You check your website, expecting to see your homepage. Instead, you see a terrifyingly simple message:
“There has been a critical error on this website.”
Sometimes, it adds: “Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.”
This is the modern version of the infamous “White Screen of Death.” It means something on your site—usually a plugin or theme—has crashed so badly that WordPress stopped working to protect itself.
Don’t Panic. Your data is safe. Your content is safe. This is just a software conflict, and it is 100% fixable.
In this guide, we will walk you through the 5 proven steps to get your site back online, from the easiest email fix to the advanced debugging tricks.
Step 1: Check Your Email (The "Magic Link" Fix)
Since WordPress 5.2, the system is smart enough to catch the error. When the site crashes, WordPress usually sends an automated email to the Administrator.
What to look for:
Subject Line: “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”
Sender: WordPress.
What to do:
Open the email.
Scroll down to the “Recovery Mode” link.
Click it. This link logs you into a special “Safe Mode” version of your dashboard where the broken plugin is paused.
Once logged in, go to the Plugins page. You will see a red banner telling you exactly which plugin failed.
Deactivate or Delete that plugin.
Click “Exit Recovery Mode” at the top bar.
Problem: “I didn’t get an email!” If your site has email issues (see our Email Fix Guide), you won’t get this message. If that happens, move to Step 2.
Step 2: Enable Debugging (The Detective Work)
If you didn’t get the email, you are flying blind. You need to find out what caused the error. Is it Elementor? Is it WooCommerce?
We need to turn on the “Black Box” recorder for your website. This is called WP_DEBUG.
How to do it:
Connect via FTP: Use a tool like FileZilla or your hosting File Manager.
Find
wp-config.php: It is in the main folder (public_html).Edit the File: Right-click and edit.
Add Code: Scroll down to the line that says “That’s all, stop editing”. Just before that line, paste this code:
PHP
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
Save: Upload the file back to the server.
Refresh: Reload your broken website. It will still show the error.
Check the Log: Go back to FileZilla. Go to the
wp-contentfolder. You will see a new file calleddebug.log.Read it: Open that file. Look for the words “Fatal Error”. It will tell you the exact file path.
Example:
/wp-content/plugins/bad-plugin/index.php
Now you know exactly which plugin is the villain!
Step 3: Deactivate the Bad Plugin (Manually)
Now that you know which plugin broke your site (from Step 2), let’s kill it. Since you can’t access the dashboard, we do this via FTP.
Connect via FTP.
Navigate to
wp-content/plugins.Find the folder of the bad plugin (e.g.,
bad-plugin).Rename it: Right-click and rename it to
bad-plugin_OFF.Test: Reload your website.
Did it work?
Yes: Your site is back! You can now log in and delete that broken plugin properly.
No: If the site is still broken, maybe it wasn’t a plugin. It might be your Theme.
Step 4: Fix Theme Conflicts
If renaming the plugin didn’t work, your Theme might be the issue. This happens often after a major update.
Connect via FTP.
Navigate to
wp-content/themes.Find your active theme folder (e.g.,
astraordivi).Rename it: Change it to
astra_OFF.Test: WordPress will automatically revert to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four). If your site loads (even if it looks ugly), you know your theme was the problem.
Fix: Contact the theme developer or restore a backup of the theme version that worked.
Step 5: Increase PHP Memory Limit
Sometimes, the “Critical Error” is just your server running out of gas. This is common with heavy sites running WooCommerce and Elementor together.
The Fix:
Open your
wp-config.phpfile again.Add this line:
PHPdefine( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );Save and refresh.
If the error was caused by “Memory Exhausted,” your site should load instantly. (Read our full Memory Limit Guide for more details).
Step 6: PHP Version Mismatch
In 2026, WordPress requires PHP 8.1 or higher. However, some old plugins still rely on PHP 7.4. If you recently upgraded your hosting PHP version, an old plugin might crash.
How to test:
Log in to your Hosting Control Panel (cPanel/hPanel).
Look for “PHP Configuration” or “MultiPHP Manager.”
Downgrade your PHP version one step (e.g., from 8.3 to 8.1).
Refresh your site.
If the site comes back, you have an outdated plugin that isn’t compatible with modern PHP. You need to find it and replace it.
Conclusion
The “Critical Error” message is annoying, but it is actually helpful. It protects your site from showing raw code errors to visitors.
Recap of Solutions:
Check Email: Look for the recovery link.
Enable Debug: Check
debug.logto find the culprit.Rename Folders: Disable specific plugins via FTP.
Increase Memory: Give your site more RAM.
Still Seeing the Error? If you have tried all 6 steps and your site is still down, the issue might be a corrupted database or a deep server conflict. Don’t risk losing your data.
Contact Our WordPress Emergency Team today. We specialize in fixing critical errors. We can log in, read the advanced logs, and get your business back online in minutes.
