The errors that take a site down
Most WordPress outages come from a short list of usual suspects, and the symptom points at the cause. A blank white screen usually means a PHP error or memory limit; a 500 points at the server or .htaccess; "briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance" means an update stalled. The real danger is random fixes that layer new damage on top of the original problem.
- White Screen of Death — PHP fatal error, plugin conflict, or low memory
- HTTP 500 — server error, corrupted .htaccess, or bad PHP config
- "Error establishing a database connection" — credentials, corruption, or host
- Stuck maintenance mode after an interrupted update
- The dreaded "There has been a critical error on this website"
How we diagnose instead of guess
We work from evidence, not vibes. Error logs, a staging copy, and a methodical process of isolating the culprit mean we fix the actual cause once — rather than disabling things at random and hoping. And we back up before we touch anything, so a fix never becomes a bigger loss.
- Read the real PHP and server error logs, not just the front-end symptom
- Reproduce and test fixes on a staging copy, not your live site
- Isolate plugin and theme conflicts methodically, one at a time
- Full backup before any change, so we can always roll back
- Document the root cause so the same error doesn't return
More on website care & maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can you fix it if I'm completely locked out of wp-admin?
Usually yes. Many of these errors lock you out of the dashboard, but we can work through hosting access, files, and the database to bring the admin back. Reach out and we'll assess access on a quick call.
Will I lose my content?
In almost all cases, no — these errors are usually configuration or code issues, not data loss, and we back up before touching anything. If content is genuinely at risk, we'll tell you before we act, not after.
How do I stop this from happening again?
The recurring fix is disciplined maintenance — staged updates, pre-update backups, and monitoring. We can fix the immediate emergency and, if you want, put a plan in place so the next update doesn't take you down.