How to Fix White Screen of Death on WordPress?

The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD) is a standard yet alarming error that WordPress users encounter. As the name suggests, this issue is a blank white screen that replaces your website’s content. 

You might sometimes see an HTTP 500 error accompanied by a message stating, “This page isn’t working and cannot handle the request.” This error can occur whether you are already logged in or attempting to log into your wp-admin. Essentially, it makes your site inaccessible to both you and your visitors.

Fix these issues with our guide on fixing Windows errors and avoiding data loss. While addressing the White Screen of Death, it’s crucial to consider protecting your site from external threats. Implementing robust solutions like Azure DDoS Protection can safeguard your WordPress site against malicious attacks, ensuring continuous uptime and reliability.

Causes of WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD)

Here are the possible causes for encountering the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD) error:

1. PHP Code-Level Errors on your WordPress site are common errors and could result in the dreaded white page. Errors in the PHP code can cause the website to malfunction.
2. Memory Limit Exhaustion on your WordPress website: The site may run out of allocated memory.
3. Plugin and Theme Incompatibility: Conflicts between plugins and themes can trigger this issue.
4. Corrupted Plugin or Theme: A corrupted plugin or theme can lead to a white screen.
5. Server-level issues in WordPress hosting can often lead to a white screen. Problems at the server level, such as configuration errors, can also cause this error.
6. If corrupted files cause the White Screen of Death, refer to our guide on fixing corrupted files in WordPress.

You can fix the white screen issue. Let’s know how to fix the white screen of death on Windows.

How to Fix the White Screen of Death on Windows | Effective DIY Methods to Resolve

Here, we will explore possible solutions to resolve The WordPress White Screen of Death. Start with Fix #1 and proceed to the others if the issue persists. If you find yourself fixing the WSoD frequently, it might be related to server issues that also cause the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE‘ error.

Here are methods to fix:

Important Note

Before attempting any of the following solutions, it is highly recommended that you back up your application first. This ensures you have a restore point if you need to revert to your application’s last working version.

Fix #1 — Clear Your Browser and WordPress Plugin Cache

Browser caching enhances user experience but can accumulate unnecessary data and cookies over time. Clear the WordPress cache regularly to avoid this.

• A blank white screen on the front end, while the back end is accessible, may indicate caching issues.
• You can clear your browser cache and cookies via your browser’s settings (e.g., in Google Chrome: three vertical dots > More tools > Clear browsing data).
• If the issue persists, clear your website cache through your cache plugin settings (e.g., Breeze) if the backend is accessible.
• If the backend is inaccessible, manually clear your application’s cache by connecting to your server using SSH or SFTP.

Reload your website, and the issue will be resolved on your WordPress dashboard. If not, proceed to the next solution.

Fix #2 — Enable Debugging Mode

If clearing the browser and website cache did not help, it is time to check the WordPress error logs by turning on WordPress debugging mode. 

Enabling debug mode will enable error logging, which will output any specific errors occurring on the site.

To enable debugging mode in WordPress, connect to your server remotely using SSH and access the wp-config.php file in the application’s webroot (public_html directory). In this file, locate the following line:

define('WP_DEBUG', false); 

To fix the issue, change the value of your WordPress theme from False to True in the PHP-FPM settings. If it does not exist, add it at the top of the file and set it to true.

You should see a white screen with error messages highlighting the problematic file and code. Once identified, turn off the debugging mode by setting the same directive to false.

Tip

PHP errors are a common reason for encountering the White Screen of Death. Learn more about how to fix PHP errors in WordPress.

Fix #3 — Disable Your Application Plugins

WordPress plugins can create conflicts, significantly if you have recently updated an existing plugin or installed a new one. If you have diagnosed your site and identified a faulty plugin, disable it using your admin panel to fix the WordPress white screen of death. If the admin panel is not accessible, deactivate it using WP-CLI.

First, connect to your server remotely using SSH and run the following command in your application’s webroot (public_html directory):

To fix the issue, the wp plugin deactivates <plugin_name> for your WordPress theme.

2. Replace the malfunctioning plugin to fix the WordPress white screen issue. <plugin_name> with the actual name, e.g., wp plugin deactivate hello.

To fix the WordPress white screen issue, replace the malfunctioning plugin with its actual name, e.g., “wp plugin deactivate hello.”

Connect to your server remotely using SSH and run the following command in your application’s webroot (public_html directory):

Wp plugin deactivates –all.

If your website is up, identify the faulty plugin by reactivating each plugin individually and reloading your site after each activation.

Activate the plugins using the WordPress dashboard or WP-CLI. If you reencounter a white screen, you have found the malfunctioning plugin responsible for the screen of death in WordPress. Try a different plugin or reinstall the corrupted one to fix the WordPress white screen issue.

Wp plugin activate <plugin_name> 

Replace with the actual name, e.g., the wp plugin activates hello.

Experiencing the White Screen of Death frequently might indicate that your current hosting plan isn’t meeting your site’s needs. Upgrading to the best WordPress-managed host can provide optimized performance and dedicated support to prevent such issues, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.

Fix #4 — Change Your Theme

If the above fixes did not solve the issue, the problem might be due to a broken or incompatible theme. Try switching to the WordPress default theme. Navigate to Appearance > Themes and activate the Twenty Twenty or Twenty Twenty-One theme.

• If the white screen disappears, the problem is your theme. Try using a different one or reinstalling the corrupted theme.
• If the admin panel is unavailable, connect to your server using SSH and rename your wp-content/themes folder to something else (e.g., themes_old) in the application’s webroot (public_html directory). 
• Run the following command in the wp-content folder to rename the themes folder:

Mv themes themes_old is used to reset your WordPress theme and fix the white screen of the death error.

Your application will revert to a default WordPress theme version. Visit your site to confirm if the blank white screen is gone. If yes, the problem was your theme. Use a different one, or try reinstalling the corrupted theme. If the issue persists, move to the next fix to resolve the white page.

Fix #5 — Adjust Your Memory Limit

The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD) might occur due to excessive consumption of your PHP scripts, exhausting your website’s available memory. 

Increase the memory limit with the PHP-FPM settings of your application to fix WordPress performance problems. Assign a memory limit as per your need to fix WordPress performance issues:

php_admin_value[memory_limit] = 64M

Remove semicolons before this directive in your PHP-FPM settings to fix WordPress configuration issues.

Fix #6 — Failed Auto-Update Issues

Sometimes, the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD) occurs when WordPress encounters problems with wordpress admin updates. To fix the issue, you can troubleshoot step by step. In such cases, delete the maintenance file of your application. 
Connect to your server remotely using SSH and run the following command in your application’s root (public_html directory):

rm .maintenance 

Reload your site to verify that it is up and that the white page has been resolved. The blank screen should disappear if the updates were completed and WordPress failed to remove this file. 

If the updates restart automatically, the blank screen should disappear after completing the updates, fixing the WordPress white screen. If you recently made changes to your website code that resulted in this error, manually revert or restore your application earlier to undo the code changes. The code error can be a logical or syntax error. After resolving the White Screen of Death, you might encounter another common issue when installing plugins or themes: the ‘Destination Folder Already Exists‘ error. Learn how to fix this and keep your WordPress site running smoothly.

Conclusion

Encountering a white screen of death on your website can be frustrating and disruptive. Still, you can diagnose and resolve the issue effectively with the proper troubleshooting methods and tools. Now you know how to fix the white screen of death on your website or a blank page on your WordPress site. This article helped you find ways to fix your WordPress site.