How to Fix the WordPress Critical Error?

Here’s a scenario for you. You open your website and see a blank white screen with the message “There has been a critical error on this website.”. That can put any website owner in panic mode. While WordPress is an outstanding platform for website development, it’s also prone to errors.

The WordPress critical error, for example, can be due to plugin conflicts, PHP errors, corrupt files, and more reasons. But don’t worry; there’s a solution to every cause in the books.

With this guide, I’m going to give you an idea on what the WordPress critical error is, what causes it, and how you can fix it. Plus, you’ll see what a professional WordPress development agency does to prevent the critical error.

What is a WordPress Critical Error?

The WordPress critical error is often displayed as,

“There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.”

The critical error can affect both single site and WordPress multisite installations. And when this error occurs, WordPress enters recovery mode automatically.

If a WordPress critical error takes place, the access to the WordPress Admin Dashboard is mostly cut off. While there are ways to regain access, you need to troubleshoot the root cause of the problem.

A critical error in WordPress indicates a site-breaking issue that needs immediate attention. Ignoring it can lead to downtime, loss of traffic, and potential WordPress security vulnerabilities. But what might cause this issue?

Potential Causes of WordPress Critical Error

Critical error is usually an indication that something has gone wrong on your website and is stopping it from functioning correctly. As mentioned in the error message, you will receive the admin email regarding further instructions.

Meanwhile, here are a few potential causes.

• Plugin Conflicts: Incompatible or badly coded plugins can often break the site. New plugin updates or installations may lead to critical errors in WordPress.
• Theme Issues: A faulty or outdated theme could crash the site. Error-riddled custom-coded themes can also bring about critical failures.
• PHP Version Compatibility: Old PHP version may cause incompatibility problems. Some themes or plugins require new PHP versions for their proper working.
• PHP Memory Limit Exhaustion: If a script runs the allocated memory limit, WordPress would fail. Most often, increasing the PHP memory limit will solve the problem.
• Corrupt Core Files: Missing or altered WordPress core files often disturb functionality by failed updates or infection by malware.
• Database Errors: establish a fatal error that may be fixed by fixing database tables or restoring backups. 
• Incorrect File Permissions: Restrictive file permissions can deny WordPress access to necessary files. Proper file and folder permissions help to maintain the security and functionality of the site.
• Unrecoverable Fatal PHP Error: Syntax error, undefined function, or deprecated code found in-custom written scripts might result in crash. Debugging and reviewing error logs could point to the problem.
• Malware or Hacking Attempts: Malicious injections of codes might change WordPress core files. Running a security scan can help to spot threats and remove them.

It’s very important you understand exactly what has caused your website to experience the WordPress critical error. Then and only then can you implement the right solution. So hire our dedicated WordPress development company.

How to Fix WordPress Critical Error?

A critical error can cripple your site and make it inaccessible for both users and administrators. These errors usually derive from issues such as plugin conflicts, theme errors, corrupted files, memory limit issues, or the use of outdated PHP versions. Below are nine detailed fixes to help you restore access to your website.

1. Check Error Logs

These logs can actually help pinpoint as close to the cause of your critical error as possible. WordPress maintains error logs along with your hosting provider, so they can directly pinpoint to the issue.

Step 1: Go to your hosting control panel or FTP client.

Step 2: Find the error log file (usually under /wp-content/debug.log or in the error log section of the hosting).

Step 3: Open it and trace recent errors that involve plugins, themes, or PHP.

Step 4: Use these error details to fix the problem.

Checking logs can save a significant amount of time. They will lead you directly to the problem which you should be able to fix correctly.

2. Enable Debug in WordPress

Getting detailed error messages helps reveal the cause of the WordPress critical error through the debugging mode.

Step 1: Access your website’s root directory via FTP or your hosting control panel.

Step 2: Locate and open the wp-config.php file.

Step 3: Find the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */.

Step 4: Just above this line, add:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

Step 5: Save and upload the changes.

This will create a debug.log file in the /wp-content/ directory. It will help reveal what really is going wrong with the crash on the site.

