White screen of death (WordPress)

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Overview

The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is when your WordPress site shows a blank white page with no error message. It usually means something has crashed in PHP, such as a plugin, theme, or memory limit issue.

Common Causes

Faulty or incompatible plugin
Theme error or update failure
PHP memory limit exceeded
Corrupted WordPress core files
Server-side PHP error

Step-by-Step Fixes

1. Disable plugins

A plugin conflict is the most common cause.

Steps:

Log in to DirectAdmin File Manager
Go to: `public_html/wp-content/`
Rename the folder:
- `plugins` → `plugins_disabled`
Refresh your website

If it loads, a plugin is causing the issue.

2. Switch to a default theme

If plugins are not the issue:

Steps:

Go to: `wp-content/themes`
Rename your active theme folder
WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme

3. Increase PHP memory limit

If the site is running out of memory:

Open `wp-config.php`
Add this line:

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

4. Check error reporting

To identify the exact problem:

Edit `wp-config.php`
Add or enable:

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

Check the log file in:

`wp-content/debug.log`

5. Re-upload WordPress core files

If core files are corrupted:

Download a fresh copy of WordPress
Re-upload `wp-admin` and `wp-includes` folders
Do NOT overwrite `wp-content`

Important Notes

WSOD is usually caused by a recent change
Fixing plugins/themes resolves most cases
Always back up before making changes

Common Issues & Fixes

Site broke after plugin update

Disable plugins via File Manager

White screen only on admin

Theme or plugin conflict likely

Still blank after fixes

Check server error logs in DirectAdmin

Need Help?

If your website is still showing a blank white screen, our support team can investigate your error logs and restore your site quickly.

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