OnlyTheOnline
Log in
Get Help Now
dnsServer•apiREST APIcodecURLlinkconnectiondnsDNSsecurityfirewall•labelCommon•warningModerate

cURL error 6: Could not resolve host

This error occurs when the server fails to translate a hostname into an IP address. The failure may stem from DNS mis‑configuration, missing hosts entry, or firewall rules that block outbound connections.

WordPress displays the message during admin actions such as Site Health checks, plugin updates, or REST API calls. The front‑end remains functional while backend requests break.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Admin error message
WordPress admin shows “cURL error 6: Could not resolve host: example.com”.
[dashicons-admin-site]
Loopback request failure
Site Health reports a failed loopback request with the same error.
[dashicons-admin-plugins]
Plugin actions stop
Plugins that fetch external resources report failures or timeouts.

Common Causes

DNS resolution failure
Server cannot reach a DNS server or the domain lacks a valid A/AAAA record.
Missing or wrong hosts entry
The /etc/hosts file does not contain the required mapping or contains a malformed line.
Outbound request blocked
Security plugins or firewall rules prevent cURL from reaching external hosts.
Need this fixed right now?

Don't waste your day debugging. Our experts can Fix your issues in under 2 hours.*

Get this issue fixed

Success Rate

100% Guaranteed

Starting from

$35 /hour
99+

Trusted by Business Owners

“I spent 3 days trying to fix the Elementor loading loop. These guys fixed it in 20 minutes. Lifesavers!”

— Sarah J., Web Designer

Related Issues

contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 503 Service Unavailable
A 503 Service Unavailable response stops Contact Form 7 from sending data...
apiREST APIerror503descriptioncontact-form-7
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 429 Too Many Requests

The form tries to send data through the WordPress REST API. The...

apiREST APIerrorerrorsecurityfirewalldescriptioncontact-form-7settingsserver_configuration
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 401 Unauthorized

The form tries to send data via the WordPress REST API. The...

apiREST APIadmin_panel_settingspermissionsdescriptioncontact-form-7lock401
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: File upload error: temporary directory missing

The error appears when Contact Form 7 cannot locate a writable temporary...

codePHPcloud_offupload erroradmin_panel_settingspermissionsdescriptiontemporary filedescriptioncontact-form-7
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: Mail (2) sending failed: PHP mail() function disabled

Contact Form 7 reports a failure for Mail (2) when the PHP...

codePHPerrorerrordescriptioncontact-form-7mailMailsettingsserver_configuration
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: Mail (2) sending failed: SSL certificate verification failed

Contact Form 7 reports a failure when trying to send the secondary...

errorerrorlocksslcodecURLdescriptioncontact-form-7