The last thing anyone wants to see when they open their WordPress site is an empty page. We’re talking about a pretty common error, known as the White Screen of Death (WSOD).
This bug could be really annoying, as it shows you a blank page instead of any error codes or messages. Sometimes, it could only affect certain pages, like the admin dashboard or a specific post. Other times, it could make the entire site hang.
Well, bugs happen, even if you try really hard to avoid them. That’s why many WordPress users pay for software maintenance and support services to keep their websites safe from upcoming bugs and errors.
Though, getting rid of the WSOD isn’t hard, or course if you know how. That’s why we’ll walk you through the five simple steps to get your WordPress site up and running.
1. Clear the Cache
First of all, try to clear the cache.
WordPress stores some temporary files on the server to make your website load faster. This process is called caching. However, some of these files can be damaged and cause system errors.
If you can get into your website’s dashboard and you use a WordPress caching plugin, try simply deleting the cache. Usually, there’s an option for this in the plugin’s settings.
After clearing the cache, check if your website works. If not, move on to step 2.
2. Turn off your plugins
Sometimes, there could be an incompatible plugin, causing all the issues. To find the one causing trouble, you can try turning off all your plugins, and then turning them on one by one.
Here’s what to do:
- Go to your Admin dashboard and select “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins“.
- Check the box next to each plugin.
- Choose “Deactivate” from the menu, and click “Apply.”
Then, check your website. If it works, start activating each plugin one by one until you find where the problem is.
3. Increase your Memory Limit
Plugins you have on your site use a certain amount of your server’s memory. If some plugins need more memory than they have, it can make the entire system crash.
You can give your plugins more memory like this:
- Log into your server using SFTP.
- Find the “wp-config.php” file in the “public_html” folder.
- Open it and add this line at the bottom: define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’ );
This code tells WordPress to allocate 64 megabytes of memory for each plugin you have.
4. Check the WordPress Error Logs
The problem could also be in your website’s code. Try to remember if you made changes to the code, and didn’t double-check it for errors.
You can look for these errors in WordPress logs:
- Open your SFTP client.
- Go to the “public_html” folder, then “wp-content“.
- Look for the “debug.log” file and open it.
- You’ll see the last error logged.
If you can’t fix the problem yourself, move on to step 5.
5. Restore Your Site from a Backup
If none of the other ways worked, you can try restoring your website to an older version.
Don’t forget to back up your current site before restoring any previous versions. This way, you can easily go back, if something goes wrong during the process.
You’ll still get the WSOD, but your data will be safe, so you can keep trying to fix the issue.
Bottom Line
The WordPress white screen of death may sound horrifying but it doesn’t have to be. The steps above can help you fix the error and keep your website up and running.
Still can’t fix the problem on your own? DigitalSuits can help! Our software support service can quickly find and fix bugs in your system, so you can keep working without interruptions.
