Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

WordPress Site Keeps Trying to Download

If you are running a WordPress site and you have noticed that your users are experiencing an issue where the site keeps trying to download instead of displaying the actual content, then there are a few things that you can try to fix the problem. This issue is commonly known as the "WordPress site keeps trying to download" problem and can be caused by several factors. In this article, we will explore the possible causes of this issue and provide some solutions to help you fix the problem.

Possible Causes of the "WordPress Site Keeps Trying to Download" Problem

1. File permissions. The first and most common cause of this issue is incorrect file permissions. If your file permissions are not set correctly, then it can cause the server to download the file instead of displaying it. To fix this, you can change the permissions of the problematic file(s) to 644 or 755.

2. Incorrect Content-Type header. If your server is outputting incorrect Content-Type headers, it can cause the browser to try to download the file instead of displaying it. To fix this, you need to ensure that the Content-Type header is set correctly.

3. Malware-infected files. If your site's files are infected with malware, it can cause your site to download instead of displaying the content. To fix this, you need to remove the infected files and run a malware scan on your site.

4. Incorrect file extensions. If your site's file extensions are not set correctly, it can cause the browser to download the file instead of displaying it. To fix this, you need to ensure that the file extensions are set correctly.

How to Fix the "WordPress Site Keeps Trying to Download" Problem

1. Change file permissions. To change the file permissions of the problematic file(s), you can use an FTP program or the File Manager in cPanel. Once you have located the file(s), right-click on it and select "File Permissions". Change the permissions to 644 or 755 and save the changes.

2. Set correct Content-Type header. To set the correct Content-Type header, you need to add the following code to your .htaccess file:

   <FilesMatch "\.(html|htm|php)$"> ForceType 'text/html; charset=UTF-8' </FilesMatch>

   This code tells the server to output the correct Content-Type header for HTML, HTM, and PHP files.

3. Remove malware-infected files. To remove malware-infected files, you can use a malware scanner such as Sucuri or MalCare. These scanners will scan your site for malware and remove any infected files.

4. Set correct file extensions. To set the correct file extensions, you need to add the following code to your .htaccess file:

   AddType text/html .html AddType text/html .htm AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

   This code tells the server to recognize the correct file extensions for HTML, HTM, and PHP files.

In conclusion, the "WordPress Site Keeps Trying to Download" problem can be caused by several factors, including file permissions, incorrect Content-Type headers, malware-infected files, and incorrect file extensions. By implementing the solutions provided in this article, you should be able to fix the problem and ensure that your site displays content correctly.