How to Fix the “Warning: strtotime(): Epoch doesn’t fit in a PHP integer” Error in WordPress

Overview

If you are working on a WordPress site and encounter the following error while creating posts or WooCommerce products:

Warning: strtotime(): Epoch doesn’t fit in a PHP integer in wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php on line 381.

This issue often arises due to invalid date values, such as 0000-00-00 00:00:00, in the WordPress database. This article will guide you through resolving the problem effectively.

The Cause

The error occurs because the PHP strtotime() function cannot handle invalid date strings like 0000-00-00 00:00:00. When the WordPress core attempts to process such dates, it triggers this error.

Steps to Fix the Error

1. Update the PHP Code

Browse your WordPress directory and edit line# 381 in meta-boxes.php file. The location will be wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php. Replace the existing condition as shown below:

if ( ! empty( $post->post_date_gmt ) && time() < strtotime( $post->post_date_gmt . ' +0000' ) ) :

With the following:

if ( ! empty( $post->post_date_gmt ) && $post->post_date_gmt !== '0000-00-00 00:00:00' && time() < strtotime( $post->post_date_gmt . ' +0000' ) ) :

This modification ensures the condition checks for invalid date values before processing. If the error still persists, then refer to the step# 2.

2. Verify and Update Database Entries

If the error persists, you might have invalid date entries in your database. Run the following SQL query in your database tool (e.g., phpMyAdmin):

SELECT * FROM wp_posts
WHERE post_date_gmt = '0000-00-00 00:00:00'
OR post_modified_gmt = '0000-00-00 00:00:00'
OR post_date = '0000-00-00 00:00:00'
OR post_modified = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';

This query identifies entries with invalid date values.

3. Replace Invalid Dates

Replace the invalid dates with a valid dummy date, such as 1970-01-01 00:00:00. Use an SQL UPDATE statement, for example:

UPDATE wp_posts
SET post_date_gmt = '1970-01-01 00:00:00',
post_modified_gmt = '1970-01-01 00:00:00'
WHERE post_date_gmt = '0000-00-00 00:00:00'
OR post_modified_gmt = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';

Sometimes, updating the entries using SQL query is not successful. An alternative option is to export the database, open in a text editor and replace all the entries '0000-00-00 00:00:00' with '1970-01-01 00:00:00'. You can then import the database.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can resolve the strtotime() Epoch error in WordPress. Always ensure your database entries have valid date values, and backup your files and database before making changes.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below!