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A blank white page, “There has been a critical error on this website”, or 500 Internal Server Error usually means a plugin, theme or setting is causing PHP to crash. This guide shows you how to find the cause and fix it.
Did it break right after you changed something, such as updating a plugin? Undo that change first. It’s the most likely cause.

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1. Check your email

WordPress often emails the site’s admin address when a plugin or theme crashes. The email names the cause and includes a link to log in using recovery mode, where you can turn off the problem plugin or theme.

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2. Find the error message

1

Check the error log

Log in to cPanel and open Errors. The most recent errors appear at the top. Look for a mention of wp-content/plugins/ or wp-content/themes/. The folder name after it is usually the cause.
2

Or turn on debugging

In File Manager, open wp-config.php and find define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );. Change it to:
Reload your site, then open wp-content/debug.log to read the error.
Turn debugging off again when you’re done, by setting WP_DEBUG back to false and deleting debug.log. The log can reveal details about your site.

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3. Turn off all plugins

If you can’t find the cause, turn off every plugin at once:
1

Rename the plugins folder

In File Manager, go to public_html/wp-content/ and rename the plugins folder to plugins-off.
2

Check your site

If your site now works, a plugin was the cause. Rename the folder back to plugins.
3

Find the plugin

Log in to WordPress, go to Plugins, and activate them one at a time, checking your site after each. When it breaks again, you’ve found the cause. Delete that plugin, or look for an update or replacement.

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4. Switch to a default theme

If plugins weren’t the cause, the theme may be. In File Manager, go to wp-content/themes/ and rename your current theme’s folder. WordPress falls back to a default theme, such as Twenty Twenty-Five, if one is installed.

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5. Check PHP version and memory

  • PHP version: a theme or plugin may not support your PHP version. In cPanel, open Select PHP Version and try the version it supports.
  • Memory limit: “Allowed memory size exhausted” in the error means PHP ran out of memory. Raise memory_limit on the Options tab of Select PHP Version.
See Change your PHP version and settings.

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6. Reset the .htaccess file

A damaged .htaccess file can cause 500 errors. In File Manager, turn on Show Hidden Files in Settings, then rename .htaccess in public_html to .htaccess-old. If your site works, log in to WordPress and go to Settings → Permalinks, then click Save Changes to create a fresh file.

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Still broken?

Restore your files and database from a daily backup with Backuply. See Restore and download backups. Or open a Technical Support ticket with your domain name and the error message.