How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death: 9 Steps That Work (2026)

You open your WordPress site and see nothing. No error message, no header, no text — just a blank white page. This is the WordPress white screen of death, and it is one of the most common WordPress problems. This is not the Windows blue screen — it is a problem with your WordPress site itself. The good news: your content is almost never gone, and in most cases you can fix it yourself in under an hour. This guide shows you how to fix the WordPress white screen of death step by step, even if you have never edited a line of code.

What Is the WordPress White Screen of Death?

The white screen of death (often shortened to WSoD) is what you get when WordPress hits a fatal PHP error while building a page. PHP is the code that runs WordPress. When it crashes before it can send any page content to the browser, the browser has nothing to show — so it shows a blank white page.

WordPress hides the real error message on purpose. Showing it would leak file paths and server details to visitors, which is a security risk. That is why the screen is blank instead of showing what went wrong. To fix it, you need to find the error yourself, and the steps below will help you do that.

First, the reassuring part: a white screen does not mean your site is deleted. Your posts, pages, and images live in the database and the uploads folder. They are still there. Something is just blocking WordPress from showing them.

What Causes the White Screen of Death?

Almost every case comes down to one of these seven causes:

• A plugin conflict. A plugin you just installed or updated clashes with your WordPress version, your PHP version, or another plugin. This is the most common cause.
• A broken theme. A theme update, or a small mistake in the theme files, can stop pages from loading.
• PHP ran out of memory. Your site asked for more memory than the server allows. Big plugins and online stores hit this often.
• A failed update. An update that stopped halfway can leave broken files behind, or leave a stuck maintenance file in place.
• Corrupt WordPress core files. A core file got damaged during an update or a bad upload.
• A database problem. WordPress cannot reach the database, or a table in it is damaged.
• A bad line of code. A typo in wp-config.php, .htaccess, or your theme’s functions.php file can blank the whole site.

You do not need to know which one it is yet. The steps below are in order from easiest to hardest, and they narrow it down for you as you go.

Before You Start: 3 Quick Checks

Do these three things before you change any files. They take five minutes and can save you a lot of work.

1. Check whether it is the whole site or just one page

Open your home page, then try a single post and your wp-admin page (yourdomain.com/wp-admin). If only one page is white, the problem is probably with that page’s content or a shortcode on it. If the whole site is white, keep going with the steps below.

2. Try another browser and clear your cache

Open the site in a different browser, or in a private window. If it loads fine there, the problem is your browser cache, not your site. Clear the cache and try again. This sounds too simple, but it catches more people than you would think.

3. Check your email for a WordPress recovery message

Since WordPress 5.2, WordPress sends the site admin an email when a fatal error happens. The email names the plugin or theme that broke and includes a special link to Recovery Mode. In Recovery Mode you can log in even while the broken plugin is paused, then turn it off from the dashboard. If you got this email, follow its link first — it is the fastest fix there is.

Also, if your host makes automatic backups, check that a recent backup exists before you touch any files. Every fix below is reversible, but only if you can roll back.

Step 1: Turn On Debug Mode to See the Real Error

The single most useful step is also the one most guides skip: turn on WordPress debugging. Instead of a blank page, you get the actual error message, including the file and line number that broke.

Here is how:

1. Open your hosting file manager, or connect with FTP.
2. Find wp-config.php in your site’s root folder (the same folder that holds wp-content).
3. Download a copy of it first, so you can undo the change.
4. Add these three lines just above the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! */:

   define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
   define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
   define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

5. Save the file, then reload your site.

Now open wp-content/debug.log. The last error in the file usually names the culprit. If the path includes wp-content/plugins/, a plugin is at fault. If it says wp-content/themes/, it is your theme. If it says wp-includes/ or wp-admin/, a WordPress core file is the problem. If the error says “Allowed memory size exhausted,” skip ahead to Step 6.

