{"id":30922,"date":"2021-06-17T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=30922"},"modified":"2025-05-21T23:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T06:43:10","slug":"how-to-fix-wordpress-error-sure-you-want-to-do-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-wordpress-error-sure-you-want-to-do-this\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix the \u201cAre You Sure You Want to Do This\u201d Error in WordPress (4 Methods)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you keep getting the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error message while working on your WordPress site? You\u2019re probably wondering what\u2019s causing it and if there\u2019s a way to get rid of it. This warning can be very frustrating, as it doesn\u2019t really tell you what the problem is. Plus, it prevents you from performing basic tasks on your site, such as editing blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error can happen for several reasons. You may have installed a faulty plugin or theme, or you might be experiencing a security issue. Fortunately, you can determine the exact cause and fix the error in a few simple steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll look at the main causes of the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error in WordPress and show you how to fix it using four methods. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the \u201cAre You Sure You Want to Do This\u201d Error Is<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d issue usually crops up while you\u2019re performing certain tasks on your WordPress site. For instance, you may be trying to publish a post or customize your theme when the error message appears<\/a>, preventing you from completing the job.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

WordPress uses security tokens, called nonces<\/a><\/span>, to verify that you have the proper permissions to perform a particular action on the site. These nonces help protect your site against hacking attacks. Therefore, when the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error message pops up on your screen, it means that WordPress was unable to recognize you as the rightful owner or user of your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various factors can trigger this verification failure. Next, we\u2019ll take a look at the leading causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Potential Causes of the \u201cAre You Sure You Want to Do This\u201d Error<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error message doesn\u2019t pinpoint exactly what the problem is. However, we can narrow down the issue to a few causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are four common reasons you may be seeing this error:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. You\u2019ve selected an incorrect file when uploading a plugin or theme.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. You\u2019re using a plugin or theme with incorrect code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. You need to increase your PHP memory limit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. You\u2019re facing a security issue due to corrupted files.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The most likely scenario is a faulty theme or plugin on your site. To figure out what is causing the issue, however, you\u2019ll need to do some troubleshooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Fix the \u201cAre You Sure You Want to Do This\u201d Error in WordPress (4 Methods)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Now, let\u2019s go through the four main methods for fixing this common WordPress error. Before proceeding, you may want to perform a backup of your site<\/a><\/span> just in case something goes wrong and you need to restore an earlier version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Check Your Plugins<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As we mentioned earlier, the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error could be caused by a faulty plugin on your site. To find out if this is the case, you can deactivate your plugins and reactivate them one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Note that for this step, you\u2019ll need to access your site\u2019s root directory using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client<\/a><\/span> such as FileZilla<\/a><\/span> or by logging in to your web hosting account and using the file manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have a DreamHost account, you can navigate to WordPress<\/span> > Managed WordPress<\/span> in the sidebar, find your domain, and select Manage<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    On the next page, click on the Manage Files<\/span> button in the Details<\/span> section. In the file manager, open the folder with your domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In your site\u2019s root directory, locate and open the wp-content<\/span> folder. To deactivate your plugins, you can find the plugins<\/span> folder and rename it to \u201cplugins_test\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Renaming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Return to your WordPress site. If the error message doesn\u2019t reappear, you know that a plugin caused the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The next step is to find out which one is the culprit. First, navigate back to your site\u2019s root directory and rename the plugins_test<\/span> folder back to \u201cplugins\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next, go to the Plugins<\/span> page in your WordPress dashboard<\/a>. Activate the first plugin, and then check to see if the error is still present. Continue activating them one by one and testing your site until you find the plugin causing the error. Then you can replace it, or reach out to its developer<\/a> for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\tRelated Article<\/span>\n\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\tHow To Create A WordPress Plugin (Beginner\u2019s Guide)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    2. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If deactivating your plugins doesn\u2019t resolve the issue, it\u2019s time to see if your current theme may be to blame. We\u2019ll do this by switching to the default WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once again, you\u2019ll need to access your site\u2019s root directory. To switch to the default WordPress theme, you can open the wp-content<\/span> folder, locate the themes <\/span>folder, and then rename it to \u201cthemes_test\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Renaming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    After renaming the folder, your site will automatically revert to the default WordPress theme. To see if this solves the problem, return to your site and carry out the same tasks that caused it before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d message doesn\u2019t come up, your previous theme must have been at fault. As with your plugins, this means you may need to update or replace your theme (or get in touch with its developer for assistance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Increase Your PHP Memory Limit<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If disabling your plugins and switching themes didn\u2019t do the trick, the issue might be your WordPress PHP memory limit<\/a><\/span>. If your current limit is set too low, it can interrupt certain processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are various ways to go about this. If you\u2019re a DreamHost user, you can increase your PHP memory limit<\/a><\/span> by editing your phrc<\/span> file. For other WordPress users, you can go through your php.ini<\/span> or wp-config.ph<\/span>p file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By default, the limit is set to 256M. However, you can add a line of code to the file to increase the limit. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    memory_limit = 300M<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    You can choose whatever value you wish. Save the file, and then reload the WordPress page displaying the error to see if this has resolved the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    4. Replace All Your Core WordPress Files With Fresh Copies<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    If the above three methods didn\u2019t fix the error, it\u2019s possible that some of your WordPress files became corrupted due to a recent malware or hacking attack. To confirm this, you can replace all of the WordPress core files with fresh copies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Again, we recommend that you perform a backup of your site first. When you\u2019re done, you\u2019ll need to access your site via an FTP client. While you can also use the file manager in your web hosting account for this method, it will be quicker to replace your site\u2019s files using an FTP client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    In the root directory, locate and download the wp-config.php<\/span> file.<\/p>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Downloading<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
    Next, you can delete all WordPress files and folders in the root directory except for the wp-content<\/span> folder, which contains your plugins, themes, and media. Then download the latest version of WordPress<\/a><\/span> to your computer and extract the .zip<\/span> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Locate and copy the wp-config.php<\/span> file you downloaded, and paste it in the extracted WordPress file.<\/p>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Adding<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
    The final step is to upload the WordPress files on your computer to your site. These new files will replace the ones that we deleted in the root directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    If you\u2019re using FileZilla, select every item in the WordPress file on your computer except the wp-content<\/span> folder, and then right-click and select Upload<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n
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    \"Uploading<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
    The uploading process may take a few minutes. Once it is complete, you can return to your WordPress site, and the error message should be gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Additional Troubleshooting Tutorials<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Do you want to learn how to resolve other website issues? We\u2019ve put together several tutorials to help you troubleshoot some of the most common WordPress errors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n