Fix cURL Error 28 Connection Timed Out WordPress

A Complete Troubleshooting Guide

If you have encountered cURL error 28: Connection timed out in WordPress, your website is usually having trouble communicating with another server. The good news is that this error is often fixable without rebuilding your website or making complicated changes.

cURL is used by WordPress for many background connections, including checking updates, communicating with external services, retrieving API information, sending requests to third-party applications, and performing other server-to-server tasks.

When the connection takes too long, WordPress gives up and reports cURL error 28.

In this guide, we will explain exactly what the error means, why it happens, and how to fix cURL error 28 connection timed out WordPress problems step by step.

We will start with simple checks before moving into hosting, DNS, firewall, plugin, and server-level solutions.

The Core Basics

Before fixing cURL error 28, it helps to understand what is happening behind the scenes.

cURL is a software library that allows a server to communicate with other servers using protocols such as HTTP and HTTPS. WordPress relies on cURL for many tasks that require an external connection.

For example, your WordPress installation might need to contact:

* WordPress.org for updates
* A payment gateway
* An email service
* A CDN
* A security service
* An external API
* A plugin’s licensing server
* A third-party application

The number 28 is important because it indicates a timeout. WordPress attempted to establish or complete a connection, but the request did not finish within the allowed period.

This does not necessarily mean your WordPress website is broken.

The problem could be caused by your hosting server, DNS configuration, firewall, slow external service, plugin conflict, SSL configuration, or temporary network problem.

A useful first step is therefore to identify whether the timeout is happening consistently or was simply a temporary connection failure.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fix cURL Error 28 in WordPress

1. Check Whether the Error Is Temporary

Start with the simplest possibility.

A cURL timeout can occur because an external server is temporarily unavailable or experiencing heavy traffic. If the error appeared once and then disappeared, you may not have a permanent WordPress problem.

Try the operation again after a few minutes.

If the error repeatedly appears, continue with the following checks.

2. Check WordPress Site Health

WordPress has a built-in Site Health tool that can reveal useful information about your server and its connections.

Go to:

WordPress Dashboard → Tools → Site Health

Look under the Status and Info sections for warnings involving:

* REST API
* Loopback requests
* HTTP requests
* SSL
* PHP
* Server configuration

A failed REST API or loopback test can provide an important clue.

Don’t immediately change settings simply because Site Health displays a warning. First determine what is causing the failed request.

3. Test Your WordPress REST API

The WordPress REST API is an important part of modern WordPress.

Plugins, themes, the block editor, integrations, and external applications can depend on it.

If REST API requests are timing out, the underlying problem could involve your hosting environment, firewall, security plugin, DNS, or server configuration.

Temporarily disabling a recently installed plugin can help determine whether it is interfering with WordPress requests.

4. Temporarily Test Your Plugins

Plugin conflicts are a common source of WordPress problems.

Security, caching, optimization, firewall, API, and backup plugins can sometimes interfere with outgoing HTTP requests.

To test for a conflict:

1. Back up your website.
2. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
3. Deactivate your plugins.
4. Test the operation that produced the cURL error.
5. If the error disappears, reactivate plugins one at a time.
6. Test after each activation.

When the problem returns, you have probably identified the plugin responsible.

Do not leave important security or backup plugins disabled permanently. The purpose of the test is to isolate the cause.

5. Check Your DNS Configuration

DNS translates your domain name into an IP address so servers know where to connect.

If DNS is slow, incorrectly configured, or experiencing problems, WordPress may struggle to establish external connections.

Check that:

* Your domain points to the correct hosting server.
* Your DNS records are correct.
* Your nameservers are properly configured.
* There are no conflicting records.
* Your domain’s DNS has fully propagated after recent changes.

If you recently moved hosting, changed nameservers, or modified DNS records, allow time for the changes to propagate.

Your hosting provider can also check whether DNS resolution from the server is working correctly.

6. Check Firewall and Security Rules

A firewall can sometimes block legitimate outgoing connections.

This is particularly relevant when you use:

* WordPress security plugins
* Server-level firewalls
* Web application firewalls
* Managed hosting security systems
* CDN security services
* Custom server rules

If a firewall blocks an external connection, WordPress may eventually report a timeout rather than giving you an obvious explanation.

Ask your hosting provider to check server logs and firewall rules for blocked outbound requests.

