Wealth Inequality Exposed: Wealthiest Americans Experience Brief Lives Compared to Europe’s Wealthy Citizens

Wealth Inequality Exposed: Wealthiest Americans Experience Brief Lives Compared to Europe’s Wealthy Citizens

Comprehending and Resolving the “include_once(…/sunrise.php): Failed to Open Stream” Warning in WordPress Multisite

Should you be managing a WordPress multisite setup and come across an error such as the following on your website or within your server’s error logs:

Warning: include_once(/home/u801461719/domains/scienceblog.com/public_html/wp-content/sunrise.php): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u801461719/domains/scienceblog.com/public_html/wp-includes/ms-settings.php on line 47

Warning: include_once(): Failed opening '/home/u801461719/domains/scienceblog.com/public_html/wp-content/sunrise.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/alt/php82/usr/share/pear:/opt/alt/php82/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') in /home/u801461719/domains/scienceblog.com/public_html/wp-includes/ms-settings.php on line 47

— then this article will provide insight into its meaning, the reasons it arises, and how to fix it efficiently.

1. What Is the Meaning of This Error?

The PHP warning you are encountering pertains to the absence of a file called sunrise.php that WordPress attempts to include during the initialization phase of a multisite network. Typically, this file resides in:

/wp-content/sunrise.php

The error indicates that the system attempted to include this file at line 47 of ms-settings.php, a core file that manages the initialization of multisite functionalities. The inclusion failed either because the file was missing or inaccessible.

2. What Is sunrise.php?

sunrise.php is a non-mandatory but potent file utilized in WordPress multisite environments, particularly when employing domain mapping or executing custom loading routines. It loads prior to the complete initialization of the WordPress core, enabling developers to:

  • Assign custom domains to particular sites within the network
  • Alter the manner in which subsites are loaded
  • Adjust URL routing or perform redirection based on specific rules

In earlier WordPress multisite configurations — especially those incorporating external plugins for domain mapping (e.g., WordPress MU Domain Mapping) — this file was extensively utilized.

3. Why Is WordPress Attempting to Load It?

WordPress will try to include sunrise.php if the following directive exists in your wp-config.php file:

define('SUNRISE', 'on');

This directive informs WordPress to load the sunrise.php script during the setup of a multisite network.

4. What Causes the Error?

The warning arises because WordPress is configured to load the sunrise.php file, but it cannot find the file at the indicated location.

Typical causes entail:

  • The file was never created or made available (e.g., no domain mapping plugin was installed)
  • The file was unintentionally deleted or relocated
  • A required plugin was later removed without proper configuration cleanup

5. How to Resolve the Error

Method 1: If You Don’t Use Domain Mapping or Custom Server Routing

<pIf your multisite configuration does not involve domain mapping or you do not need any specific pre-loading logic, then disabling the sunrise directive is the advisable method.

Steps:

  1. Open wp-config.php using your preferred text editor.
  2. Locate the line that states:
    3. define('SUNRISE', 'on');
  3. Comment it out or remove it. To comment it out:
    4. // define('SUNRISE', 'on');
  4. Save the changes and refresh your site.

Method 2: If You ARE Utilizing Domain Mapping

If you’re actively employing domain mapping or custom routing