White Screen of Death
A blank page in WordPress is often called the white screen of death. It usually means the request stopped because of a PHP or application error, but the site is not displaying the technical message to visitors.
Check the extent of the problem
- Open the home page, WordPress admin and the page where the blank screen appeared.
- Try a private browser window to rule out a cached browser response.
- Note whether the page is completely blank or returns a browser or server error.
- Record any recent plugin, theme, WordPress or PHP changes.
Find the underlying error
Check the hosting error log for a fatal error at the same time as the blank page. WordPress debugging can also write errors to a private log when configured correctly, but detailed errors should not be displayed publicly. Read The WordPress Configuration File before changing debug settings.
Use the recent change as a starting point
If the problem began immediately after a known plugin, theme or PHP change, a developer can test that component and restore access without disabling unrelated features. If you need help, submit a Fix Request with the affected page, start time and recent changes.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a blank page mean my content has been deleted?
Usually not. The content may still be present while an error prevents WordPress from generating the page.
Why does only one page show a white screen?
That page may use a particular block, template, shortcode or plugin feature that triggers the error while the rest of the site continues working.
Where can I find the error behind the blank page?
The hosting PHP or web-server log is a useful starting point. A correctly configured WordPress debug log can provide more detail without displaying errors to visitors.
What should I include in a Fix Request?
Include where the blank page appears, when it began, whether WordPress admin works and any plugin, theme, WordPress or PHP changes made shortly beforehand.