How To Fix A WordPress Critical Error (Step by Step)

The dreaded WordPress Critical Error message often leaves site owners who don’t know what caused it feeling helpless and unsure of what to do to get it fixed. Encountering a critical error can be a frustrating experience as it leaves visitors unable to access your website; they only see the error message. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through diagnosing the various potential causes of a critical error and how to resolve the issue with your WordPress Hosting dashboard and admin area. By understanding why this happens, you can get your WordPress website back up and running and avoid this occurring again.

What is a WordPress Critical Error?

A critical error in WordPress is a severe malfunction that prevents your website from loading properly or functioning as intended. When this happens, visitors to your site will usually see the message: “There has been a critical error on this website” or similar, and nothing else.

In essence, it’s WordPress’s way of saying that something has gone so seriously wrong that the system can’t recover or display your site or continue to operate normally until you do something about it.

Causes of a Critical Error in WordPress

Plugin Conflicts

When multiple plugins are incompatible or have conflicting functionalities, they can cause WordPress critical error. Outdated or poorly coded plugins that are not updated regularly or have coding errors can also contribute to conflicts.

Theme Incompatibilities

Themes incompatible with your plugins or WordPress version can have poor coding or aren’t updated regularly; this can also cause issues.

PHP Issues

If your server runs outdated or unsupported PHP in web hosting, it can cause compatibility problems. Not having enough PHP memory can lead to errors, especially when running resource-intensive features.

Corrupt Core Files

Damaged or corrupted core WordPress files can prevent the website from functioning correctly.

Incorrect file permissions can interfere with file access and cause errors.

File & Directory Problems

If any essential files or directories are missing or renamed, they may be unable to load properly. Incorrect file permissions can prevent WordPress from accessing or modifying files.

Database Issues

A damaged or corrupted WordPress database can prevent the core from accessing data, while problems with the database connection can also lead to critical errors. WordPress won’t be able to connect if the database credentials in the wp-config.php file are incorrect.

Syntax Errors

If you use custom code on your site, mistakes like missing semicolons, brackets, or typos can cause critical errors. Customizations and modifications made to the code, especially without proper knowledge, can also introduce syntax errors.

Memory Limit Errors

Resource-intensive plugins or themes that require a lot of memory and processing power can exceed the limit of your hosting plan and cause errors. Similarly, if you don’t have enough resources available (RAM, CPU, storage space), it can lead to memory limit errors.

Configuration Errors

Errors in the wp-config.php file or other incorrect configuration settings can prevent WordPress from functioning correctly. Overly restrictive security plugins or firewalls can sometimes interfere with WordPress’s functionality.

Effects of a Critical Error in WordPress Sites

Fixing a critical error quickly is important, especially when launching a WordPress website. The biggest issue is that your website is down so visitors cannot access your content, potentially leading to lost traffic and revenue.

This can have a knock-on effect on your user experience. With your site down, your customers can become frustrated, damaging your reputation, and potentially driving them to competitors.

In some cases, these issues are symptoms of security breaches or malware infections needing quick action to prevent further damage or data loss. A broken or compromised WordPress installation can be more susceptible to attacks and hacking attempts. Cybercriminals can cause data breaches by exploiting vulnerabilities to steal sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to your site.

Extended downtime and security issues can negatively affect your search engine rankings, as their algorithms may see the error as a signal that your site is unreliable, unsecured, or no longer active. Search engines may penalize your site for frequent downtime or errors, leading to lower rankings, and decreased visibility in search results. Lower rankings mean fewer visitors finding your site organically through search engines.

If a database issue causes an error, there’s a risk of data corruption or loss. This could include important content, customer information, or financial records. Corrupted data can be difficult, if not impossible, to recover, leading to irreversible damage.

Leaving the error unaddressed may lead to more problems, making the eventual fix more complicated and time-consuming.

How to Fix a WordPress Critical Error

Previously, a critical error in WordPress resulted in a White Screen of Death or a fatal error message on the screen. However, since WordPress 5.2, a more user-friendly approach has been implemented. When a critical error occurs, a message will appear telling you to check your WordPress admin email for a link to the debugging guide. This offers a clearer starting point for troubleshooting and potential solutions.

Accessing WordPress Critical Error Recovery Mode

WordPress provides the built-in Recovery Mode safety feature that lets you access your site’s backend even when it experiences severe issues. In this mode, WordPress temporarily disables all plugins and switches to a default theme to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

Here are the steps to access your site in recovery mode:

WordPress automatically sends an email to your admin email address which contains a link to access Recovery Mode.

Click the link to proceed.

You will be directed to a login page. Enter your login credentials to access your site in Recovery Mode.

Once logged in, you’ll see at the top of your dashboard that you’re in Recovery Mode with a notification about the critical error, what caused it, and a link to where you can go to fix it.

Check for recent changes or updates that might have caused the critical error. Deactivate suspicious plugins, switch themes, or make other necessary adjustments to resolve the issue.

Once you believe you’ve fixed the problem, click “Exit Recovery Mode” at the top of the dashboard. After exiting, check your site to ensure the critical error has been resolved and your site is back to normal with all plugins and themes active.