3. Shift to a Default Theme

An incompatible or outdated theme can throw critical errors in WordPress. A default theme might help restore access.

Step 1: Access your WordPress admin dashboard (if possible) and navigate to Appearance > Themes.

Step 2: Activate a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Five).

Step 3: If you are unable to use the dashboard, access your hosting control panel and use the File Manager.

Step 4: Navigate to /wp-content/themes/.

Step 5: Rename the active theme’s folder (e.g., theme-name to theme-name_old).

Step 6: Ensure that a default like Twenty Twenty-Five is present. If not, download and upload the theme to the directory. 

Step 7: It will automatically activate the default theme once you upload it.

If the theme change solves the problem, update or obtain a better version of the faulty theme.

4. Restore the Previous Version

If a recent update has caused the critical error, rolling back to the previous version from WordPress should clear the bug.

Step 1: Log into your hosting panel and access backups (if there are any).

Step 2: Restore the last working backup of WordPress.

Step 3: If you do not have a backup, you can downgrade WordPress manually or install a plugin like WP Rollback. Or you can download an older version at WordPress.org.

Step 4: Test your site after restoration.

Restoring an earlier version is a quick way to undo recent problematic changes.

5. Deactivate the WordPress Plugins

Plugins are a common source of conflicts leading to the WordPress critical error . Disabling them can help identify the problematic one.

Step 1: Access your website’s files via FTP or your hosting control panel.

Step 2: Navigate to /wp-content/.

Step 3: Rename the plugins folder to plugins_old to deactivate all plugins.

Step 4: Check if the website loads properly.

Step 5: If it does, rename plugins_old back to plugins.

Step 6: Reactivate each plugin one by one via the WordPress dashboard to identify the problematic plugin.

Once you find the problematic plugin, remove or update it.

6. Increase the PHP Memory Limit

This error may also be due to Insufficient memory allocation. So maybe you just need to increase the PHP memory limit to resolve the issue.

Step 1: Edit the wp-config.php file via FTP or your hosting file manager.

Step 2: Add the following line to increase the memory limit:

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

Step 3: Save the file and reload your website.

Increase PHP memory to further prevent crashes for resources.

7. Update your PHP Version

Older PHP versions might create conflicts against the recent WordPress updates, resulting in a critical error.

Step 1: Sign in to the host control panel.

Step 2: Find the PHP Version settings under “Software” from the “MultiPHP Manager” section.

Step 3: Click on PHP 8.0 or newer and save.

Step 4: Reload your website to check if the issue is resolved.

Improved performance and compatibility with themes and plugins might be easier with PHP updates.

8. Check for Malware

Malicious code or hacked files can trigger WordPress critical errors. Scanning and removing malware can help restore normal functionality.

Step 1: From the WordPress plugin repository, install a trusted security plugin like Wordfence, Sucuri, or MalCare.

Step 2: Activate the plugin, and perform a complete scan for newly identified malware and suspicious files.

Step 3: If malware is found, follow the steps on the plugin to remove the infected files.

Step 4: If the infection persists, consider restoring a clean backup of your website.

Step 5: Update all WordPress core files, themes, and plugins to prevent any future infections.

Regular malware scans and prevention techniques will stop malicious attacks from causing critical errors on your site.

9. Clear your Site Cache

Some cached files conflict often lead to the WordPress critical error. Clearing the cache can fix these problems.

Step 1: Do you have a caching plugin like WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache installed on your website? Then log into WordPress and clear the cache from the plugin’s settings.

Step 2: If you use a CDN (like Cloudflare), log into their dashboard and clear the cache.

Step 3: If your hosting provider has built-in caching (for example, SiteGround, Kinsta), log into your hosting panel, and clear the cache from there.

Step 4: Clear your browser cache to ensure you are viewing the most up to date version of your site.

Clearing cached files ensures your website loads fresh data. As such, it would help to resolve critical errors from outdated or conflicting cache files.

Fixing the “There has been a critical error on this website” issue requires a stepwise approach. Start with error logs and debugging, then move to deactivating plugins and adjusting PHP settings.

