How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) in 2025

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The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) is a frustrating issue that leaves your website completely blank with no error messages, making troubleshooting difficult. This guide will walk you through the causes of WSOD and step-by-step solutions to get your site back up and running.

What Causes the WordPress White Screen of Death?

Several factors can trigger WSOD, including:

• Plugin Conflicts – A faulty or incompatible plugin can break your site.
• Theme Issues – A corrupt or outdated theme can cause the site to go blank.
• PHP Memory Limit Exhaustion – If your site exceeds its allocated memory, WSOD can occur.
• Syntax Errors – Mistakes in PHP files can result in a blank screen.
• Failed WordPress Updates – An incomplete update can leave your site inaccessible.
• Corrupt Core Files – A corrupted WordPress installation can lead to WSOD.

How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death

1. Enable Debug Mode

Turning on debugging can reveal the root cause of WSOD.

1. Access your site via FTP or cPanel.
2. Open the wp-config.php file.
3. Add the following lines before the /* That's all, stop editing! */ comment: define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); @ini_set('display_errors', 0);
4. Save the file and check the debug log at /wp-content/debug.log.

2. Increase PHP Memory Limit

If WSOD is due to memory exhaustion, increasing the memory limit can help.

1. Edit the wp-config.php file.
2. Add this line: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
3. Save the file and refresh your site.

3. Disable Plugins

A faulty plugin is often the cause of WSOD.

1. Connect to your site using FTP.
2. Navigate to wp-content/plugins/.
3. Rename the plugins folder to plugins_old.
4. Check if your site loads. If it does, rename the folder back and activate each plugin one by one to find the culprit.

4. Switch to a Default Theme

If your theme is causing the issue:

1. Access wp-content/themes/ via FTP.
2. Rename your active theme folder.
3. WordPress will revert to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
4. If the site works, your theme needs debugging or updating.

5. Clear Cache

If you’re using a caching plugin or a CDN, clearing the cache may resolve WSOD.

1. If you have access to your dashboard, clear the cache from the plugin settings.
2. If not, delete the cache folder from wp-content/cache/ via FTP.

6. Fix Corrupt Core Files

1. Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org.
2. Extract the files and upload everything except the wp-content folder and wp-config.php file.
3. Overwrite the existing files and check your site.

7. Restore a Backup

If none of the above solutions work, restoring a recent backup may be the best option.

1. If you use a backup plugin, restore the most recent backup.
2. If your hosting provider offers backups, restore via cPanel or your hosting dashboard.

Preventing WSOD in the Future

To avoid WSOD in the future:

• Keep plugins, themes, and WordPress updated.
• Use a staging site to test updates before applying them to your live site.
• Regularly back up your site using a reliable backup plugin.
• Monitor error logs to catch issues early.
• Use a high-quality hosting provider with sufficient resources.

Conclusion

The WordPress White Screen of Death can be stressful, but following these troubleshooting steps should help you fix it quickly. If you’re still experiencing issues, consider reaching out to your hosting provider or a WordPress expert.

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