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A WordPress White Screen error, also called the White Screen of Death (WSoD), is one of the most common WordPress errors. It is also frustrating because it doesn’t necessarily tell you what is causing the error; it just locks you out of your WordPress website. Here, we explore what causes this issue and give solutions to get your site back up and running.
This article assumes that you have already logged in to WordPress.
Table of Contents
WordPress White Screen Error Fixes
Conflicts from database errors and PHP Unresponsive Script usually result in seeing a White Screen in place of your website, so if you see an error message, please note it. We suggest using your “Staging Area” to test the various solutions below until you find the one that resolves the problem.
1. Browser Cache
Delete your Browser Cache (data & history) and clear all cookies. Shut your browser, then wait a minute or two before reopening.
If your website is still displaying a White Screen, you will have to follow a process of elimination:
2. Historical Changes
If the White Screen shows an error, it may be missing a theme, the Memory Limit has been reached, or it is timing out due to unresponsive scripts.
If changes have been made that you are unaware of, check with the person who made them and ask what they were. Then proceed to “Current Changes” below.
3. Current Changes
Should the White Screen appear while working in WordPress, you should return and undo any changes relating to the theme, updates, plugins, and coding.
Work through these one at a time and keep checking the impact each has on your website by refreshing your browser. Do this until you no longer see the White Screen.
4. Plugin Checks
On your Dashboard, select “Plugins”. Now, deactivate all of them and turn them on one by one while checking your website in a browser. When the White Screen appears, you will have identified the faulty plugin.
Alternatively, deactivate the first plugin on your list and check your website in the browser (use Ctrl + Refresh for a hard refresh). Now, reactivate that plugin, and continue to the next. Repeat this one by one.
4. Activate Default Theme
If everything you’ve done hasn’t yielded results, switch your site to the default WordPress theme. If the White Screen no longer appears after reloading your page, your theme is likely causing the problem. If you want to continue using the theme, try downloading the latest version from its source and reinstalling it. Alternatively, you can change to another theme entirely.
5. Increase Memory Limit
If you are still getting a White Screen error after trying the above fixes, you may need to increase your Memory Limit. This will allow the script to use more memory to finish the job it was trying to do. Resolving a Memory Limit Error can be done via the “wp-config.php” file in your WordPress File Manager.
Additional Information
What Causes a White Screen Error?
The WordPress White Screen error is almost always caused by PHP code errors or Memory Limit exhaustion, resulting in either timing out or getting terminated by your hosting server. Usually, no specific error message appears; all you receive is an uninformative blank White Screen, hence the name “White Screen Error”.
Memory Limit Exhaustion:
Usually, a White Screen appears when a script on your website exceeds the Memory Limit. Your WordPress hosting server may kill the unresponsive script or let it time out, resulting in a blank screen.
Themes & Plugins:
A badly coded theme or plugin can trigger the White Screen error. If you have recently installed or updated a theme or plugin, it could be the problem. Additionally, outdated, or incompatible plugins and themes may clash with the version of WordPress you are running, also leading to the WSoD (White Screen of Death).
Login to Hosted.com Account
1. Go to the Hosted.com Login website page.
2. Enter your Email and Password and click the “Sign In” button.
Access WordPress via Your Hosted.com Account
3. You will see the Hosted.com Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview on the right and Open Support Tickets below.
4. Click the “Manage Service” dropdown and select your hosting package – our example uses the WordPress Hosting plan. The hosting window will open and you will see Product Information and Quick Manage on the right.
5. Click on the WordPress icon under the Quick Manage section.
Access WordPress via cPanel
3. You will see the Hosted.com Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview and Open Support Tickets on the right.
4. Click on “Manage Services” to view the sub-dropdown menu and select the hosting package for the domain you want to work with – in our example we are using WordPress Hosting.
5. Click the “Manage” button to the right of the domain name you want to access.
6. The display will now show Product Information, Quick Manage, Resource Usage and Site Statistics for that domain name.
7. Under “Product Information”, scroll down to “Control Panel”, which will display cPanel to the right, and click on the “Login” button.
8. The cPanel Dashboard will now be displayed.
9. Scroll down until you get to “Popular Applications”, click on the WordPress icon.
10. The WordPress Dashboard will now be displayed.
Access WordPress via cPanel Online
1. Visit your cPanel URL, either supplied to you through your web host or attained through other sign-up methods.
2. Enter your Username
3. Then enter your Password and click “Log in”.
4. Scroll down until you get to “Popular Applications”, click on the WordPress icon.
