Introduction
Are you facing the dreaded white screen of death WordPress issue? This comprehensive guide is designed for WordPress site owners and administrators who need to quickly identify and fix the White Screen of Death (WSoD) on their websites. The WSoD is a critical problem that results in a blank page, stopping your site from loading entirely—impacting both the frontend and backend (WordPress dashboard). In WordPress 5.2 and later, you may see a “critical error” message instead of a blank page. Different browsers may show different error messages for the same issue, or only a blank screen. Fixing the White Screen of Death is essential to minimize site downtime, prevent lost visitors, and maintain your site’s reputation and revenue.
The White Screen of Death can be caused by plugin conflicts, PHP memory exhaustion, theme problems, syntax errors (such as in functions.php), or incorrect file permissions. This guide will walk you through the most effective troubleshooting steps to restore your site as quickly as possible.
Quick Summary: Main Causes and Solutions for the White Screen of Death
Common Causes:
Plugin conflicts
PHP memory exhaustion
Theme problems
Syntax errors (e.g., in functions.php)
Incorrect file permissions
Quick Solutions:
Deactivate all plugins to check for conflicts
Increase the PHP memory limit (recommended: 256MB)
Switch to a default WordPress theme
Fix syntax errors in recently edited files
Check file permission issues and correct file permissions
Use this checklist to quickly identify and resolve the most common reasons for the White Screen of Death in WordPress.
Table Of Contents:
What is the white screen of death in WordPress?
The White Screen of Death in WordPress is a blank page that stops your site from loading entirely. It can affect both the frontend (public site) and backend (WordPress dashboard), making it impossible to access your website or admin area. In WordPress 5.2 and later, instead of a completely blank page, you may see a “critical error” message. The WSoD is typically caused by a fatal error in PHP, memory exhaustion, or similar server-side problems, and resolving it is crucial to restore your site’s functionality.
First, Did You Make Any Recent Changes?
If you recently updated a plugin, theme, or made changes to your site’s code, these actions could have triggered the White Screen of Death. Identifying recent changes can help you quickly pinpoint the cause and reverse the issue. Even small text or content edits made through the editor, such as when you edit text in WordPress, can sometimes introduce unexpected problems if shortcodes or blocks are modified incorrectly. If you haven’t made any changes, proceed to the troubleshooting steps below.
How to Fix White Screen of Death in WordPress
If these steps feel overwhelming or you manage sites for clients, you can rely on FixRunner’s WordPress support experts or their white-label WordPress maintenance services to handle troubleshooting and ongoing care for you.
1. Clear Browser and WordPress Cache
Sometimes, cached files can cause the white screen to persist even after the underlying issue is fixed. Clear your browser cache and, if possible, your WordPress cache, including the wordpress plugin cache, using a caching plugin or your hosting control panel.
If you use wp super cache, clear its cached files from the plugin settings before retesting the site.
If clearing the cache does not resolve the issue, move on to disabling plugins.
2. White Screen – Disable Plugins
One of the most common causes of the white screen of death is plugin conflicts. The fastest way to test this is to deactivate all your plugins at once and see whether one of the WordPress plugins is responsible.
When you cannot access WP admin
If you can’t access wp-admin, use an FTP client to open the WordPress root directory, go to the wp-content folder, and rename the plugins folder to deactivate all plugins at once. Loss of access to the dashboard can also be due to WordPress admin login issues that require separate troubleshooting.
Renaming the plugins folder deactivates all plugins at once.
If disabling plugins does not resolve the issue, proceed to check your theme.
3. Revert to Default Theme
If your theme is causing the issue, switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) can help you determine if the theme is at fault. Avoid using nulled WordPress themes, as they frequently introduce hidden errors and security risks that can trigger problems like the white screen of death.
Disabling theme via FTP
To disable your current theme via FTP, follow a process similar to this detailed guide on how to disable a WordPress theme using FTP:
Navigate to wp-content/themes
Rename your active theme’s folder
WordPress will automatically revert to a default theme
If reverting to the default theme does not fix the issue, try increasing your PHP memory limit.
4. Increase Memory Limit to Solve White Screen
Memory exhaustion is a common reason a WordPress site shows a blank white screen or the white screen of death, often because scripts run out of server memory and trigger an “allowed memory size exhausted” error. Increasing the PHP memory limit can help prevent the White Screen of Death. WordPress sets a default memory limit of 40MB for single sites, which may be too low for some environments. If that does not resolve it, you may need to increase memory limits further.
Increase via wp-config.php
Open wp-config.php in your WordPress root directory
Add the following code line before “That’s all, stop editing!”:
define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);
Increase via .htaccess
Edit your .htaccess file and add:
php_value memory_limit 256M
If increasing the memory limit does not resolve the issue, check your PHP version.