The WordPress debugging guide explains these settings in full. When you are done fixing, turn debug mode back off by changing true back to false — you do not want error details sitting in a log file on a live site forever.

Step 2: Deactivate All Plugins

If the debug log points to a plugin, or you have no idea what caused it, turn all plugins off and see if the site comes back.

If you can still reach wp-admin: go to Plugins, select all, choose Deactivate from the bulk menu, and click Apply. If the site loads again, a plugin was the cause. Turn them back on one at a time, reloading the site after each one, until the white screen returns. The last plugin you turned on is the culprit. Leave it off and look for an update or a replacement.

If you cannot reach wp-admin: use your hosting file manager or FTP. Go to the wp-content folder and rename the plugins folder to plugins_old. WordPress will drop every plugin at once. If the site loads, rename the folder back to plugins, then rename each plugin folder inside it one at a time until you find the one that breaks the site.

If the debug log named one plugin, you only need to rename that plugin’s folder. That is faster and leaves everything else running.

Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme

If plugins are not the problem, your theme is next. A theme update or a bad edit in the theme files can blank the site, and the front page will often break while wp-admin still works — that is a strong hint the theme is at fault.

If you can reach wp-admin: go to Appearance, then Themes, and activate a default WordPress theme such as Twenty Twenty-Five. If the site loads, your theme is the problem. Check for a theme update, or contact the theme maker.

If you cannot reach wp-admin: rename your theme’s folder inside wp-content/themes (for example, add “-broken” to the end of its name). WordPress will fall back to a default theme on its own. If the site loads, you have your answer.

Do not delete your theme. Renaming is enough, and it keeps your settings safe.

Step 4: Delete the Stuck .maintenance File

When WordPress updates itself, a plugin, or a theme, it creates a small file called .maintenance in the site’s root folder. WordPress deletes it when the update finishes. But if the update is interrupted — a slow connection, a server timeout — the file stays, and your site can show a blank page instead of the normal “briefly unavailable” message.

Open your file manager or FTP, look in the root folder, and delete the .maintenance file if you see it. The file starts with a dot, so it may be hidden — turn on “show hidden files” in your file manager if you cannot find it. Then reload your site.

Step 5: Fix a Broken .htaccess File

The .htaccess file controls how your server handles your site’s addresses. A bad line in it can blank the whole site. It sits in the root folder next to wp-config.php, and like .maintenance, it starts with a dot, so it may be hidden.

Download a copy of .htaccess first. Then rename it to .htaccess_old and reload your site. If the site loads, .htaccess was the problem. Go to Settings, then Permalinks in wp-admin, and click Save Changes — WordPress will create a fresh, clean .htaccess file for you.

Step 6: Raise the PHP Memory Limit

If your debug log says something like “Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted,” your site ran out of memory while building the page. WordPress sets its own limit at 40 MB for single sites and 64 MB for multisite installs, which is low for a site with many plugins or an online store. Raising it to 256 MB fixes this in most cases.

Add this line to wp-config.php, just above the /* That’s all, stop editing! */ line:

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );

Save the file and reload your site. If the white screen is gone, memory was the problem. Note that this only raises WordPress’s own limit — if your hosting plan caps PHP memory below that, the setting will not help, and you will need to ask your host to raise the server limit or move to a plan with more memory.

Step 7: Reinstall the WordPress Core Files

If no plugin, theme, or setting is at fault, one of the core WordPress files may be corrupt. You can replace them without touching your content, because your posts live in the database and your images live in wp-content/uploads.

The easy way is from the dashboard: if you can reach wp-admin, go to Dashboard, then Updates, and click “Re-install Now.” WordPress downloads fresh core files and replaces the old ones.

If you cannot reach wp-admin, download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org, unzip it, and upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders to your site, replacing the old ones. Do not touch the wp-content folder — that is where your themes, plugins, and uploads live.

