You sit down to write a blog post. You type a sentence. But the screen stays white.
You highlight the text, and suddenly—it appears!
You are typing white text on a white background. Or maybe your entire toolbar (Bold, Italic, Link) has vanished.
This is one of the most frustrating errors in WordPress because it doesn’t give you an error message. It just breaks your workflow.
Whether you are using the Classic Editor or the modern Block Editor (Gutenberg), the fixes are different. In this guide, we will help you identify which problem you have and how to fix it in minutes.
Are You Using Classic or Block Editor?
Classic Editor: Looks like Microsoft Word. It has a toolbar at the top with generic icons.
Block Editor: You add content in “Blocks.” It has a clean, white interface.
Fixing the Classic Editor (Missing Buttons)
If your toolbar is missing or your text is invisible in the Classic Editor, the problem is almost always JavaScript Concatenation.
WordPress tries to speed up your editor by combining all the little script files into one big file. If your server is slow or configured strictly, this process fails, and the editor breaks.
The Fix: Edit wp-config.php
We need to tell WordPress: “Stop trying to combine the files. Load them one by one.”
Connect via FTP: Use FileZilla or your Hosting File Manager.
Find the File: Locate
wp-config.phpin your main folder.Edit: Right-click and choose Edit.
Add Code: Scroll down to just before it says “That’s all, stop editing.” Paste this line:
define('CONCATENATE_SCRIPTS', false);
Save: Upload the file back to the server.
Refresh: Reload your “Edit Post” page.
Did it work?
Yes: Your server was struggling to combine scripts. You can leave this code there forever; it barely affects speed.
No: The issue might be your Browser Cache.
Fixing the Block Editor (White Text)
If you use the modern Block Editor and your text is invisible, it is rarely a script error. It is usually a Style Conflict.
Fix 1: Turn Off “Dark Mode” Extensions
In 2026, many people use “Dark Reader” or Chrome Dark Mode extensions.
The Problem: These extensions try to force your white dashboard to be black. Sometimes, they turn the background dark but forget to turn the text white (or vice versa).
The Test: Open your site in an Incognito Window (where extensions are off). Does the text appear?
The Solution: Whitelist your website URL in your Dark Mode extension settings.
Fix 2: Check Your Theme Styles
Some themes have a “Dark Mode” setting in the Customizer that conflicts with the editor.
Go to Appearance > Customize.
Look for Colors or Dark Mode.
Change the “Body Text Color” to something dark (like
#333333) instead of white (#ffffff).
Universal Fixes (Try These Last)
If the specific fixes above didn’t work, we need to clear the pipes.
1. Clear Browser Cache
Sometimes your browser is holding onto a broken version of the editor script.
Chrome: Press
Ctrl + Shift + Delete. Check “Cached images and files.” Click Clear data.
2. Clear Cloudflare/CDN Cache
If you use Cloudflare, it might be serving an old, broken JavaScript file to your browser.
Action: Log in to Cloudflare. Click “Purge Cache” > “Purge Everything.”
3. The “Tinymce Advanced” Trick
If you are on Classic Editor and nothing works, installing a plugin can force the editor to reset.
Install “Advanced Editor Tools“ (formerly TinyMCE Advanced).
Go to Settings > Advanced Editor Tools.
Drag a few buttons onto the toolbar and click Save.
This forces WordPress to reload the editor configuration, often fixing the glitch.
Conclusion
The “White Text” or “Missing Button” error is usually a communication breakdown between your server and your browser.
Your Cheat Sheet:
Classic Editor: Add
define('CONCATENATE_SCRIPTS', false);.Block Editor: Disable Dark Mode extensions.
Still Broken: Clear Cloudflare cache.
Still Can’t Write? If you have tried everything and the editor is still unusable, you might have a corrupt WordPress install. Don’t try to reinstall core files yourself unless you are an expert.
Contact Our WordPress Support Team today. We can log in, fix the JavaScript conflict, and get your publishing workflow back to normal in minutes.
