WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD): Recovery Guide
The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) occurs when a fatal PHP script error or memory limit exhaustion halts execution before any HTML output is rendered to the browser. Enable WP_DEBUG in `wp-config.php` to display the exact file and line number causing the crash, or increase the PHP memory limit.
Step-by-Step Triage & Resolution
Click checkboxes as you perform each step to track troubleshooting progress.
Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php to Reveal Fatal Errors
Connect to your hosting server via FTP, SSH, or cPanel File Manager. Open `wp-config.php` and locate `define('WP_DEBUG', false);`. Change it to: `define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true);`. Refresh your site to view the explicit fatal PHP error stack trace.
Increase PHP Memory Limit in wp-config.php
Heavy plugins like WooCommerce and Elementor easily exceed standard 64MB or 128MB host memory allocations. Add the following line to `wp-config.php` just before the "That's all, stop editing!" comment: `define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');`
Deactivate All Plugins via FTP / File Manager
In your site root directory, navigate to `/wp-content/`. Rename the `plugins` folder to `plugins_old`. This instantly deactivates every installed plugin. If your site loads normally, rename the folder back to `plugins` and reactivate them one by one in wp-admin to catch the broken plugin.
Switch to a Default Core WordPress Theme
If the plugin test did not resolve the white screen, navigate to `/wp-content/themes/` and temporarily rename your active theme folder. WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
Device-Specific Engineering Notes
- PHP Version Upgrades (e.g. PHP 8.1 to 8.2/8.3): Legacy WordPress themes using deprecated functions (e.g. `create_function()`) trigger fatal errors on modern PHP versions.
- Caching Plugins (WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache): Corrupted object caches in Redis/Memcached can cause administrative pages to white-screen; purge the cache via FTP or hosting dashboard.
Still not resolved? Check these related diagnostics:
If your symptoms differ slightly, one of these companion troubleshooting guides covers the exact failure mode.