Avoid simply disabling every security feature. A better approach is to identify the specific request being blocked and allow it when appropriate.

7. Increase the Request Timeout When Appropriate

In some situations, the external service is simply slow.

WordPress may give up before the remote server finishes responding.

Developers can sometimes increase the timeout used by a specific HTTP request. However, this should not be treated as the first solution.

Increasing the timeout does not make a slow server faster.

It simply makes WordPress wait longer.

If your server is consistently struggling to complete requests, investigate the underlying cause instead of continually increasing timeout values.

8. Check Your Hosting Server

Your hosting environment can have a major impact on cURL requests.

Ask your hosting provider to investigate:

* Server load
* CPU usage
* Memory limits
* Network connectivity
* DNS resolution
* Outbound connections
* Firewall restrictions
* PHP configuration
* SSL certificate configuration
* Server-level timeout settings

If multiple unrelated external requests are timing out, the hosting environment deserves particular attention.

This is especially important on overloaded or poorly configured shared hosting.

9. Check SSL and HTTPS Configuration

Incorrect SSL configuration can also interfere with secure connections.

Make sure your WordPress site is consistently using HTTPS and that your SSL certificate is valid.

Check:

Settings → General

Confirm that both the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) use the correct HTTPS address.

Also check for mixed HTTP/HTTPS configurations or recent migrations that may have left old URLs inside the database.

If you use a CDN or reverse proxy, verify that its SSL mode is compatible with your hosting server.

10. Check for Server Resource Problems

A website that is running out of resources can produce strange errors.

If PHP processes are overloaded or the server is under heavy CPU or memory pressure, requests may take too long to complete.

Look at your hosting control panel for resource usage.

Depending on your host, you may see information about:

* CPU
* RAM
* PHP workers
* Entry processes
* Disk space
* I/O usage

If resources are consistently reaching their limits, optimization or a better hosting plan may be necessary.

11. Contact Your Hosting Provider

If you have completed the basic WordPress checks and cURL error 28 continues, your hosting provider should be able to investigate the server directly.

Give them specific information rather than simply saying, WordPress is broken.

Tell them:

* The exact cURL error
* When it occurs
* Which WordPress function produces it
* Whether it happens consistently
* Whether plugins were tested
* Whether Site Health reports REST API problems

Ask them to check outbound HTTP/HTTPS connections and server firewall logs.

This can save considerable troubleshooting time.

Best Practices and Pro Tips

The best way to deal with cURL errors is to keep your WordPress environment healthy before problems develop.

Keep WordPress, plugins, and themes updated, but always maintain a reliable backup before major changes.

Use reputable hosting with sufficient server resources. A fast server cannot eliminate every external timeout, but good infrastructure reduces the likelihood of server-side delays and makes troubleshooting much easier.

Keep your plugin collection under control. Every plugin adds code and potentially another external connection.

You should also monitor your website after installing security, caching, CDN, backup, or API-related plugins.

Finally, avoid blindly increasing PHP limits or timeout values. Configuration changes should address the actual cause rather than simply hiding symptoms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Increasing Timeouts Immediately

A longer timeout can mask an underlying network or server problem. Find out why the connection is slow first.

2. Disabling Security Permanently

Temporarily disabling a security plugin can be useful for testing, but leaving your website unprotected is not a solution.

3. Installing Multiple “Fix” Plugins

Adding another plugin to solve every WordPress error can increase complexity and create new conflicts.

4. Ignoring Your Hosting Provider

If the problem originates at the server or network level, changing WordPress settings repeatedly will not solve it. Your host can inspect logs and infrastructure that you cannot access from WordPress.

Conclusion: Fix cURL Error 28 Without Guesswork

When you need to fix cURL error 28 connection timed out WordPress, start with the basics and work methodically.

Check Site Health. Test plugins. Examine the REST API. Review DNS, SSL, firewall rules, and server resources. If the problem continues, involve your hosting provider and ask them to investigate outbound connections and server logs.

Most importantly, don’t assume the error means WordPress itself is defective.

A timeout simply tells you that a connection did not complete within the expected period. Finding out why it timed out is the key to fixing it properly.

For more practical WordPress troubleshooting guides, performance advice, security tips, and step-by-step solutions, keep exploring WP Fix It Co. We aim to make difficult WordPress problems easier to understand and easier to fix.