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A blank WordPress page is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It can result from a PHP or database error, a plugin or theme conflict, incompatible PHP, a memory limit, or damaged WordPress files. Start with Recovery Mode if it is available; otherwise use the access you still have—wp-admin, your host’s file manager, or diagnostic logs—to isolate the failing layer. Back up before changing files, and avoid showing error details to visitors.
Before troubleshooting, note what still works
Use the route that matches your access and the evidence in front of you. If the WordPress Recovery Mode email identifies a plugin or theme, start there. If you can sign in to wp-admin, isolate plugins from the dashboard. If the dashboard is unavailable, use Recovery Mode or your host’s file tools. If logs point to PHP, the database, or core files—or you cannot safely change server settings—contact your hosting provider.
Make a backup before changing files or replacing WordPress files. A downloaded copy can be kept separately, such as on an external hard drive for website backups. A backup is a precaution, not a repair for the blank screen.
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Eight steps to troubleshoot a WordPress white screen
1. Look for a Recovery Mode email
For certain fatal PHP errors during a regular page load, WordPress can enter Recovery Mode and email the site administrator a special login link. Check the administrator’s inbox, spam folder, and mail filters. The email may not arrive if the server’s email setup or filtering blocks it. WordPress Recovery Mode documentation
2. Follow the Recovery Mode error notice
Recovery Mode can pause a faulty plugin or theme for your administrator session, allowing you to sign in and see notices that help identify the problem component. Deactivate or repair the named item, undo recent code edits if they are implicated, then exit Recovery Mode and check the site again. A component paused for your session is not necessarily disabled for every visitor. WordPress Recovery Mode documentation
3. If the dashboard works, deactivate plugins one at a time
- In
wp-admin, open the plugins screen and deactivate the installed plugins. - Check whether the blank page clears.
- Reactivate plugins one by one, checking the affected page after each activation.
- If the problem returns, note the plugin you just activated and investigate its settings, compatibility, or support options.
This is a way to isolate a conflict, not evidence that a plugin must be responsible. WordPress FAQ: Troubleshooting
4. If the dashboard is unavailable, isolate plugins through file access
Use FTP or your hosting provider’s file manager to temporarily rename the plugins directory, or a suspected plugin’s folder, then check whether the site loads. Renaming a folder is a diagnostic change; restore its original name when you are done, then re-enable plugins deliberately. If you are comfortable working in phpMyAdmin, WordPress also documents a database-based deactivation route. If you are unfamiliar with database editing, ask your host for help rather than guessing. WordPress FAQ: Troubleshooting
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If the blank screen followed a theme change, switch to a default theme in wp-admin if you can. Without dashboard access, WordPress documents temporarily renaming the active theme’s folder through FTP. Make sure an appropriate default theme is available first. This is a temporary diagnostic test; restore or select the intended theme after identifying the cause. WordPress Developer Resources
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6. Enable logging and inspect the error
WordPress’s WP_DEBUG setting can help surface diagnostic information, and logging can help identify the file and error involved. Prefer writing errors to a log rather than displaying them on public pages: debug output can expose sensitive details, and depending on the setup, the log itself may be publicly accessible. Restrict access to the log and disable temporary debugging settings when finished. If you do not know how to configure this safely, ask your host. WordPress debugging documentation
7. Check PHP compatibility or memory limits when the evidence points there
Incompatible PHP and reaching a memory limit are among the possible causes WordPress lists. Check recent PHP-version changes and any error messages before changing settings; there is no universal memory value that fixes every white screen. Some hosts do not allow memory adjustments through WordPress, so use the hosting control panel or ask the provider about the permitted setting. WordPress configuration handbook
8. Repair the specific core, database, or server problem—or contact your host
If logs identify damaged WordPress files, a database error, or a server-level failure, address that layer rather than continuing to disable unrelated plugins and themes. Back up first: replacing or upgrading files can overwrite local modifications. Contact the host when you lack file access, cannot change server settings, or need help interpreting a server or database error. WordPress Recovery Mode documentation
Choose the next step from the evidence
| What you can access or see | Next step |
|---|---|
| Recovery Mode email or notice names a plugin or theme | Use the notice to isolate, repair, or deactivate that component, then check the site outside Recovery Mode. |
wp-admin works, but no component is identified |
Deactivate and reactivate plugins one by one; test the theme if the timing suggests a theme change. |
| Only hosting file tools are available | Use Recovery Mode if possible; otherwise temporarily rename the relevant plugin or theme folder as a diagnostic check. |
| Logs indicate PHP, memory, database, or core-file trouble | Investigate that specific layer, with host support for settings or access you cannot safely change. |
| You cannot safely reverse a proposed change | Stop before editing files or the database and ask your hosting provider or a WordPress professional for help. |
What a white screen does—and does not—tell you
“White screen of death” describes what you see; it does not establish the cause. WordPress lists PHP and database errors among the possibilities, alongside plugin or theme incompatibility, PHP incompatibility, memory limits, and corrupted files. Its documentation does not provide percentages showing how often each cause occurs, so a universal “most common fix” or guaranteed cure is not supported. Use Recovery Mode, access level, and error evidence to choose a diagnostic step instead of assuming one cause.
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