How to fix the WordPress white screen of death

The white screen of death, often shortened to WSoD, is what you see when WordPress hits a fatal error and gives up before it can display anything. The page is blank or shows only a brief message. Newer versions of WordPress often replace the blank page with a message saying there has been a critical error on the website, and send an email to the administrator with a link to recovery mode. Either way, the underlying cause is the same.

PHP, the language WordPress is written in, stops running when it meets something it cannot handle. That could be a function that does not exist, a file that failed to upload fully, code that is not compatible with your PHP version, or a script that tried to use more memory than it was allowed. Because errors are hidden from visitors by default, you see nothing at all. Our job in diagnosis is to make the hidden error visible.

The good news is that the data is nearly always safe. Your posts, pages and settings sit in the database, untouched. The fault is in the code that displays them. That is why the fixes below work by removing or replacing the broken piece of code, not by rebuilding your content.

Once debugging is on, open the debug log or reload the page. A typical fatal error names a file path and a line number. The path is the most useful part. If it contains wp-content/plugins/some-plugin, that plugin is the problem. If it contains wp-content/themes/your-theme, the theme is at fault. If it points into wp-includes, the core files may be damaged or an incompatible plugin is calling a core function wrongly.

Some messages are direct. "Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted" means a script wanted more than 128 MB. "Call to undefined function" usually means a plugin expects something that is missing, perhaps because a companion plugin is disabled or the PHP version is too old. "Parse error" or "syntax error" means a typing mistake in code someone edited.

Do not leave debug output switched on for a live site. Displaying errors on screen can reveal file paths and other details to visitors. Log to a file, fix the issue and turn debugging off again. The file should also be deleted or kept private once you are done.

Sometimes the fault is outside WordPress. A full disk, an exhausted account quota or a PHP setting that was changed can all stop the site. If you cannot save files or the control panel reports a quota problem, free up space by removing old backups and unused files, or move to a larger plan. Our guide to bandwidth and disk space explains what counts towards your limits.

A PHP version change is another frequent trigger. Moving to a newer PHP version is good for speed and security, but an older theme or plugin may not support it. If the white screen appeared right after you changed PHP, switch back to the previous version in the control panel, then update or replace the plugin before trying again.

If you think the server itself is involved, ask us. Our live chat (open 24/7) can check the server error log for your account, which often shows the exact failing file within a minute or two. You do not need to be technical, just tell us your domain and when it started.

When the site returns, do not breathe out and move on. Work out what happened. If a plugin caused it, check whether there is a newer version, search its support forum and decide whether it is worth keeping. If it is essential, tell the developer what error you saw. If you can live without it, replace it with a better maintained alternative.

Take a fresh backup now that things are working, so you have a clean point to return to. Then read our guide on updating WordPress safely and consider a staging site, which lets you try updates away from your visitors.