Troubleshooting WordPress White Screen of Death

Fixing the WordPress White Screen of Death

The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is one of the most common WordPress errors. Your site displays a completely blank page with no error message, making it difficult to diagnose. Here is how to identify and fix the cause.

Step 1: Enable Debugging

The first step is to see the actual error message. Connect to your site via File Manager in cPanel or FTP and edit wp-config.php:

Find the line define('WP_DEBUG', false); and change it to:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);

define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

Refresh your site. If the error is now visible, it will tell you exactly which file and line is causing the problem. Check the debug log at wp-content/debug.log for details.

Step 2: Disable All Plugins

A faulty plugin is the most common cause of WSOD:

1. In cPanel File Manager, navigate to wp-content.
2. Rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled.
3. Refresh your site. If it loads, a plugin is the culprit.
4. Rename the folder back to plugins. All plugins will be deactivated.
5. Log in to WordPress admin and activate plugins one by one until you find the one causing the problem.

Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme

If disabling plugins does not fix it, the issue may be with your theme:

1. In File Manager, navigate to wp-content/themes.
2. Rename your active theme's folder (e.g., mytheme to mytheme_disabled).
3. WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
4. If the site loads, your theme has a bug or compatibility issue.

Step 4: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Sometimes the WSOD is caused by insufficient PHP memory. Add this line to wp-config.php:

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

Step 5: Check for Corrupted Core Files

If none of the above works, WordPress core files may be corrupted. Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org and upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders to your site, overwriting the existing files. Do not overwrite wp-content as that contains your themes, plugins, and uploads.

Prevention

• Always back up before updating plugins, themes, or WordPress core.
• Test updates on a staging site before applying them to your live site.
• Use well-maintained, reputable plugins and themes from trusted developers.