After following these tactics, if you still get the critical error on your website, connect with our WordPress web development agency. We will do a dive into your website to understand the root cause of the issue and implement the relevant strategies.

But is there a way to prevent this issue in the first place? Let’s find out.

Best Practices to Avoid the Critical Error in Future

The issue “There has been a critical error on this website” is easier to prevent than to solve. The following best practices will keep your WordPress site running smoothly, securely, and error-free.

1. Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Updated

Old versions of WordPress, themes, and plugins will generally bring up compatibility issues and security threats.

How to Keep Everything Updated?

• Set up automatic updates of WordPress for minor releases.
• Go to the dashboard and check for regular updates of plugins and themes.
• Test everything on a staging area before taking any major updates to make sure the site doesn’t crash.

Keeping the site updated in all aspects provides compatibility and security.

2. Use Reliable Themes and Plugins

Poorly coded or unsupported plugins/themes are usually the culprit in critical errors in WordPress.

How to Choose Safe Themes and Plugins?

• Try not to install plugins that do not come from the WordPress Plugin Directory or trusted developers.
• Before installation, check the last update date, rating, and user reviews.
• Do not use any nulled or pirated themes and plugins. They usually contain malware.

Choosing high-quality plugins and themes reduces the risk of site crashes.

3. Maintain Regular Backups

Frequent backups help restore the site quickly if a critical error happens.

How to Set Up Automated Backups?

• Install plugins such as UpdraftPlus, Jetpack Backup, or BlogVault for scheduled backups. 
• Backups must also be kept on an external storage venue (Google Drive, Dropbox, cloud servers).
• Always have a manual backup prior to making any changes.

Having backups makes sure that the whole site can be restored any time.

4. Use a Staging Site for Major Changes

Rolling out an update on a live site may cause an error. A staging site lets you test prior to deployment.

How to Set Up a Staging Site?

• A lot of web hosts offer one-click staging setup (for example SiteGround, WP Engine, Bluehost).
• Use WP Staging plugin (or something similar) to set up a local testing environment.
• Once you have verified it, push your changes from the staging site to the live site.

Testing on a staging site prevents breaking your live website.

5. Monitor Error Logs and Debugging Mode

Frequent log checks can help nip issues in the bud before they become a critical error.

How to Monitor Error Logs?

• Enable WordPress debugging mode (WP_DEBUG) via the wp-config.php file.
• Consult your hosting error logs, which you can find in CPanel, Plesk, or your hosting dashboard.
• Consider the installation of a WordPress error monitoring plugin, like Query Monitor.

The sooner errors are found, the easier it becomes to fix them.

6. Use a Security Plugin to Prevent Malware

Security loopholes can easily break your site or throw an error.

How to Secure Your WordPress Site?

• Run a scan for threats with plugins like Wordfence, Sucuri, or iThemes Security.
• Firewall protection should be activated to block suspicious traffic.
• Regularly scan for any unauthorized entry into your site, including file modification by an untrusted source.

A secure site will be less prone to crashes owing to malware or hacking attempts.

7. Enable Website Monitoring

Real-time uptime monitoring notify on uptime trends before they are noticed by users.

How to Set Up Monitoring?

• Jetpack Monitor, UptimeRobot, or Pingdom may be used to send real-time alerts.
• Set email/SMS notifications for when downtime is detected.
• Make sure to analyze Google Search Console for error reports regularly.

With early warnings, you can fix the problem before users notice it.

Preventing any error on a WordPress website is all about being proactive. With regular maintenance, you keep it updated, secure, and optimized to avoid crashes.

FAQs About Fixing WordPress Critical Error

Let’s Summarize

Most often, the WordPress critical error may occur due to plugin conflicts, theme incompatibility, some PHP error, or server constraints. Identifying the core issue is crucial for restoring your site in a timely manner. Consulting error logs, disabling plugins, changing themes, or increasing the PHP memory limit are effective troubleshooting techniques.

For users unable to access the admin panel, FTP or phpMyAdmin can be utilized to regain access. Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated and take backups regularly. And, testing with a staging site can go a long way in preventing crashes like this in the future.

If you want help with solving errors on your WordPress website, connect with our experts today!