White screen of death (WordPress)

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White Screen of Death (WordPress)

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:

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin File Manager
  2. Go to: public_html/wp-content/
  3. Rename the folder:
    • plugins → plugins_disabled
  4. 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:

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

3. Increase PHP memory limit

If the site is running out of memory:

  1. Open wp-config.php
  2. Add this line:

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

4. Check error reporting

To identify the exact problem:

  1. Edit wp-config.php
  2. 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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