5. Update PHP Version
Running an outdated PHP version can cause compatibility issues and trigger the white screen of death, and in some cases lead to browser-level problems such as ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED when trying to access your site.
Update your PHP version via your hosting control panel or contact your web host for assistance; on shared hosting, this change may require provider help because server settings are limited.
If updating PHP does not resolve the issue, check for code errors in your files.
6. Fix Code Errors to Solve White Screen
Remove empty lines
Empty lines at the end of wp-config.php or functions.php can cause output errors.
Fix or download a fresh copy
If you recently edited a file, restore it from a backup or open it in a code editor to resolve syntax errors before uploading a fresh copy from the original source.
Parse error message
If you see a parse error message, it usually points to a syntax error in your code, such as a missing semicolon or an undefined function in edited theme or plugin files. Correct the error as indicated in the message.
These are common error messages you can use to identify the underlying problem.
If fixing code errors does not resolve the issue, enable debugging for more information.
7. White Screen – Enable Debugging
Enable WordPress debugging to reveal common wordpress errors and help identify the underlying file or function causing the issue; this can also assist in diagnosing related dashboard issues such as WordPress screen options not working.
Add the following to your wp-config.php to enable debug mode:
define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true); define(‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true); define(‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false);
The error log is usually written to wp-content/debug.log, which can help you diagnose the most common wordpress errors more quickly. After troubleshooting, turn off debugging mode for security reasons.
If debugging does not help you resolve the issue, consider restoring your site from a backup.
8. Restore Site from Backup
If you have a recent backup, restoring it can quickly resolve the White Screen of Death if the issue was caused by a recent change or update, and automatic backups provide peace of mind for site owners by making it easier to recover the entire site; you can also run a free WordPress checkup afterward to scan for other issues.
If restoring from backup is not possible or does not resolve the issue, try updating WordPress manually.
9. Update WordPress Manually (Replace Core Files)
If your site is stuck after an update, failed auto update issues can interrupt the update process, leave the .maintenance file behind in the root directory, and sometimes result in corrupted files within the wordpress installation, so you may need to delete the .maintenance file manually. Interrupted updates can also leave corrupted core files, which is why manually replacing WordPress core files can restore the site; similar issues can also cause a blank WordPress admin panel that requires additional troubleshooting.
If manual updates do not resolve the issue, contact your web host for further assistance.
10. Contact Web Host
If none of the above steps resolve the White Screen of Death, contact your web hosting provider or consider using a dedicated WordPress support and maintenance service. They can help you check server logs, file permissions, and file permission issues, along with other server-side problems that may be causing it. Folders and directories are generally set to 755, while files are set to 644 permissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the white screen of death in WordPress?
The White Screen of Death in WordPress is a blank page that stops your site from loading entirely. It can affect both the frontend and backend, making it impossible to access your website or admin area. In WordPress 5.2 and later, you may see a “critical error” message instead of a blank page. In most cases, the WordPress WSOD is typically caused by a fatal PHP issue or memory exhaustion.
What causes the white screen of death in WordPress?
Common causes include plugin conflicts, PHP memory exhaustion, theme problems, syntax errors (such as in functions.php), and incorrect file permissions. These are among the most common WordPress errors on a WordPress website and often require debugging to find the root cause, and in some cases you may encounter related database problems such as the MySQL server has gone away error.
White screen of death in WordPress – How do I fix it?
To fix WordPress white screen, follow the troubleshooting steps in this guide in order: clear cache, disable plugins, switch to a default theme, increase PHP memory limit, update PHP, fix code errors, enable debugging, restore from backup, update WordPress manually, or contact your web host.
How do I access my WordPress files if I can’t log in?
Use an FTP client or your hosting file manager to access and modify your WordPress files if you are locked out of the admin area, and reset your credentials using one of the methods for changing a WordPress admin password if needed.
How to prevent the white screen of death from happening in the future
Regularly update plugins, themes, and WordPress core
Use only trusted plugins and themes
Monitor and increase PHP memory limit as needed
Backup your site frequently
Check file permissions and correct them if necessary
If you keep seeing debug messages you do not understand, ask the WordPress community for help before making more changes or consider hiring a professional WordPress support service to investigate further
White Screen of Death in WordPress
Related Errors:
White Screen of Death in WordPress – Wrapping up
The White Screen of Death in WordPress can be alarming, but by following the steps in this guide, you can systematically identify and resolve the issue. Remember to keep regular backups, update your site components, and monitor your site’s health, including any problematic page after fixes, so recurring issues can be caught early and future occurrences are less likely. If you want ongoing help, review common questions about our WordPress support and maintenance services or contact our WordPress experts directly for personalized assistance.