dnsServerhourglass_bottomTimeoutlocksslcodecURLdnsDNSsecurityfirewalllabelCommonwarningModerate

http_request_failed

The http_request_failed error occurs when WordPress tries to reach an external URL and the request does not complete. It is triggered by cURL timeouts, DNS failures, SSL mismatches, firewall blocks, or server limits. The HTTP API returns the error and Site Health flags it as critical.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Site Health warning
Site Health shows a critical issue labeled http_request_failed
[dashicons-admin-site]
Update failures
Plugin, theme, or core updates stop with cURL error messages
[dashicons-networking]
REST API errors
REST API requests return failure notices

Common Causes

cURL timeout
Request exceeds the allowed time and aborts
Firewall block
Security layer drops outbound connections
DNS resolution issue
Server cannot resolve remote host quickly
SSL certificate problem
Invalid or expired certificate stops TLS handshake
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