WordPress White Screen of Death: 7 causes and solutions

Published June 13, 2025 · Category: Emergency · Reading time: 11 min

What is the White Screen of Death?

The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is a WordPress problem that manifests as a completely blank page instead of your site's normal content. No error message, no code — just white.

This issue affects approximately 20% of WordPress sites at some point in their existence (source: WP Engine Survey 2024). Although stressful, it is almost always quickly resolvable if you follow the right steps.

Why is the white screen so frustrating?

• No error message: Unlike other errors, WSOD gives you no indication
• Complete blockage: You can't access the front-end or sometimes the back-end
• Business impact: Your site is completely unavailable to visitors
• Multiple causes: The same symptom can result from very different problems

Good news: in 90% of cases, WSOD is caused by one of these 7 problems that we'll detail. In most situations, you can fix the problem yourself by following the steps in this article. However, if the issue persists, our expert team is available for immediate assistance.

Cause 1: PHP memory limit exceeded

This is the most frequent cause of WSOD, responsible for nearly 35% of cases.

Symptoms:

• Blank page across the entire site
• The problem often appears after installing a plugin or theme
• Sometimes the back-end works but the front-end is blank

Solution:

1. Via wp-config.php: Add this line before /* That's all, stop editing! */:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

2. Via .htaccess: Add this line:

php_value memory_limit 256M

3. Via php.ini: Modify the line:

memory_limit = 256M

How to check the current limit:

Create a file info.php in your site root with the content <?php phpinfo(); ?>, then access yoursite.com/info.php. Look for "memory_limit" in the output.

Cause 2: Plugin conflict

Plugin conflicts are the second most frequent cause of WSOD, representing approximately 25% of cases.

Symptoms:

• WSOD appears immediately after installing or updating a plugin
• Sometimes the problem temporarily disappears when a plugin is deactivated

Solution — Disable plugins via FTP:

1. Connect to your server via SFTP
2. Navigate to wp-content/plugins/
3. Rename the plugins folder to plugins-backup
4. Check if your site works now
5. If yes, rename the folder back to plugins
6. Rename each plugin folder individually to identify the culprit
7. Once the problematic plugin is identified, remove it or find an alternative

Identify the problematic plugin:

• Deactivate all plugins, then reactivate them one by one
• Test your site after each reactivation
• WSOD reappears when the problematic plugin is activated

If a security plugin is causing issues, contact WpDefender for quick assistance.

Cause 3: Theme issue

A defective or incompatible theme can trigger the white screen, especially after a WordPress update.

Symptoms:

• WSOD appears after a theme update
• The back-end works but the front-end is blank
• The problem persists even with all plugins disabled

Solution — Change theme via FTP:

1. Connect via SFTP
2. Navigate to wp-content/themes/
3. Rename your active theme folder to theme-backup
4. WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme (Twenty Twenty-Four)
5. If the site works, the issue is with your theme
6. Reinstall the theme from a reliable source or contact the developer

Theme-specific checks:

• Verify theme compatibility with your WordPress version
• Check the functions.php file for syntax errors
• Ensure the theme isn't abandoned by its developer

Cause 4: Corrupted WordPress core files

WordPress essential files can be corrupted by interrupted updates, malicious attacks, or FTP transfer errors.

Symptoms:

• WSOD after a failed WordPress update
• Random errors on different pages
• WordPress features that no longer respond

Solution — Reinstall WordPress core:

1. Via wp-admin: Go to "Updates" and click "Re-install Now"
2. Via WP-CLI: Run wp core download --force
3. Via FTP: Download WordPress from wordpress.org and replace the wp-admin and wp-includes folders

Cause 5: Corrupted database

Database corruption is a serious cause of WSOD, often caused by server crashes or write interruptions.

Symptoms:

• "Database error" messages sometimes visible
• Intermittent WSOD (sometimes the site works, sometimes not)
• Missing or corrupted data in posts/pages

Solution — Database repair:

1. Add this line to wp-config.php:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

2. Access: yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php
3. Click "Repair Database"
4. Once complete, remove the line from wp-config.php

Alternative via phpMyAdmin:

• Connect to phpMyAdmin
• Select your database
• Select all tables
• In the dropdown menu, choose "Repair table"

Cause 6: PHP version mismatch

WordPress requires a specific PHP version. Incompatibility often causes a silent WSOD.

Symptoms:

• WSOD after a PHP version update on the server
• Themes or plugins that stop working after the PHP update

PHP version required by WordPress:

Solution:

1. Check your PHP version via phpinfo() or hosting control panel
2. Change the PHP version via your hosting panel (cPanel → PHP Version)
3. Update your plugins and themes for compatibility with the new version

Cause 7: Debug mode and hidden errors

By default, WordPress hides PHP errors. WSOD can be hiding dozens of errors you're not seeing.

Symptoms:

• Complete blank page with no message
• Errors are silently logged in server logs

Solution — Enable debug mode:

Add or modify these lines in wp-config.php:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Errors will be logged in wp-content/debug.log. Check this file to identify specific issues.

Another method:

Check your server's error logs via the hosting control panel (cPanel → Error Logs). These logs often contain crucial information about the WSOD cause.

How to enable debug mode

Here's a complete guide to enable WordPress debug mode:

Method 1: Via wp-config.php (recommended)

1. Connect via SFTP
2. Download wp-config.php
3. Add the debug lines (see above)
4. Reupload the file to the server
5. Check wp-content/debug.log for errors

Method 2: Via hosting control panel

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to "File Manager"
3. Navigate to your WordPress site root
4. Edit wp-config.php in edit mode

Method 3: Via WP-CLI

wp config set WP_DEBUG true --raw
wp config set WP_DEBUG_LOG true --raw
wp config set WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY false --raw

Prevention and permanent solutions

Here are measures to prevent WSOD from recurring:

Regular backups

• Configure automatic daily backups
• Store backups off-server
• Regularly test your backups by restoring them

Cautious updates

• Test updates on a staging environment
• Update plugins and themes one by one
• Create a backup before each update
• Read release notes before updating

Continuous monitoring

• Enable update available notifications
• Monitor error logs regularly
• Install a monitoring plugin (Query Monitor, New Relic)
• Configure site availability alerts

Quality hosting

• Choose a WordPress-specialized host
• Ensure the PHP version is up to date and compatible
• Verify the host offers responsive technical support

For quick assistance with WSOD or WordPress emergencies, the WpDefender team is available 24/7.

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