Step 8: Check and Repair the Database

If the site is still blank, the database may be damaged. Add this line to wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true );

Then visit yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php in your browser. WordPress will offer to repair and optimize the database tables. Run the repair, then remove the line from wp-config.php again — you should not leave the repair page open to anyone.

If you have phpMyAdmin from your host, you can also open it, select your database, check all tables, and choose “Repair table” from the dropdown. A damaged table is rare, but when it happens, this is the fix.

Step 9: Check File Permissions and Your PHP Version

Two last things worth checking before you call for help:

• File permissions. Folders should be 755 and files should be 644. If a recent change set them wrong, WordPress may not be able to read its own files. Most hosts let you fix this from the file manager by right-clicking a folder and choosing permissions.
• PHP version. A plugin or theme that needs a newer PHP version can crash a site running an old one. Check your PHP version in your hosting panel. WordPress recommends PHP 8.1 or newer. If your host still runs PHP 7.4 or older, ask them to upgrade it — but test on a staging copy first, since old plugins can break on new PHP.

The WordPress list of common errors covers several of these issues too, if you want to compare notes.

When to Contact Your Host or Get Help

Try the steps above first — most white screens are fixed by Step 2 or Step 3. But contact your host if:

• The white screen started right after a server change, and nothing on your site changed.
• You cannot reach your file manager or FTP at all.
• The debug log shows a server error you do not understand, such as a database connection failure.
• Your site makes money and every hour down costs sales — in that case, restore your last good backup first, then find the cause on a staging copy.

If you run a business site and you are not comfortable editing files, a WordPress developer can usually fix this in under an hour. It is a common job, and most developers have seen it many times. Just make sure they back up the site before they start.

How to Stop the White Screen of Death From Coming Back

You cannot prevent every error, but you can make the white screen far less likely:

• Keep automatic backups running. A daily backup turns a disaster into a ten-minute restore.
• Update one thing at a time. Update a plugin, check the site, then update the next one. If the screen goes white, you know exactly which update did it.
• Test big updates on a staging copy first. Most good hosts offer one-click staging. Major WordPress or theme updates belong there before they touch the live site.
• Delete plugins you do not use. Every plugin is one more thing that can break. If you have not used one in months, remove it.
• Keep PHP up to date. Old PHP versions cause strange errors and security problems. Check once a year that your host is running a supported version.
• Leave debug logging off on a live site. Turn it on only when you are fixing a problem, then turn it off again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my content if I get the white screen of death?

Almost certainly not. Your posts and pages live in the database, and your images live in the uploads folder. The white screen means WordPress cannot show them right now, not that they are deleted. Once you fix the cause, everything comes back as it was.

Can I fix the white screen of death without FTP access?

Sometimes. If you can still reach wp-admin, you can deactivate plugins and switch themes from the dashboard, and you can use the Recovery Mode email WordPress sends you. But if wp-admin is white too, you need your host’s file manager or FTP. Most hosts include a file manager in their control panel, so you may already have access without knowing it.

How long does it take to fix?

Most cases take 15 to 60 minutes. A plugin conflict is usually found in minutes once you deactivate plugins one by one. Database damage or a server problem can take longer, and that is when restoring a backup is often the faster move.

What if only wp-admin is white, but the front of the site works?

That usually points to a plugin that only runs in the admin area, or a bad line in a file the dashboard loads. Turn on debug mode and check the log — it will name the file. You can also try the plugin-folder rename trick from Step 2, which works even when the dashboard is down.

What if only one page is white?

The problem is likely on that page: a broken shortcode, a bad block, or a plugin that only runs there. Edit the page from the dashboard (or set it back to a draft) and test again. If the page uses a custom template, check that template file for a recent edit.

Is the white screen of death a hack?

Usually not. It is almost always a plugin, theme, memory, or update problem. But if the white screen appeared out of nowhere and no one changed anything, check the debug log and your recent file changes — a hacked file can cause the same symptom, and in that case you should ask your host to scan the site.

Last updated: November 2026