Magento 1 SOAP-ERROR Parsing WSDL – Causes & Fixes

Magento1 integration: SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldn't load from / failed to load external entity

Overview

When setting up a Magento 1 integration, you may encounter the following error message:

SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldn't load from 'https://www.website.com/index.php/api/soap/?wsdl': failed to load external entity.


This error occurs due to server misconfiguration in Magento 1, preventing the WSDL file from being properly parsed. Below, we’ll explain the common causes and how to resolve them.

Warning
SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldn't load from 'https://www.website.com/index.php/api/soap/?wsdl%27 : failed to load external entity "https://www.website.com/index.php/api/soap/?wsdl%22

Why Does This Error Happen?  

The error is triggered when the Magento server cannot correctly load the WSDL file from the API endpoint. This is usually related to:

  • Incorrect API endpoint URL

  • Mismatched domain configurations

  • The server being unable to make HTTP requests to itself

How to Fix SOAP-ERROR in Magento 1  

Option 1: Check the API URL  

  1. Open the URL in your browser:
  3. You should see an XML response. 



If not:

    • Verify .htaccess or IP restrictions aren’t blocking access.

    • Clear WSDL cache by running:

    • rm /tmp/wsdl*


Option 2: Verify Domain Consistency  


1. Open the same WSDL URL in your browser.

2. Scroll to the end of the document where the service URL is listed.

3. If the service URL is different from the original API URL, your server configuration is incorrect and needs to be aligned.





Option 3: Ensure the Server Can Reach Itself  

Magento’s web services require that the server can make HTTP requests to itself.

  1. Run this command from the Magento server:

  2. wget https://www.website.com/index.php/api/soap/?wsdl

  3. If the result is not successful (e.g., HTTP 200 is not returned), the server is misconfigured.

Internal Resources You Might Find Useful  


FAQ  

Q1. What does “SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL” mean in Magento 1?
It means Magento cannot load the WSDL definition file for the API, usually due to server or domain configuration issues.

Q2. How do I clear the Magento WSDL cache?
Run the following command in your server terminal:

rm /tmp/wsdl*

Q3. Can IP restrictions cause this error?
Yes. If your server blocks external or internal IP access, Magento cannot fetch its own WSDL file.

Q4. How can I test if my Magento server can reach itself?
Use the command:

wget https://www.website.com/index.php/api/soap/?wsdl

If it doesn’t return HTTP 200, the server cannot access itself.

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