White screen in WordPress? Here is how to fix it

Frustrating situation: you log in to your WordPress website and… bang! A completely white screen stares back at you. Do not panic! This notorious “white screen of death” is more common than you think, and I am going to explain exactly how you can resolve it. No idea how to fix it yourself? No problem. You can get in touch with us here and we will have a look together.

What causes a white screen in WordPress?

A white screen in WordPress is usually caused by one of these common issues:

• A plugin that is not working properly
• A theme causing conflicts
• Insufficient PHP memory
• Corrupted WordPress files

The quick fix

Let me start with a few simple steps you can try straight away:

1. Clear your browser cache Sounds simple, but this surprisingly often resolves the problem. Press Ctrl + F5 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to fully refresh your cache.

2. Check your PHP memory WordPress sometimes needs a bit more breathing room. You can increase the PHP memory by adding this line to your wp-config.php file:

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

The plugin method

Plugins are often the culprit. Here is how to tackle it:

1. Connect to your website via FTP
2. Navigate to the wp-content/plugins folder
3. Rename the ‘plugins’ folder to ‘plugins_old’
4. Refresh your website

Has the white screen gone? Then you know that one of your plugins is causing the problem. You can reactivate them one by one to find the offender.

Resolving theme issues

If it is not the plugins, your theme may be the cause. Test this as follows:

1. Go to wp-content/themes via FTP
2. Rename your current theme folder
3. WordPress will automatically switch to the default theme

For the persistent: debug mode

If you are technically inclined, you can enable debug mode. Add these lines to wp-config.php:

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

This creates a debug.log file in wp-content with detailed error messages.

Preventive measures

To avoid this in the future:

• Make regular backups
• Update WordPress, themes and plugins on time
• Test updates on a staging environment first
• Only use reliable plugins and themes

In conclusion

A white screen in WordPress is annoying, but usually straightforward to resolve. Start with the simple solutions and work your way through the list until your website is working again. Really cannot figure it out? Then bring in a WordPress expert; sometimes you simply need an extra pair of eyes.

Have questions about these solutions or still encountering problems? Get in touch with us and we will look at it together.