How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death
You open your website and see nothing. No error, no header, just a blank white page. This is the famous WordPress White Screen of Death, and it is one of the most common problems site owners face. It looks scary, but it almost always has a simple cause that you can find in a few minutes.
This guide explains what the white screen means and walks through the fixes in the order that solves most cases fastest.
What the White Screen Actually Means
A white screen usually means PHP hit a fatal error and stopped before it could print anything. WordPress hides the error message for security, so you see a blank page instead. Modern WordPress versions often show a message such as "There has been a critical error on this website" and send a recovery link to the admin email. Both are the same problem with different presentation.
The most common causes are:
- A plugin update or a conflict between two plugins.
- A theme problem or a broken edit to
functions.php. - PHP running out of memory.
- An incompatible PHP version after a server upgrade.
- A failed or interrupted WordPress update.
Step 1: Check Your Email for a Recovery Link
When a fatal error happens, WordPress sends an email to the site's admin address with the plugin or theme that caused it and a special recovery mode link. Recovery mode lets you log in and deactivate the broken extension while the rest of the site stays down for visitors. Check your inbox and spam folder first, because this can solve the problem in one click.
Step 2: Turn On Debugging to See the Error
If there is no email, make WordPress show what went wrong. Edit wp-config.php through your hosting file manager or SFTP and set:
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);Reload the site, then open wp-content/debug.log. The last lines usually name the exact file and plugin that failed. Turn debugging off again when you are done.
Step 3: Disable Plugins
If the error points to a plugin, or you cannot read the log, disable plugins without the dashboard. In the file manager, rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins-off. Reload the site. If it works, rename the folder back, then rename individual plugin folders one by one until you find the one that breaks the site.
Elementor sites often fail after updating Elementor and Elementor Pro to different versions. Update both together, and update any Elementor add-ons right after.
Step 4: Switch to a Default Theme
If plugins are not the problem, rename your active theme's folder inside wp-content/themes. WordPress falls back to a default theme. If the site loads, the theme or a recent edit to it is the cause. This is also why edits belong in a child theme, as explained in how to create a WordPress child theme.
Step 5: Increase the PHP Memory Limit
Large pages, page builders and stores can exceed a low memory limit. Add this line to wp-config.php above the "That's all, stop editing" comment:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');If your host caps memory lower, ask them to raise it. Elementor recommends at least 256MB.
Step 6: Check the PHP Version
A host may upgrade PHP, or you may switch versions yourself. Very old plugins can break on newer PHP, and very new plugins may require a recent version. Check the PHP version in your hosting panel and compare it with the requirements of your theme and key plugins.
Step 7: Fix a Failed Update
If the white screen appeared during a WordPress update, delete the .maintenance file in the site root if it exists, then re-upload a fresh copy of the WordPress core files, excluding wp-content and wp-config.php.
When Only the Elementor Editor Is White
If the public site works but the Elementor editor shows a blank or endless loading screen, the causes are slightly different. See our guides on the Elementor editor stuck on loading and the Preview Could Not Be Loaded error.
Quick Diagnosis by Symptom
- White screen right after a plugin update: that plugin is the most likely cause. Rename its folder.
- White screen after editing functions.php: a syntax error in your edit. Undo it through the file manager.
- White screen only in wp-admin: often a memory limit or an admin-only plugin feature. Raise memory first.
- White screen after the host changed PHP: an outdated plugin or theme. Check the debug log for the file name.
- White screen on large pages only: memory or execution time limits. Raise memory and simplify the page.
Related Errors You Might See
The white screen has a few close relatives that share the same causes. "There has been a critical error on this website" is the modern version of the same fatal error. "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance" means an update was interrupted and the .maintenance file was left behind. "Error establishing a database connection" is different: PHP works, but it cannot reach the database, which we cover in how to fix the database connection error. Knowing which message you see saves time, because each points to a different part of the system.
How to Prevent the White Screen
- Back up before every update, so a bad update is easy to undo.
- Test major updates on a staging site first.
- Keep PHP, WordPress and plugins current.
- Avoid editing theme files directly in the dashboard.
Show a Friendly Page While You Fix It
If the fix will take a while, replace the blank page with a short maintenance message so visitors know you are aware of the problem. Many hosts let you enable a maintenance page from the control panel. A brief message with an expected return time keeps trust far better than a blank screen.
When to Ask for Help
If the debug log points to a core WordPress file, if renaming plugins and themes changes nothing, or if you see signs of hacked files such as unknown PHP files in the uploads folder, stop and contact your host or a WordPress professional. Share the exact error lines from the log and the time the problem started. That information usually cuts the diagnosis time in half.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the white screen delete my content?
No. Your posts and pages are still in the database. The white screen is a display failure caused by code, so fixing the code brings everything back.
Why is only one page white?
Usually a widget, shortcode or block on that page triggers the error, or the page is too heavy for the memory limit. Check the debug log while loading that page.
Can I fix it without FTP access?
Your hosting control panel's file manager works the same way. If you have neither, contact your host, or restore a backup from before the problem using the steps in backing up and restoring WordPress.
Wrapping Up
The White Screen of Death is a fatal PHP error hidden from view. Check for the recovery email, turn on the debug log, disable plugins, switch the theme, raise memory, and check PHP. Work through those steps in order and you will find the cause in most cases within minutes.
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