---
title: Install BugTrace
description: "Install BugTrace, and learn what it changes in your wp-config.php file."
url: "https://docs.prefixwp.com/docs/bugtrace/bugtrace-getting-started/install-bugtrace/"
updated: "2026-11-10"
category: Getting started
---

# Install BugTrace

BugTrace shows your WordPress debug log inside your dashboard. It is 100% free. This guide shows you how to install it. It also shows what BugTrace changes on your site.

## Before you start

- You need WordPress 6.2 or newer.
- You need PHP 7.4 or newer.
- You must be an **administrator**.
- WordPress must be able to write to your `wp-config.php` file. BugTrace changes this file to turn debug mode on and off.

## Install and activate BugTrace

1. In your dashboard, go to `Plugins → Add New Plugin`.
2. In the search box, type **BugTrace**.
3. Find **BugTrace - Debug Log Tool**. Click **Install Now**.
4. Click **Activate**.
5. A new **BugTrace** menu appears on the left. It has three pages: **Logs**, **Server Info** and **Settings**.

[![The BugTrace menu with Logs, Server Info and Settings. The Settings page shows WP_DEBUG and WP_DEBUG_LOG turned on.](http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bugtrace-menu-3.webp)](http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bugtrace-menu-3.webp)
The BugTrace menu and the Settings page right after activation.

BugTrace also adds a **BugTrace** menu to the admin bar at the top of the screen. From there you can view, download or clear the log.

## What changes when you activate BugTrace

When you activate BugTrace, it turns on debug logging for you. It does not ask first. It does these things:

1. It saves a copy of your `wp-config.php` file. The copy is called `wp-config-backup.php`. It is in the same folder.
2. It adds or changes four lines in `wp-config.php`:

```
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
define( 'SCRIPT_DEBUG', false );
```

This is what each line does:

| Setting | After activation | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `WP_DEBUG` | On | Turns on debug mode in WordPress. |
| `WP_DEBUG_LOG` | On | Saves errors to a log file. |
| `WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY` | Off | Shows errors on the screen. It stays off, so visitors do not see errors. |
| `SCRIPT_DEBUG` | Off | Loads the full (not minified) CSS and JavaScript files of WordPress. |

Errors are now saved to `wp-content/debug.log`. You can read them in `BugTrace → Logs`.

You can change these settings at any time in `BugTrace → Settings`. Click **Save Settings** when you are done.

### If wp-config.php is not writable

If WordPress cannot write to `wp-config.php`, BugTrace changes nothing. You will see this message on the Logs and Settings pages:

```
Please note, wp-config.php is not writable. Please change file permissions.
```

Ask your web host to make the file writable. Or change the file permissions with your host's file manager.

**When you deactivate BugTrace**, it turns all four settings off. This happens even if debug mode was on before you installed BugTrace. If you need debug mode after that, turn it on again in `wp-config.php`.

## Do and don't

- Do check `BugTrace → Logs` after you install a new plugin or theme.
- Do change debug settings in `BugTrace → Settings`, not by hand.
- Do turn off `WP_DEBUG_LOG` on a live site when you finish. The log file can grow big, and other people may be able to open it in a browser.

- Don't turn on `WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY` on a live site. Visitors would see your errors, and errors can show private details.
- Don't edit the debug lines in `wp-config.php` by hand while BugTrace is active. The Settings page will not know about your change.

## Next steps

- [Read and search your debug log](/docs/bugtrace/log-viewer/read-and-search-your-debug-log/)
- [Turn debug settings on or off](/docs/bugtrace/debug-settings/turn-debug-settings-on-or-off/)