How to Fix the White Screen of Death in WordPress

Introduction

The White Screen of Death (WSoD) is one of the most common and frustrating issues WordPress users face. In this article, I'll guide you through a step-by-step process to diagnose and fix this issue.

Step 1: Check for Plugin Conflicts

1. Access your WordPress site via FTP or your hosting control panel.
2. Navigate to the wp-content directory and rename the plugins folder to plugins_backup.
3. Try accessing your site. If it works, one of your plugins is causing the issue.
4. Rename the plugins folder back and deactivate all plugins through your WordPress dashboard. Reactivate them one by one to identify the culprit.

Step 2: Switch to a Default Theme

1. If plugins aren’t the issue, your theme might be. Rename your active theme's folder in wp-content/themes to something like theme_backup.
2. This will force WordPress to revert to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-One). Check if your site is back.

Step 3: Increase PHP Memory Limit

1. Edit your wp-config.php file and add this line:

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

2. Save the file and refresh your site.

Step 4: Enable Debug Mode

1. Add the following to your wp-config.php file to enable debug mode:

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

2. Check the debug log in wp-content/debug.log for errors and resolve them.

Conclusion

Following these steps should help you resolve the WSoD. If you need more help, feel free to comment below or reach out!

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