WordPress shows a white screen – what to do?
A blank page is not a mystery, it is a suppressed error message. Here is how to make it visible and find the cause within minutes.
A white screen almost always means PHP hit a fatal error and is hiding it for security reasons. So the first step is not guessing, it is making the message visible – through the server's error log or WordPress's debug mode. After that the cause is usually a single line, naming the file and the line number.
First: make the error visible
Two routes lead there, and the first is better. Check your host's error log – usually in the customer area under "Logs", or as a file called error_log in the site's directory. The error is already recorded there, without you changing anything.
If that is not available, set WP_DEBUG to true in wp-config.php, plus WP_DEBUG_LOG to true and WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY to false. The message then lands in wp-content/debug.log without visitors seeing it. Important: switch it off again afterwards – an open debug log reveals paths and versions.
The three most common causes
A plugin or theme after an update: the message names the file path, and the culprit is in it. Renaming that plugin's folder over FTP disables it without any access to the admin area.
Too little memory for PHP: the message contains "Allowed memory size … exhausted". A higher limit via WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php helps – or the question why one page needs that much.
A PHP version too old after a plugin update: the message talks about unexpected syntax. Rolling the plugin back does not help there, only a current PHP version at the host.
When the admin area is blank too
If only the website is affected and the admin area works, the cause is the theme or a plugin that only loads on the front end. If both are blank, the error touches the core or a plugin active everywhere.
The fastest test without an admin area: rename the wp-content/plugins folder over FTP for a moment. If the site then loads, it was a plugin – rename it back and reactivate them one at a time until the error returns. If it still does not load, try the same with the active theme.
Sources and further documentation
Frequently asked questions
Does a white screen mean data loss?
As a rule, no. The error happens while the code runs, the database is untouched. Posts, pages and media are still there and reappear once the cause is fixed. Caution is only warranted if the white screen appeared in the middle of an update – a database change may then have run halfway.
I have no FTP access. What then?
Almost every host offers a file manager in the customer area that does the same job: rename folders, edit wp-config.php, view logs. If you cannot find it, ask support for the SFTP credentials – they belong in your records anyway, not only in your service provider's head.
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