How to solve GEO IP error in Burst Pro?

Burst uses a GEO IP database from MaxMind to show which country your visitors come from. Burst Pro uses a larger version of the database that also adds region and city. Burst downloads the database automatically and updates it on a schedule. When the download or update fails, the Burst dashboard shows a notice with the error the server reported.

Check which notice you see

The notice tells you how urgent the problem is:

• “The GEO IP database could not be updated. The previously downloaded database is still being used.” Location tracking still works. Burst retries the update on its own, so you only need to act if the notice keeps coming back.
• “The GEO IP database hasn’t been downloaded yet.” Burst has no database, so new visits get no location. Use the solutions below.

The text after “The following error was reported” tells you which solution fits.

Where Burst stores the database

Burst stores the database in a folder with a random 32-character name inside wp-content/uploads/burst/, for example wp-content/uploads/burst/3f9a…c21e/. The random name stops anyone from downloading the database through a predictable URL. Older versions used wp-content/uploads/burst/maxmind/. Burst moves an existing database from that folder automatically.

Solution 1: allow outgoing connections to the download server

The most common cause is a server that blocks outgoing requests, which shows up as a timeout or connection error in the notice. Burst downloads the database from burst.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com.

1. Ask your hosting provider to allow outgoing HTTPS requests to burst.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com
2. If you use a security plugin that blocks external requests, add this domain to its allowlist
3. Open the Burst dashboard. Burst retries the download automatically. After several failed attempts it waits longer between retries, so the notice can take a while to disappear

Solution 2: make the uploads folder writable

If the notice says “Required directory does not exist”, Burst couldn’t create its folder. The notice shows the full path Burst tried to use.

1. Connect to your server through FTP or the file manager in your hosting control panel
2. Check that wp-content/uploads/burst/ exists and that the web server can write to it. Permission 755 usually works, but this depends on your server
3. Open the Burst dashboard again so Burst can create the database folder

Solution 3: adjust the open_basedir restriction

If the notice says “Open Base dir restriction detected”, the PHP setting open_basedir is keeping Burst out of the uploads folder. The notice shows the path Burst needs.

1. Open the PHP settings in your hosting control panel, or ask your hosting provider
2. Add your wp-content/uploads/ path to the existing open_basedir paths
3. Save the change and restart the web server if your host requires it

If you can’t change this setting, upload the database manually (solution 4).

Solution 4: upload the database manually

Use this when the automatic download keeps failing.

1. Download the database that matches your plugin: GeoLite2-Country.tar.gz for Burst Statistics (free), or GeoLite2-City.tar.gz for Burst Pro
2. Extract the archive. You need the .mmdb file inside it: GeoLite2-Country.mmdb or GeoLite2-City.mmdb
3. Upload the .mmdb file to wp-content/uploads/burst/. Don’t put it in a subfolder, the snippet below moves it to the right place
4. Add the snippet below as an mu-plugin, or with a code snippets plugin

<?php
/**
 * Move a manually uploaded GEO IP database into Burst's database folder.
 * Remove this snippet once the notice is gone.
 */
add_action( 'admin_init', function () {
	if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
		return;
	}

	// Burst only accepts a 32-character hexadecimal folder name.
	$folder = get_option( 'burst_maxmind_dir' );
	if ( ! preg_match( '/^[a-f0-9]{32}$/', (string) $folder ) ) {
		$folder = bin2hex( random_bytes( 16 ) );
		update_option( 'burst_maxmind_dir', $folder, false );
	}

	$uploads   = wp_upload_dir();
	$burst_dir = trailingslashit( apply_filters( 'burst_upload_dir', $uploads['basedir'] ) ) . 'burst/';
	$target    = $burst_dir . $folder . '/';

	// Burst Pro uses the City database, the free plugin the Country database.
	foreach ( [ 'GeoLite2-City.mmdb', 'GeoLite2-Country.mmdb' ] as $file ) {
		if ( file_exists( $burst_dir . $file ) ) {
			wp_mkdir_p( $target );
			rename( $burst_dir . $file, $target . $file );
		}
		if ( file_exists( $target . $file ) ) {
			update_option( 'burst_geo_ip_file', $target . $file );
			delete_option( 'burst_geo_ip_import_error' );
			delete_option( 'burst_geo_ip_failed_attempts' );
			delete_option( 'burst_geo_ip_first_failed_attempt' );
			delete_option( 'burst_geo_ip_last_failed_attempt' );
			return;
		}
	}
} );

5. Load any page in the WordPress admin. The .mmdb file is now gone from wp-content/uploads/burst/ and the notice disappears
6. Remove the snippet

A manually uploaded database doesn’t update itself while the download keeps failing. Fix the cause with solution 1, 2 or 3 if you can, so Burst keeps the database current.

Still seeing the error?

Contact support and include the full error text from the notice. It tells us which step fails.