Fatal Error on Category Archive Pages – PHP 8+ String Array Offset Issue

I’m experiencing a fatal error that prevents one specific category archive page from loading. The error is isolated to the PowerPress plugin and only occurs on that particular category, not on other pages or archives.

Error Message:

text

Uncaught Error: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /wp-content/plugins/powerpress/powerpress.php on line 537

Error Location:
The error occurs in the powerpress_header() function during the wp_head() action, specifically when the theme’s header.php calls get_header().

Call Stack (from Query Monitor):

• powerpress_header()
• wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php:324
• WP_Hook::apply_filters()
• wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php:348
• WP_Hook::do_action()
• wp-includes/plugin.php:517
• do_action()
• wp-includes/general-template.php:3192
• wp_head()
• wp-content/themes/astra/header.php:31

Setup Details

• PowerPress Version: 11.14.1
• WordPress Version: 6.8.3
• PHP Version: 8.4.13
• Theme: Astra
• Affected Page: Single category archive page (not reproducible on other categories)

What I’ve Already Tried

• Checked for plugin updates — no newer version available
• Cannot deactivate the plugin to test (need it active for podcasting)
• Query Monitor confirms error originates from powerpress.php line 537

Question

This appears to be a PHP 8+ compatibility issue where PowerPress is attempting to access a string value using array offset syntax. Can you provide:

1. A patch or workaround for this specific error on line 537?
2. Information on known PHP 8+ compatibility issues in version 11.14.1?
3. Guidance on whether this is related to category-specific podcast settings that may have become corrupted?

Additional Notes

The error only occurs on one specific category archive page. All other site functionality works normally. The site uses multiple performance plugins (caching, Redis, etc.) but the error is specific to PowerPress code execution.

Thank you for your assistance with this issue.

The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]