If you’re working on a new blog post or page in WordPress and suddenly see the error:
“Publishing failed. Could not update post in the database.”
“Updating failed. Could not update post in the database.”
…it can be frustrating and confusing—especially if everything seems fine in the editor.
One of the less obvious causes of this issue is image icons or special characters embedded in your post content, often introduced when copying and pasting from external sources.
Let’s explore why this happens, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from happening again.
What’s Really Causing This Error?
This particular error usually means WordPress was unable to save your post to the database—and often, the issue is with content encoding.
Here’s what commonly triggers it:
- Emoji-style icons (✅, ➡️, ✨)
- Special typographic characters (curly quotes, ellipses, em dashes)
- Hidden formatting from Google Docs, Word, or emails
- SVG or XML-based icons copied into text blocks
- Non-UTF-8 characters your WordPress database can’t process
Even if these characters look normal on the screen, they may be breaking the SQL update behind the scenes.
How to Fix the Problem
1. Manually Remove Special Icons
Go through your post content and delete:
- Pasted emojis (use your keyboard emoji panel instead)
- Arrows or checkmarks copied from websites or documents
- Any symbols that aren’t typed directly into WordPress
Even better: rewrite those sections manually.
2. Paste as Plain Text
Before pasting content into WordPress:
- Open a plain text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit)
- Paste your content there first to strip out hidden formatting
- Then paste it into WordPress
✅ On Windows:
Ctrl + Shift + V
✅ On Mac:Cmd + Shift + V
This shortcut pastes without formatting.
3. Switch to the Classic Block
If you’re using Gutenberg and facing issues with a specific block:
- Insert a Classic block
- Paste your content inside it
- Try publishing again
The Classic block often handles encoding more reliably.
4. Use a UTF-8 Cleaner Tool
If you’re unsure which character is causing the problem:
- Use an online tool like:
- Paste your content in
- Remove or replace flagged characters
Then paste the cleaned content back into your WordPress editor.
Why This Happens: A Quick Tech Explanation
WordPress stores post content in a MySQL database, and that database has to use a compatible character encoding (usually UTF-8).
If your post includes a character not supported by your database’s current settings, WordPress fails to save the post. That’s when you see:
“Could not update post in the database.”
How to Prevent This Issue in the Future
- Write directly in WordPress instead of copying from Word or Google Docs
- Use the “Paste as plain text” shortcut when pasting from elsewhere
- Use keyboard emojis or upload icons as image files
- Avoid SVG code or JavaScript-based icons in text areas
- Regularly back up your site so you don’t lose unsaved work
Still Seeing the Error?
If you’ve cleaned your content and still see the error:
- Disable your plugins temporarily to rule out conflicts
- Check Tools > Site Health for database or server errors
- Contact your hosting provider—they can check server logs for database issues
Summary
The error “Publishing failed. Could not update post in the database” is often caused by invisible or incompatible characters—usually icons, emojis, or symbols pasted from other sources.
To resolve it:
- Remove or rewrite special icons
- Use “Paste as plain text”
- Consider using the Classic block
- Clean your content with a UTF-8 tool
Sticking to simple, clean content formatting will help prevent future issues—and keep your WordPress experience smooth and stress-free.
