The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) is one of the most frustrating errors website owners face.

Instead of loading your website, you see a completely blank white screen with no error message. This makes it difficult to diagnose the problem.

This issue can affect:

• Entire website
• wp-admin dashboard
• Specific pages

The good news is that WSOD is usually easy to fix once you identify the root cause.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What causes WSOD
• Step-by-step troubleshooting methods
• Quick fixes to restore your site
• How to prevent it in the future

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What Causes WordPress White Screen of Death?

The most common causes include:

1. PHP Memory Limit Exhaustion

WordPress scripts may exceed the server’s memory limit.

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2. Plugin Conflicts

A faulty plugin can break your website rendering.

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3. Theme Issues

A poorly coded or incompatible theme may cause blank pages.

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4. Server Configuration Errors

Incorrect PHP or server settings can trigger WSOD.

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5. Corrupted WordPress Files

Incomplete updates or malware can damage core files.

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Step 1: Enable Debug Mode

Since WSOD shows no error, enabling debug mode helps reveal the issue.

Edit:

wp-config.php

Add:

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

Reload your site.

You may now see error messages that identify the problem.

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Step 2: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Low memory is one of the biggest causes of WSOD.

Add this line to wp-config.php:

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

You can also increase memory in php.ini:

memory_limit = 256M

Restart your server after making changes.

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Step 3: Disable All Plugins

Plugin conflicts are very common.

Go to:

wp-content/plugins

Rename the folder:

plugins → plugins_backup

Reload your site.

If it works, a plugin is causing the issue.

Enable plugins one by one to find the faulty one.

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Step 4: Switch to Default Theme

A theme issue may cause WSOD.

Rename your active theme folder:

wp-content/themes/your-theme → your-theme_old

WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme.

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Step 5: Clear Cache

Caching can sometimes display a blank page even after fixing the issue.

Clear:

• browser cache
• WordPress cache
• server cache
• CDN cache

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Step 6: Check Error Logs

Server logs can reveal hidden errors.

Common locations:

/var/log/apache2/error.log
/var/log/nginx/error.log

Look for:

• PHP fatal errors
• memory errors
• plugin issues

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Step 7: Reinstall WordPress Core Files

Corrupted files can cause WSOD.

Download fresh WordPress files and replace:

wp-admin
wp-includes

Do NOT replace:

wp-content
wp-config.php

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Step 8: Check File Permissions

Incorrect permissions can break your site.

Recommended:

Directories

755

Files

644

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Step 9: Disable PHP Error Suppression

Sometimes errors are hidden by the server.

Update your PHP settings:

display_errors = On

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Best Hosting to Avoid WSOD Issues

Many WSOD issues happen due to poor hosting environments.

Managed hosting platforms provide:

• optimized PHP settings
• better memory allocation
• automatic backups

👉 Cloudways Managed Hosting

👉 Bluehost WordPress Hosting

Using reliable hosting reduces errors and improves site stability.

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Preventing White Screen of Death

Keep Everything Updated

Update regularly:

• WordPress core
• plugins
• themes

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Use Quality Plugins

Avoid installing poorly coded plugins.

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Enable Backups

Always maintain daily backups.

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Monitor Server Resources

Check CPU and memory usage regularly.

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Conclusion

The WordPress White Screen of Death may seem scary, but it’s usually caused by:

• memory limits
• plugin conflicts
• theme issues
• server configuration

By following the steps in this guide, you can quickly identify and fix the problem.

For long-term stability, consider using a reliable hosting platform with optimized server settings.