Fixing the White Screen of Death

How to Fix the White Screen of Death

The White Screen of Death (WSOD) shows a blank white page with no error message. This guide helps you diagnose and fix this common issue.

Common Causes

• PHP memory limit exceeded
• Plugin or theme conflict
• PHP syntax errors
• Corrupted core files
• Database connection issues

Step 1: Enable Error Display

First, make PHP show errors instead of a blank screen:

For WordPress - Edit wp-config.php:

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

For other sites - Create/edit .user.ini:

display_errors = On
error_reporting = E_ALL

Refresh the page - you should now see the actual error message.

Step 2: Check PHP Error Logs

1. Go to cPanel → Metrics → Errors
2. Look for recent PHP errors
3. Note the file and line number mentioned

For WordPress, also check: wp-content/debug.log

Step 3: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Memory exhaustion is a common cause:

WordPress - wp-config.php:

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

PHP - .user.ini:

memory_limit = 256M

cPanel - MultiPHP INI Editor:

1. Go to Software → MultiPHP INI Editor
2. Select your domain
3. Set memory_limit to 256M
4. Click Apply

Step 4: Disable Plugins (WordPress)

A plugin conflict is often the culprit:

Via FTP/File Manager:

1. Navigate to wp-content/
2. Rename plugins folder to plugins_disabled
3. Refresh your site
4. If it works, rename back to plugins
5. Access WordPress admin and reactivate plugins one by one
6. The one that causes WSOD is the problem

Step 5: Switch to Default Theme (WordPress)

If disabling plugins didn't help:

Via FTP/File Manager:

1. Navigate to wp-content/themes/
2. Rename your active theme folder
3. WordPress will fall back to a default theme

Via Database (phpMyAdmin):

1. Open phpMyAdmin in cPanel
2. Select your WordPress database
3. Open the wp_options table
4. Find template and stylesheet
5. Change both values to twentytwentythree

Step 6: Check for Syntax Errors

If you recently edited PHP files:

1. Review recent changes
2. Look for:
   • Missing semicolons
   • Unclosed brackets
   • Missing quotes
3. Restore from backup if needed

Step 7: Reinstall Core Files

For WordPress:

1. Download fresh WordPress from wordpress.org
2. Upload wp-admin and wp-includes folders
3. Do NOT replace wp-content or wp-config.php

Step 8: Check Database Connection

Verify database credentials in your configuration file match those in cPanel → MySQL Databases.

Prevention Tips

• Always backup before making changes
• Update plugins one at a time
• Use a staging site for testing
• Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated
• Use quality themes and plugins

Need Help?

Contact support with:

• When the issue started
• Recent changes made
• Error messages from logs
• Steps you've already tried