If you’re a WordPress user, chances are you’ve encountered the dreaded WordPress White Screen of Death (WSoD). This error is incredibly frustrating as it prevents you from accessing your website, updating content, or logging into the admin panel. Fortunately, there are simple steps that you can take to fix the issue and get back online. In this article, I’ll provide an overview of what causes the WordPress WSOD and outline how to troubleshoot and resolve it.
How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death?
Follow these steps to resolve the WSoD:
- Enable WordPress debugging: Enable WordPress debugging so you may see PHP errors causing the WordPress White Screen of Death. To do this, add the following line to your wp-config.php file: define( ‘WP DEBUG’, true );
- Deactivate all plugins: If certain plugins are the sole ones triggering WSoD, turning off all plugins may get rid of the problem. To turn off all plugins, you can temporarily change the plugins folder name of your WordPress installation from “plugins” to something else, such as “plugins-old”. Then try activating theme one by one to narrow down the source plugins.
- Switch to the default theme: Try switching to the default WordPress theme to see if this fixes the issue. If the WordPress White Screen of Death disappears then it is your theme that is causing the issue and you need to reach out the plugin developer for a fix.
- Repair the database: To repair the database, add the following line to the wp-config.php file: define( ‘WP ALLOW REPAIR’, true ); Then, go to https://yoursite.com/wp-admin maint repair.php in your browser and follow the instructions to repair the database.
If none of these steps resolve your issue, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for more assistance.