosting can be a nightmare, as you often lack the server-level access required to fix the problem.

Nextgen’s WordPress Hosting in Pakistan is built specifically for modern WordPress workloads. Our LiteSpeed Web Servers and intelligent WAF are fine-tuned to perfectly support the WordPress REST API, page builders, and WooCommerce payment gateways out of the box. You get enterprise-grade security without the frustrating false positives and 405 errors that plague generic hosting environments.

Achieve smooth API and form processing with assistance from a premier Pakistan web development agency.