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How To Hide PHP Errors from Visitors With BetterShield?

2 min read

Hides error details from pages; your error log still records them.

With BetterShield, error messages can show file paths and other private details. This hides them from pages; your error log still records them.

What it does

Error message privacy is under BetterShield › Protection › Hardening. Hides error details from pages; your error log still records them. It is off by default.

Step 1: Open Protection › Hardening

Open Protection › Hardening and find Error message privacy.

Hide PHP errors from visitors: saved state and available controls in BetterShield.
Review the state and choices shown on your own site before applying a change.

Step 2: Hide PHP errors from visitors

  • Open its preview and read what will change. The preview changes nothing.
  • There are no extra fields. Error display is hidden while error logging remains available.
  • Turn on the fix. If the screen asks you to confirm recovery or your password, complete that before continuing.

Our advice is to test this on staging, then apply it when the behavior fits the site. Keep a working recovery method before changes affecting sign-in or the site address.

What it can break and how to undo

Messages emitted before BetterShield loads may still appear. Ask your developer to disable debug display in the site configuration too. Turn the fix off to use its undo, then check the original workflow. A change is recorded in the activity log; an undo does not erase that record.

Final Outcome

The row should show the fix is on. Test the affected operation with an appropriate account, then check the finding. The score and Findings update on their own after the change. If the finding stays open, press Check Again to see what the check still sees. A server or another plugin can enforce a setting independently, so switching BetterShield off does not necessarily remove that other protection.

Hide PHP errors from visitors: saved state and available controls in BetterShield.
Example PHP error display view. Check the saved values and status on your own site.

This is how you can hide PHP errors from visitors with BetterShield.

Getting Stuck? Feel free to contact our Dedicated Support Team.

Close the open doors today

Install the free plugin. The first audit runs when you activate it, and all but one of the fixes wait for your choice.

Requires WordPress 6.7 or newer and PHP 8.0 or newer.

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