Best Solution to Fix WordPress White Screen of Death
If you’re facing the dreaded WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD), you’re not alone. This frustrating issue can cause your website to show a blank white screen, rendering it inaccessible to users. The good news? It’s usually easy to fix. This comprehensive guide provides you with the latest, advanced steps to troubleshoot and resolve the WSOD.
What is the WordPress White Screen of Death?
The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is a blank white page that appears when something goes wrong on your WordPress website. Unlike other errors that may display messages or warnings, this error leaves you in the dark, which can make troubleshooting difficult.
Common causes include:
- Plugin conflicts
- Theme errors
- PHP memory limit issues
- Server-side problems
But don’t panic – with the right steps, you can get your site back online in no time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death
Step 1: Enable WordPress Debug Mode
The first thing you need to do when encountering the WSOD is to identify the cause of the issue. WordPress has a debug mode that can help by displaying error messages directly on the page. To activate it:
- Access your wp-config.php file via your hosting provider’s file manager or an FTP client.
- Add the following line of code just before the line that says: *“/ That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */”**:
Once enabled, WordPress will show error messages on your website, which will provide clues on whether plugins, themes, or other factors are causing the issue.
Step 2: Disable All Plugins for Fix WordPress White Screen of Death
If a plugin is causing the White Screen of Death, you can disable them all temporarily to see if the issue resolves. Here’s how:
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Navigate to the wp-content folder using your file manager or FTP.
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Find the plugins folder and rename it to plugins-old. This action will deactivate all plugins on your site.
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Check your website to see if it loads properly. If it does, then the issue was likely caused by a plugin conflict.
Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme Fix WordPress White Screen of Death
If disabling plugins doesn’t solve the problem, the issue might lie with your theme. To fix this:
- In your file manager, go to wp-content/themes.
- Find the folder of the theme you’re currently using and rename it to something like theme-old.
- WordPress will automatically revert to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-One.
Check if your site loads correctly after switching themes. If it does, you may need to fix or update your theme.
Step 4: Increase PHP Memory Limit
Another common cause of the WordPress White Screen of Death is insufficient PHP memory. This is especially true if your website uses resource-heavy plugins or themes. To increase the memory limit:
- Open your wp-config.php file.
- Add the following code just before the line: *“/ That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */”**:
This will allocate more memory to your website, which can help resolve memory-related issues.
Step 5: Contact Your Hosting Provider
If you’ve tried all the above steps and the White Screen of Death is still haunting you, there may be server-side issues causing the problem. In this case, reach out to your hosting provider’s support team. They can check for server misconfigurations or resource limits that might be affecting your website’s performance.
Pro Tip: Always Backup Your Site
Before making any changes to your website, it’s crucial to back up your data. This ensures that you can restore your site in case anything goes wrong during the troubleshooting process. Backup plugins like UpdraftPlus or VaultPress can simplify this task.
Fixing the White Screen of Death in Minutes
While the WordPress White Screen of Death can be alarming, it’s typically easy to resolve by following these quick steps. By enabling debug mode, disabling plugins, switching to a default theme, increasing the PHP memory limit, or contacting your hosting provider, you can troubleshoot and fix the issue in minutes.
