WordPress White Screen of Death: Complete Fix Guide 2026

Understanding the White Screen of Death

The WordPress white screen of death (WSOD) is when your site displays a completely blank white page. No content, no error message—just white. It's one of the most common WordPress problems.

Why it happens:

• PHP fatal error prevents WordPress from loading
• Error is hidden by default (for security)
• Site can't display anything, so you see white

Why it's serious:

• Site is completely inaccessible
• Can't access admin panel
• Customers can't use site
• Business impact is immediate

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels

Quick Diagnosis (5 Minutes)

Step 1: Enable Debug Mode

Access wp-config.php:

• Via FTP or hosting file manager
• Located in root directory
• Edit the file

Add these lines (before "That's all, stop editing!"):

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

What this does:

• Enables error logging
• Logs errors to debug.log
• Doesn't display errors publicly

Check debug.log:

• Location: /wp-content/debug.log
• Read the error message
• Note the file and line number

Step 2: Check Error Logs

Hosting error logs:

• Check hosting control panel
• Look for PHP error logs
• Review recent errors
• Note error details

Common error locations:

• /wp-content/debug.log
• Hosting error logs
• PHP error logs
• Server error logs

Step 3: What Changed Recently?

Recent changes that cause WSOD:

• Plugin update
• Theme update
• WordPress update
• Code changes
• PHP version change
• Configuration changes

If you made changes:

• That's likely the cause
• Revert the change
• Test if site loads

Common Causes and Fixes

1. Plugin Conflict

Symptoms:

• Site worked before plugin update
• White screen after installing plugin
• Error log mentions plugin file

How to fix:

1. Access site via FTP
2. Go to /wp-content/plugins/
3. Rename plugins folder to "plugins_old"
4. Check if site loads
5. If yes, plugin is the issue
6. Rename folder back
7. Disable plugins one by one
8. Find the problematic plugin

Alternative method:

• Rename specific plugin folder
• Test if site loads
• Repeat for each plugin

2. Theme Error

Symptoms:

• White screen after theme change
• Error in functions.php
• Theme-related error in logs

How to fix:

1. Access via FTP
2. Go to /wp-content/themes/
3. Rename your theme folder
4. WordPress will use default theme
5. If site loads, theme is the issue
6. Check theme's functions.php
7. Look for syntax errors
8. Fix or contact theme developer

3. PHP Fatal Error

Symptoms:

• Error log shows fatal error
• Specific file mentioned
• Line number in error

Common fatal errors:

• Call to undefined function
• Memory limit exceeded
• Parse error (syntax)
• Class not found

How to fix:

• Read error message
• Identify the file
• Check the line
• Fix the error
• Or remove problematic code

4. Memory Limit Exceeded

Symptoms:

• Error: "Fatal error: Allowed memory size"
• Site worked with less content
• Memory limit too low

How to fix: Method 1: wp-config.php

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

Method 2: .htaccess

php_value memory_limit 256M

Method 3: php.ini

memory_limit = 256M

Method 4: Contact hosting

• Ask to increase limit
• Usually 128M minimum
• 256M recommended

5. Corrupted WordPress Files

Symptoms:

• Random white screen
• No recent changes
• Core file errors

How to fix:

1. Download fresh WordPress
2. Upload core files (except wp-config.php)
3. Don't overwrite wp-content
4. Don't overwrite wp-config.php
5. Test if site loads

6. PHP Version Issues

Symptoms:

• White screen after PHP update
• Compatibility errors
• Deprecated function warnings

How to fix:

• Check PHP version compatibility
• Update WordPress/plugins/themes
• Or downgrade PHP version
• Test compatibility

Step-by-Step Recovery

Method 1: Disable Plugins

Via FTP:

1. Connect via FTP
2. Navigate to /wp-content/
3. Rename "plugins" to "plugins_old"
4. Check if site loads
5. If yes, rename back
6. Disable plugins one by one

Via hosting file manager:

• Same process
• Use hosting control panel
• Rename plugins folder
• Test site

Method 2: Switch Theme

Via FTP:

1. Connect via FTP
2. Navigate to /wp-content/themes/
3. Rename your theme folder
4. WordPress uses default theme
5. Check if site loads
6. If yes, theme is the issue

Method 3: Increase Memory Limit

Edit wp-config.php:

• Add memory limit line
• Save file
• Test site
• Check if resolved

Method 4: Check Error Logs

Find the error:

1. Enable debug mode
2. Check debug.log
3. Read error message
4. Identify the issue
5. Fix the problem

Method 5: Restore from Backup

If you have backup:

1. Restore files
2. Restore database
3. Test site
4. Identify what caused issue
5. Prevent recurrence

Prevention

Before Making Changes

Always:

• Backup site first
• Test on staging site
• Read update notes
• Check compatibility
• Test in safe environment

Regular Maintenance

Keep updated:

• WordPress core
• Plugins
• Themes
• PHP version (when safe)

Monitor:

• Error logs
• Site functionality
• Performance
• Security

Best Practices

Do:

• Test updates on staging
• Keep backups current
• Monitor error logs
• Use quality plugins/themes
• Follow update procedures

Don't:

• Update without backup
• Install untested plugins
• Modify core files
• Ignore error messages
• Skip testing

Advanced Troubleshooting

Database Issues

Symptoms:

• Database connection errors
• Corrupted database
• Table errors

How to fix:

• Check wp-config.php credentials
• Verify database exists
• Repair database tables
• Restore from backup
• Contact hosting support

File Permission Issues

Symptoms:

• Can't write files
• Permission errors
• Upload failures

How to fix:

• Set correct permissions
• 755 for directories
• 644 for files
• Fix ownership
• Contact hosting if needed

.htaccess Problems

Symptoms:

• White screen after .htaccess edit
• Rewrite rule errors
• Server configuration issues

How to fix:

• Rename .htaccess
• Test if site loads
• If yes, .htaccess is issue
• Restore from backup
• Or rebuild .htaccess

When to Get Professional Help

Signs You Need Help

Consider hiring if:

• Multiple recovery attempts failed
• Complex error messages
• Database corruption
• Business-critical site
• Lack technical expertise
• Time constraints

What professionals can do:

• Diagnose complex issues
• Fix code errors
• Recover from backups
• Optimize configuration
• Prevent future issues

Conclusion

The WordPress white screen of death is frustrating but usually fixable. Enable debug mode, identify the error, then fix the underlying issue.

Key takeaways:

• Enable debug mode to see errors
• Disable plugins to isolate issues
• Check error logs for details
• Test changes on staging first
• Keep regular backups

The bottom line: Most white screens are caused by plugin conflicts or PHP errors. Disable plugins, check error logs, and fix the issue. With proper troubleshooting, most white screens can be resolved quickly.

For more troubleshooting help, check out our website down checklist or learn about slow website diagnosis.