Fixing the WordPress White Screen of Death: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) is one of the most frustrating errors you can encounter. Your site displays a blank white page with no error message. Let's fix it.

What Causes the White Screen of Death?

The WSOD typically results from:

PHP fatal errors

Memory limit exhaustion

Plugin conflicts

Theme issues

Corrupted core files

Database connection problems

Before You Start

Create a Backup

If you have any access to your site (even FTP), back up your files and database first.

Check if It's Site-Wide

Test different pages:

Homepage: yourdomain.com

Admin: yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Login: yourdomain.com/wp-login.php

This helps narrow down the cause.

Solution 1: Enable Debug Mode

WordPress can show you what's going wrong instead of a blank screen.

Access wp-config.php

Connect via FTP or your host's file manager. Find wp-config.php in your WordPress root directory.

Enable Debugging

Find this line:

define('WP_DEBUG', false);

Change it to:

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

Check the Error

Reload your site. You should now see error messages indicating the problem.

After fixing, remember to disable debugging:

define('WP_DEBUG', false);

Solution 2: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Memory exhaustion is a common cause of WSOD.

Method 1: wp-config.php

Add before "That's all, stop editing!":

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

Method 2: .htaccess

Add to your .htaccess file:

php_value memory_limit 256M

Method 3: php.ini

Create or edit php.ini in your WordPress root:

memory_limit = 256M

Method 4: Contact Host

Some hosts restrict memory limits. Contact support to increase it.

Solution 3: Disable All Plugins

Plugins are the most common WSOD cause.

If You Can Access Admin

Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins

Select all plugins

Choose "Deactivate" from bulk actions

Check if site loads

Reactivate plugins one by one to find the culprit

If Admin Is Inaccessible

Connect via FTP

Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/

Rename the folder to plugins_disabled

Check if site loads

Rename back to plugins

Rename individual plugin folders to find the problem one

Solution 4: Switch to Default Theme

A broken theme can cause WSOD.

If You Can Access Admin

Go to Appearance → Themes

Activate Twenty Twenty-Four (or any default theme)

Check if site loads

If Admin Is Inaccessible

Connect via FTP

Navigate to /wp-content/themes/

Rename your active theme folder (e.g., mytheme to mytheme_disabled)

WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme

Check if site loads

Solution 5: Check for Corrupted Core Files

Sometimes WordPress core files get corrupted.

Re-upload WordPress Core

Download fresh WordPress from wordpress.org

Extract the ZIP file

Via FTP, upload all files EXCEPT:

- /wp-content/ folder

- wp-config.php

Overwrite existing files when prompted

Use WP-CLI (If Available)

wp core verify-checksums
wp core download --force

Solution 6: Fix Database Issues

Database corruption can cause WSOD.

Enable Database Repair

Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

Then visit:

yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

Click "Repair Database" or "Repair and Optimize Database."

After repair, remove the line from wp-config.php.

Check Database Connection

Verify your database credentials in wp-config.php:

define('DB_NAME', 'database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'database_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Solution 7: Check PHP Version Compatibility

An incompatible PHP version can cause WSOD.

Symptoms

WSOD after host PHP upgrade

Specific plugins/themes not working

Fix

Log into your hosting control panel

Find PHP Version settings

Try PHP 8.0, 8.1, or 8.2

Clear all caches

Test your site

Solution 8: Check File Permissions

Incorrect permissions can cause issues.

Correct Permissions

Folders: 755

Files: 644

wp-config.php: 600 (more secure)

Fix via FTP

Most FTP clients allow you to change permissions. Right-click a file/folder and look for "Permissions" or "CHMOD."

Fix via SSH

find /path/to/wordpress/ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find /path/to/wordpress/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

Solution 9: Check Error Logs

Server error logs often contain clues.

Where to Find Logs

cPanel: Error Logs section

Plesk: Logs section

SSH: /var/log/apache2/error.log or /var/log/nginx/error.log

WordPress Debug Log: /wp-content/debug.log (if enabled)

Common Errors and Fixes

| Error | Solution |

|-------|----------|

| Allowed memory size exhausted | Increase memory limit |

| Call to undefined function | Missing plugin or PHP extension |

| Cannot modify header information | Whitespace in PHP files |

| Parse error: syntax error | Code syntax issue |

Prevention Tips

Regular Backups

Use a backup plugin (UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy) or host backups.

Staging Site

Test updates on a staging site before applying to production.

Keep Everything Updated

WordPress core

Themes

Plugins

PHP version

Use Quality Plugins and Themes

Check reviews and ratings

Verify recent updates

Confirm compatibility with your WP version

Quick Reference Checklist

[ ] Enable WP_DEBUG to see errors

[ ] Check if it's site-wide or specific pages

[ ] Increase PHP memory limit

[ ] Disable all plugins via FTP

[ ] Switch to default theme via FTP

[ ] Re-upload WordPress core files

[ ] Check and repair database

[ ] Verify PHP version compatibility

[ ] Check file permissions

[ ] Review server error logs

Still Stuck?

WP Taskmate can help diagnose WSOD issues. Capture any error messages or your blank screen, describe what happened before the error, and get AI-powered troubleshooting guidance specific to your situation.