WordPress white screen of death

Also searched as: wordpress white screen · white screen of death · wordpress blank page

Updated 11 October 2026

Short answer

A blank white page on WordPress means something failed, usually a PHP error from a plugin or theme, or a database error, and WordPress isn't displaying it. Turn on debug logging to see the real error. If you can't get into the admin area, disable all plugins by renaming the plugins folder; if the site comes back, re-enable them one by one to find the culprit. If it started right after changing theme, the theme is the likely cause.

What's the problem

The site, the admin area, or both show a completely white page with no message. Sometimes only some pages are blank.

Why it happens

  • A plugin error, very often right after a plugin was installed or updated.
  • A theme error, especially just after activating or updating a theme.
  • PHP running out of memory. See WordPress memory limit.
  • An incompatible PHP version after the host upgraded PHP.
  • A database error WordPress couldn't display.

How to fix it

  1. Turn on debug logging. In wp-config.php, set WP_DEBUG and WP_DEBUG_LOG to true. Reload the page, then read wp-content/debug.log. The last lines name the file causing the error.
  2. If you can reach the admin area, deactivate plugins one at a time, starting with the most recently updated.
  3. If you can't, use your host's file manager or FTP to rename wp-content/plugins to plugins_old. That deactivates every plugin. If the site returns, rename it back and disable plugins individually by renaming their folders.
  4. If plugins aren't the cause, rename your active theme's folder in wp-content/themes to rule the theme out.
  5. Check your PHP version in the hosting panel matches what your plugins and theme support.
  6. Turn debug display off again when you're done, so errors aren't shown to visitors.

What Preventionlabs checks

One click runs the full report on your domain. For this problem it shows your WordPress version and plugins against the latest releases; whether your site loads, how fast, and where its redirects go; up to 50 pages from your sitemap, listing any that fail or are slow, plus broken links on them; files that should never be public, such as .env and .git. With Cloudflare connected, it also shows which pages returned server errors (5xx) to visitors, and when. It can't log in to WordPress, so the exact error is in your host's error log or WordPress debug log.

Run your free report

Your first report is free, no card needed. Then A$50 a month, up to 10 domains. Read-only: it never changes anything.

Sources

  1. WordPress: Common WordPress errorsofficial docsBoth PHP errors and database errors can manifest as a white screen, a blank screen with no information, commonly known in the WordPress community as the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD).
  2. WordPress: Common WordPress errorsofficial docsLocate the folder wp-content/plugins and rename the Plugin folder plugins_old .
  3. WordPress: Common WordPress errorsofficial docsThis is especially likely if you are experiencing the white screen of death after you have just activated a new Theme, or created a New Site in a WordPress Network.
  4. WordPress: Debugging in WordPressofficial docsWhen set to true , the log is saved to debug.log in the content directory (usually wp-content/debug.log ) within your site’s file system.
  5. WordPress: Common WordPress errorsofficial docsRename the folder for the active Theme.

Related

WordPress error Read the exact message: a critical error, a database error, maintenance mode, a 500, or a blank page each have their own fix. Here's how to tell them apart. WordPress plugin error Find the plugin, then deactivate it. If you can't log in, rename its folder in wp-content/plugins. Then update, replace or report it. WordPress memory limit "Allowed memory size exhausted" means PHP hit its memory cap. Raise WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php; on shared hosting your host may need to raise it. WordPress 500 error On WordPress, a 500 error is most often a corrupted .htaccess file, then a plugin, theme or PHP memory limit. Rename .htaccess first; it's quick and safe.

Preventionlabs is independent and not affiliated with WordPress. Product names are used only to describe the problem.

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