White Screen of Death: Fixing the Blank WordPress Screen

A completely blank, white page – no content, no error message. The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is one of the eeriest WordPress errors because it tells you nothing. The cause is almost always a PHP error in a plugin or theme, or a memory limit that’s too low. We’ll work through the fixes from fastest to most thorough.

First: Where Does the White Appear?

The most important piece of information upfront is where the page stays white – that narrows the cause a lot:

• Admin only (media library, page builder) → usually a memory limit that’s too tight.
• Front end only → more likely a theme or plugin.
• A single page only → a specific block or shortcode.
• Everywhere → a global error, often right after an update.

1. Wait for Recovery Mode

Since WordPress 5.2, WordPress catches many fatal errors and sends a recovery mode link to the admin email. It gets you into a safe-mode backend where you can deactivate the offending plugin or theme. So check the administrator address’s inbox first.

2. Make Errors Visible

If the page stays silent, turn on debugging. In wp-config.php:

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

Errors now land in /wp-content/debug.log, usually stating exactly which file and line triggers the error. Turn this back off on live sites afterwards.

3. Check the Memory Limit

If the white screen mostly appears in the admin, media library, or page builder, memory is often too tight. The quickest test is to raise the limit → increase the WordPress memory limit.

4. Isolate Plugins

If the WSOD appeared after an update or install, a plugin is usually to blame. Deactivate all plugins – via FTP if needed, by renaming the /wp-content/plugins/ folder. If the site returns, rename it back and reactivate plugins one by one until the error returns.

5. Test the Theme

Rule out the theme by switching briefly to a default theme (Twenty Twenty-X). If the site works then, the previous theme is the issue – often an error in its functions.php.

When You Get a Message Instead of White

If WordPress shows “There has been a critical error on this website” instead of a blank page, error handling is already kicking in – then the recovery mode route gets you there faster. An overview of all common error patterns is in the overview of WordPress errors.

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Can’t find the cause in the log, or need the site back fast? Drop us a line – we’ll bring it back and tell you what knocked it over.