Troubleshooting: WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD)

What is WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD)

The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) occurs when your site displays a completely blank white page with no error message. In some cases, this also affects the WordPress admin area (/wp-admin). 

Because WordPress is unable to display the error causing the failure, troubleshooting requires checking the most common causes one by one. 

Step 1. Identify What’s Affected

Before making any changes, determine how widespread the issue is. 

Are multiple sites affected? 

Answer	What It Means:
Yes	This may indicate a server-level or account-wide issue, such as PHP configuration or memory limits.
No	The issue is likely isolated to a single WordPress site.

Is the entire site blank or just one page?

Scenario	Likely Cause
Entire Site	Most often caused by plugins, themes, or PHP memory exhaustion. May also be caused by malware affecting the WordPress installation.
Single page or post	May point to corrupted content, shortcodes, or a page builder issue.

Do you see WordPress Recovery Mode? 

If WordPress detects a fatal error, it may display Recovery Mode or send an email explaining the issue. 

Scenario	Likely Cause
If Recovery Mode appears	Follow the on-screen instructions provided by WordPress.
No Recovery Mode	Continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

Test 1: Increase the PHP Memory Limit

Why This Helps

One of the most common causes of WSOD is WordPress running out of PHP memory. When this happens, the site may fail and display a blank page. 

Option A: Update wp-config.php

1. Use FTP or the Account Control Center’s file manager to navigate to your WordPress installation’s wp-config.php file
2. Add the following line above the comment that says /* That’s all, stop editing! */:
   
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );
   
3. Save the file and reload your site. 

Option B: Adjust PHP Settings 

Hosting environments like Pair allow you to make memory changes through the user.ini file. 

Open your user.ini file and add or update the following line: 

memory_limit = 512M

Save the file, then reload your WordPress site to see if the white screen issue is resolved.

Test 2: Disable All Plugins

Why This Helps

Plugins are a frequent cause of WSOD, especially after updates or PHP version changes. Disabling them temporarily helps confirm whether a plugin is responsible. 

If You Can Access the WordPress Admin

1. Log in to the WordPress Admin interface
2. Click Plugins in the left sidebar
3. Select all plugins
4. Click Bulk Actions and select Deactivate from the drop-down
5. Click Apply
6. Reload your site

If You Cannot Access the WordPress Admin 

1. Use FTP or the Account Control Center’s file manager to navigate to your WordPress installation’s /wp-content/ folder
2. Rename the plugins folder to something else (ex: plugins-disabled)
3. Reload your site

Renaming the folder prevents WordPress from loading the plugins.

Why this works: This breaks the file path that WordPress expects, meaning that WordPress won’t be able to find those plugins anymore. To restore the file path, all you need to do is change the folder name back to its original state.

If This Fixes the Issue

A plugin caused the problem. 

You can figure out the exact plugin(s) causing it by: 

• (If you could not access the WordPress Admin) Rename the folder back to plugins
• Re-enable plugins one at a time in the WordPress Admin interface
• Reload the site after each activation
• Remove or replace the plugin that causes the white screen to return

Test 3: Switch to a Default WordPress Theme

Why This Helps

If plugins are not the cause, the active theme may be triggering the error, particularly if it was recently updated or customized. 

If You Can Access the WordPress Admin

1. Log in to the WordPress Admin interface
2. Click Appearance in the left sidebar
3. Activate a default theme, such as Twenty-Twenty-Four or Twenty-Twenty-Five
4. Reload your site

If no default theme is installed, click Add New and install one from the WordPress theme repository. 

If You Cannot Access the WordPress Admin

1. Use FTP or the Account Control Center’s file manager to navigate to your WordPress installation’s /wp-content/themes/ folder
2. Rename the folder for your active theme to something else (ex: theme-disabled)
3. Reload your site

WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme if one is available. 

Why this works: This breaks the file path that WordPress expects, meaning that WordPress won’t be able to find that theme anymore. To restore the file path, all you need to do is change the folder name back to its original state

If This Fixes the Issue

Your previous theme is the source of the issue. Common causes include:

• Recent theme updates
• Incompatible PHP functions
• Syntax errors in functions.php file
• Custom code added shortly before the issue appeared

Some next steps you can take:

• Reinstall a fresh copy of the theme
• Revert recent changes
• Contact the theme developer for support
• Switching to a supported alternative theme

Test 4: Clear Caches

Caching can cause the white screen to persist even after the underlying issue is fixed. 

If you’ve tried the troubleshooting methods above and still see a white screen, try clearing: 

• Any WordPress caching plugins
• Your browser cache

Test 5: Enable WordPress Debug Mode (Advanced)

If the issue still isn’t resolved, enabling debug mode can help identify the exact error. 

1. Use FTP or the Account Control Center’s file manager to navigate to your WordPress installation’s wp-config.php file and open it
2. Add or update the following lines:
   define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true );
3. Reload your site

Any error messages displayed can point to: 

• A specific plugin or theme file
• PHP compatibility issues
• Missing or corrupted files

Other Possible Causes

If none of the steps above resolve the issue, check the following: 

Site Stuck in Maintenance Mode

• Look for a .maintenance file in  your site’s root directory
• Delete the file if it exists

Corrupted WordPress Core Files

• Re-upload a fresh copy of WordPress core files
• Do not overwrite the wp-content directory

 Compromised or Hacked Site

• Malicious code injected into theme or plugin files can trigger fatal PHP errors
• A breach may corrupt WordPress core files and prevent the site from loading
• If Intrusion Defense is enabled, review recent scan results for flagged files
• Clean infected files or request a One-Time Cleanup from our security team

Recently Edited Code

• Undo recent changes to theme and plugin files
• Look closely for PHP syntax errors or missing characters

File Permission Issues

• Incorrect permissions can prevent PHP from running properly
• Ensure standard WordPress file and directory permissions are set

Extremely Large Pages or Posts (Rare)

• Very large pages or complex layouts may trigger memory issues

Still not sure? 

If you’ve completed the steps above and your site is still displaying a white screen, contact our 24/7 support team for assistance with your Pair Networks WordPress installation.