How to Fix White Screen of Death
WordPress Troubleshooting & Fixes
How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD)
The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD) is one of the most frustrating issues because it shows *nothing*—just a blank white screen with no error message. Whether your frontend is blank, wp-admin is blank, or both are not loading, this guide explains every cause and every fix step-by-step.
1
Why WordPress Shows a White Screen
The screen is blank, but the problem isn’t.
The WordPress White Screen of Death happens when PHP fails silently due to:
- Plugin conflicts
- Theme errors
- PHP fatal errors
- Memory limit exhaustion
- Faulty custom code (functions.php)
- Corrupted core files
- Cache conflicts (Cloudflare, LiteSpeed, etc.)
Let’s fix it using professional troubleshooting steps.
2
Step 1: Enable Debug Mode to Reveal the Hidden Error
Debug mode converts the blank screen into a readable error message.
Edit your wp-config.php file and add/modify:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
Now check:
- /wp-content/debug.log → shows the actual error
Most errors will point to:
- a specific plugin
- a theme file
- a PHP function
- a missing file
3
Step 2: Clear WordPress Cache (Common Cause)
Many white screen issues are simply cached pages failing to load.
Clear all types of cache:
- WordPress cache plugin (LiteSpeed, WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, Breeze, etc.)
- Hosting cache (LiteSpeed, NGINX cache, Varnish)
- Cloudflare cache
- Browser cache
Then reload your site in incognito mode.
4
Step 3: Disable All Plugins (Main Fix)
Plugins cause 70% of WSoD cases.
If wp-admin works:
- Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins
- Select all → Deactivate
If wp-admin is also blank:
- Open File Manager → /wp-content/
- Rename plugins → plugins-disabled
- Reload site
If site loads → plugin conflict confirmed.
Find the faulty plugin:
- Restore folder name
- Rename individual plugin folders one by one
5
Step 4: Switch to a Default Theme
A broken theme (especially custom-coded) can cause white screens.
Steps:
- Go to /wp-content/themes
- Rename your active theme folder
- WordPress automatically activates a default theme
If the site opens → the theme is the culprit.
Common theme-related errors:
- functions.php syntax errors
- Missing template files
- Conflicted scripts
- PHP code pasted incorrectly
6
Step 5: Increase PHP Memory Limit
WSoD often appears when WordPress runs out of memory.
Add this to wp-config.php:
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );
Also increase memory in hosting panel:
- PHP INI editor
- MultiPHP INI editor
- Cloud hosting settings
This instantly fixes most Elementor/WooCommerce white screens.
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Step 6: Fix Corrupted WordPress Core Files
WSoD can occur when core files are missing or damaged.
Steps to safely replace core files:
- Download fresh WordPress from wordpress.org
- Upload wp-admin & wp-includes folders
- Overwrite old files (but NOT wp-content)
This fixes missing or corrupted WordPress core files.
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Step 7: Check for Faulty Custom Code
Even a missing semicolon can cause WSoD.
Check these files for recent changes:
- functions.php
- custom plugin files
- child theme customizations
Common mistakes include:
- PHP syntax errors
- Copy-paste code from tutorials
- Wrong curly braces
- Undefined functions
9
Step 8: Disable CDN, Cache & Minification Tools
Caching conflicts often trigger white screens.
Disable temporarily:
- Cloudflare (set DNS to DNS Only)
- LiteSpeed Cache
- WP Rocket
- Asset CleanUp
- SG Optimizer
- Hummingbird
Minified JavaScript or merged CSS can cause white screens after updates.
10
Step 9: Review Server Error Logs
Your server logs show the exact reason.
Check logs in:
- public_html/error_log
- cPanel → Errors
- LiteSpeed Logs
- Apache/Nginx logs (Cloud servers)
Look for:
- Memory Fatal Errors
- PHP Fatal Errors
- Theme/Plugin syntax issues
- File permission errors
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Step 10: Check File Permissions
Incorrect permissions prevent WordPress from loading files.
Correct permissions:
- Folders: 755
- Files: 644
- wp-config.php: 600
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