{"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":"2026-08-27T14:38:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:38:41","slug":"how-to-fix-wordpress-error-sure-you-want-to-do-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.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

No, WordPress isn\u2019t second-guessing your judgment. The \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error means WordPress couldn\u2019t verify the security token (called a nonce) behind your request, so it blocked the action.<\/strong> On current WordPress versions, the same failure reads \u201cThe link you followed has expired.\u201d It\u2019s most often caused by a faulty plugin or theme, a low PHP memory limit, or corrupted core files, and the four methods below help you track down the culprit and fix the most common causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This warning is frustrating because it doesn\u2019t tell you what actually went wrong, and it can stop you from performing basic tasks on your site, such as editing blog posts. The good news: you can pin down the cause and fix the error in a few simple steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\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 error means WordPress failed to verify a security token, called a nonce<\/a><\/span>. WordPress uses these nonces to verify that a request genuinely and intentionally came from you, which helps protect your site against attacks such as Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). When that check fails, WordPress blocks the action and shows this warning instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One note before we dig in: on current versions of WordPress, this same nonce failure reads \u201cThe link you followed has expired.\u201d The \u201cAre you sure you want to do this?\u201d wording appears on older WordPress versions. Either way, the causes and fixes in this post apply to both messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The error 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

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

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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

    Here are the four methods, in the order we recommend trying them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Deactivate your plugins and reactivate them one at a time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Switch to a default WordPress theme.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Increase your PHP memory limit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Replace your core WordPress files with fresh copies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      One quick check first: if the error appeared right after you uploaded a plugin or theme, make sure you selected the correct installable .zip file, and try the upload again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      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, open the Manage Websites<\/span> page in the panel, find your domain, and click Manage<\/span> to open Website settings<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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

      From Website settings<\/span>, open the website file manager. 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>\n<\/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\tWordPress Plugin Development: Build Your First Plugin By Hand Or With AI\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, open the wp-content<\/span> folder, then the themes <\/span>folder, and rename only your active theme\u2019s folder (from \u201cyourtheme\u201d to \u201cyourtheme_test\u201d, for example). Don\u2019t rename the entire themes<\/span> folder \u2014 that removes the default themes WordPress needs to fall back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

      After renaming your active theme\u2019s folder, WordPress will automatically revert to a default theme, as long as one (such as Twenty Twenty-Five) is still installed. 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 phprc<\/span> file (on DreamPress sites, use the .user.ini<\/span> file instead). For other WordPress users, you can go through your php.ini<\/span> or wp-config.php<\/span> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By default, WordPress tries to set a memory limit of 40MB for a single site (64MB for multisite), per the WordPress Advanced Administration handbook<\/a><\/span>, though your host may set a higher PHP limit. To raise the limit in your phprc<\/span> or php.ini<\/span> file, add a line like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      memory_limit = 300M<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
      In your wp-config.php<\/span> file, that ini-style line would cause a PHP error. Use this line instead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '300M' );<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
      Stick to a value your host permits or recommends rather than picking one arbitrarily. Save the file, and then retry the action that triggered the error to see if it\u2019s resolved.<\/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<\/a><\/span> 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>\n<\/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 folder.<\/p>\n\n\n
      \n
      \"Adding<\/figure>\n<\/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 you deleted in the root directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      If you\u2019re using FileZilla, select every item in the WordPress folder on your computer except the wp-content<\/span> folder, and then right-click and select Upload<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n
      \n
      \"Uploading<\/figure>\n<\/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
      FAQs about the \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d error<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      Why does WordPress say \u201cAre you sure you want to do this\u201d?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      WordPress shows this message when it can\u2019t verify the security token (nonce) attached to your request. A faulty plugin or theme, a low PHP memory limit, or corrupted core files can all break that check. On current WordPress versions, the same failure reads \u201cThe link you followed has expired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      How do I find which plugin causes the error?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      Rename the wp-content\/plugins<\/span> folder (to \u201cplugins_test\u201d, for example) to deactivate every plugin at once. Then rename it back and reactivate your plugins one at a time from the WordPress dashboard. The plugin that\u2019s active when the error returns is the culprit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      How do I increase the PHP memory limit on DreamHost?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      Add a line such as memory_limit = 300M<\/span> to your phprc<\/span> file. On DreamPress sites, use the .user.ini<\/span> file instead. DreamHost\u2019s knowledge base article<\/a><\/span> walks through each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Will replacing WordPress core files delete my content?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      No. Your posts, pages, and settings live in the database, and your plugins, themes, and media live in the wp-content<\/span> folder. As long as you keep wp-content<\/span> and your wp-config.php<\/span> file, replacing the core files won\u2019t touch your content.<\/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