Fixing the WordPress White Screen of Death

The White Screen of Death is typically caused by plugin conflicts, theme errors, or memory limits, and is best resolved by enabling WP_DEBUG to identify the root cause.

Based on 8 community reports.

Linked sources: 8.

Known Issues

• Plugin conflicts
• Theme template errors
• PHP memory limit exhaustion
• Corrupted core files

Community Q&A

How do I fix the WordPress White Screen of Death?

Enable WP_DEBUG in your wp-config.php file to see the specific error message, then disable plugins or switch to a default theme to isolate the cause.

Can a plugin cause the White Screen of Death?

Yes, incompatible or outdated plugins are a common cause. You can rename the plugins folder via FTP to deactivate all plugins and regain access.

Does the White Screen of Death mean my data is lost?

Usually no. Your content is stored in the database, so the site is likely still intact even if the front-end or admin dashboard is inaccessible.

Reddit Sources

• Am I the only one having a problem with WordPress 5.9?? It’s so buggy! (r/Wordpress)
• My WordPress site is down, help me! (r/Wordpress)
• The complete guide to diagnosing WordPress plugin conflicts (for non-developers) (r/Wordpress)
• Help needed: “Deprecated” lines, do I need to worry? - total neophyte here (r/Wordpress)
• Wordpress admin suddenly in text (r/Wordpress)
• Can’t edit certain pages (all assigned to admin) (r/Wordpress)
• White screen of death recovery (r/Wordpress)
• Random White screen With Gutenberg (r/Wordpress)