Fixing Plugin Issues

Plugin conflicts are a common cause of critical errors in WordPress. Systematically deactivate and reactivate your plugins to find the one causing the problem. To see if this is the problem, start by deactivating all plugins:

1. Access your WordPress dashboard in Recovery Mode.
2. Navigate to the Plugins section.
3. Select all plugins by checking the box at the top of the list.
4. Choose “Deactivate” from the Bulk Actions dropdown menu.
5. Click “Apply” to deactivate all plugins at once.
6. Check your site to see if the critical error is resolved.

If the error disappears after deactivating your plugins, it confirms this was the cause.

To find the problematic plugins, reactivate them one by one and if the error doesn’t reappear, move on to the next. Repeat until they’re all active or the error comes up again. If the error returns after activating a specific plugin, you’ve likely found the culprit. Once identified, follow these steps:

• Look for updates: Sometimes, conflicts are resolved in newer versions. Visit the Plugins section to see if an update is available.
• Update: If an update is available, proceed with it to check if it resolves the issue.
• Check compatibility: Visit the plugin’s page on WordPress.org or the developer’s website to check its compatibility with your WordPress version and other active plugins.
• Find an alternative: If you cannot resolve the issue, find an alternative plugin with similar functionality.
• Disable if unnecessary: If the plugin isn’t essential for your site, leave it deactivated until a fix is available.

Resolving Theme-Related Problems

These issues can also trigger critical errors. If you’ve ruled out plugin conflicts, here’s how to troubleshoot and resolve theme-related issues:

First, switch to a default theme:

1. Access your WordPress dashboard in Recovery Mode.
2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes.
3. Locate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three or Twenty Twenty-Two.
4. Click “Activate”.
5. Check your site to see if the critical error is resolved.

If the error disappears after switching to a default theme, it confirms that your active theme was causing the issue, and you may have to use a new one.

If your theme is outdated, it may conflict with your WordPress version or plugins. To update your theme:

1. Create a full backup of your site.
2. Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
3. A notification will appear if an update is available for your current theme.
4. Click “Update Now”.
5. After the update, check your site to see if the error is fixed.

If you’ve added custom code to your theme, temporarily remove these modifications to see if they are the problem. Some themes include features that might conflict with plugins or WordPress core. Try disabling theme-specific features to see if there are any conflicting functions. Check out our blog: Top 10 Free WordPress Themes to help you find a reliable one for your site.

Upgrade PHP Version & Memory Limit

WordPress requires PHP version 7.4 or higher to function correctly. If your WordPress Hosting server has an older version, it can lead to critical errors and compatibility issues.

To check your PHP version, navigate to the Tools section > Site Health page in your dashboard and switch to the Info tab; you will find it listed under the Server section.

Insufficient memory can also contribute to critical errors. If your website is resource-intensive, increasing the PHP memory limit can help prevent these issues while improving performance

Update through cPanel

1. Log in to your cPanel account through your WordPress hosting dashboard.
2. Look for “PHP Configuration” or “MultiPHP INI Editor”.
3. Find the “memory_limit” directive and increase it.

After making changes, refresh your WordPress site and check if the critical error is resolved.

If you can’t upgrade the PHP version or increase the memory limit, contact the Hosted.com support team. Explain the situation and request an increase in the PHP memory limit. Provide details about your WordPress site’s requirements and the critical error you’re experiencing.

While increasing memory limits can resolve some issues, it’s not always the best long-term solution. If your site consistently requires high memory usage, consider optimizing your WordPress installation, plugins, and theme to reduce resource consumption. Additionally, upgrading your hosting plan might be necessary for a resource-heavy website.

Reinstall or Update WordPress

Corrupt or outdated WordPress installation can lead to critical errors. Reinstalling or updating it can often fix the issue and improve your site’s security and performance.

1. Download the latest WordPress version from wordpress.org.
2. Delete the old files from your server but not wp-content or wp-config.php.
3. Upload the new files to your website’s root directory, overwriting the existing files.
4. Run the WordPress installation in a web browser and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: Before making any changes, create a complete backup of your WordPress site, including files and database, in case something goes wrong.

This method keeps your themes, plugins, and uploads as they are stored in the wp-content directory. Your wp-config.php file also stays the same, maintaining your database connections.

You can also install WordPress from the Hosted.com Control Panel.

If you can access your WordPress dashboard, you can use the built-in update function:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. Go to Dashboard > Updates.
3. If an update is available, a notice appears – “An updated version of WordPress is available”.
4. Click “Update Now”.
5. WordPress will download and install the latest version automatically.
6. Once the update is complete, check if the critical error is resolved.

Regularly updating WordPress is essential for security and performance. That’s the reason Hosted.com gives you automatic updates in all our packages.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The “critical error in WordPress” is when your WordPress installation encounters an issue that prevents your site from loading or functioning correctly.
• Knowing the common causes and identifying their root is the first step in resolving WordPress critical errors.
• Recovery mode provides a built-in way to troubleshoot and fix critical errors without affecting your live site.
• Plugin conflicts are a common cause of critical errors and can often be resolved through systematic deactivation and testing.
• Because theme issues can trigger critical errors, temporarily using a default theme can help isolate the problem.
• Insufficient PHP memory can cause critical errors and increasing it can often resolve the issue.
• Corrupt core files can lead to critical errors. Reinstalling or updating WordPress can restore your site to a stable state.

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