If you’ve stumbled upon the dreaded message — “There has been a critical error on this website” — while trying to access your WordPress site, breathe. You’re not alone, and this guide will help you fix it step by step, even if you’re not a techie.
This error sounds scary, but it’s actually WordPress’s way of telling you, “Something’s wrong, and I’m stopping before I make things worse.”
Let’s break it down and help you restore your site quickly and safely—with insights gathered not just from documentation, but from real-world developer experiences, community forums, and troubleshooting logs.
What Triggers the “Critical Error” in WordPress?
WordPress introduced this error screen in version 5.2 to make fatal PHP errors more user-friendly. It means your site hit a roadblock during execution.
Most common culprits:
- A plugin update gone wrong
- Theme compatibility issues
- PHP memory limit exceeded
- Corrupted or missing core files
- Deprecated functions in custom code
- Conflicting scripts (especially after recent changes)
🧠 Real Insight from a WordPress forum:
“My site broke immediately after updating a caching plugin. The recovery email saved me, but I had to roll back to the previous version.”
— User: bigreddev, wpbeginner forums
Step-by-Step: How to Fix the WordPress Critical Error
Step 1: Look for the Recovery Mode Email
After the error, WordPress usually sends a link to recovery mode to your site admin email.
Check your inbox for:
Subject: “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”
🔑 This link lets you log into your dashboard with broken themes/plugins disabled temporarily—so you can fix the issue from inside WordPress.
Didn’t get the email?
Let’s go old-school with FTP or your file manager.
Step 2: Deactivate All Plugins (Without Logging In)
Most critical errors are plugin-related.
✅ Here’s what to do:
- Access your website files via cPanel File Manager, FTP, or SFTP.
- Navigate to:
wp-content/plugins - Rename the
pluginsfolder to something likeplugins-old.
This disables all plugins instantly.
- Refresh your site.
If it loads now, one of your plugins is the culprit.
👉 Rename the folder back to plugins, then rename each plugin folder one by one until you find the faulty one.
🧠 Real Tip from Reddit (r/Wordpress):
“Don’t forget to check for rogue mu-plugins too. I once had a must-use plugin that wasn’t even visible in the dashboard but was crashing everything.”
— @devkunoichi
Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme
Still broken? It might be your theme.
How to do it:
- Go to:
wp-content/themes - Rename your active theme folder (
mytheme→mytheme-broken) - WordPress will automatically revert to the default (e.g.,
twentytwentyfour)
🧠 If no default theme is installed, upload one manually and retry.
Step 4: Enable Debug Mode
To see what exactly is breaking:
- Open your
wp-config.phpfile - Add this (before “That’s all, stop editing!” line):
phpdefine( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
- Reload the site. Then check the log file at:
/wp-content/debug.log
📌 This log will often point to the exact file and line causing the crash.
Step 5: Increase PHP Memory Limit
If your server doesn’t have enough memory for your theme or plugin stack, it can crash.
Add this to wp-config.php:
phpdefine( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );
🎯 Forum Insight:
“Increasing memory fixed my issue with Elementor crashing on load.”
— @ashleybuilds, SiteGround forums
Step 6: Reinstall Core WordPress Files
If your core files are corrupted, replacing them helps.
Here’s how:
- Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org
- Delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders from your site (be very careful not to delete
wp-content) - Upload the new ones via FTP
✅ No worries—your content and settings won’t be affected if you don’t touch wp-content or wp-config.php.
Step 7: Restore from a Backup (If You Must)
If nothing works and your host provides backups—this may be your safest option.
🛠 Most managed WordPress hosts (like Kinsta, Hostinger, MainVPS or Bluehost) let you restore your entire site in one click.
How to Prevent the Critical Error in the Future
- Always backup before updates (use UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, or your host’s native backups)
- Use a staging environment to test changes before pushing live
- Limit plugins to trusted, updated ones (don’t hoard plugins!)
- Monitor your PHP version – outdated versions can break newer themes/plugins
- Install security/firewall plugins like Wordfence to monitor changes
SEO Impact of WordPress Errors
Google doesn’t like broken sites. If your homepage or major content pages show errors for too long:
- Your rankings can drop
- Pages may be temporarily deindexed
- Bounce rates spike → negative UX signals
🧠 Use tools like UptimeRobot or Jetpack Monitor to get alerts instantly when your site goes down.
FAQs
Q1: Is this the “white screen of death”?
It’s similar. Earlier WordPress versions showed a blank white page. Now, the critical error page is the friendlier replacement.
Q2: I can’t access my dashboard, what now?
Use the recovery mode email link. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to troubleshoot via FTP or the hosting panel.
Q3: Can I fix this without a developer?
Yes, especially if you follow this guide. But if the error involves custom code, a dev might be your best bet.
Q4: Will restoring a backup erase my latest changes?
Yes, unless it’s an incremental backup. Choose a restore point wisely—don’t overwrite recent content unless necessary.
Q5: Can server issues cause this error?
Absolutely. Misconfigured PHP, lack of resources, or outdated server stack can trigger fatal errors. Ask your host to check logs if in doubt.
Final Thoughts
The “There has been a critical error on this website” message isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a warning sign—an invitation to investigate. With the right approach and tools, you can get your WordPress site back up within minutes, and most importantly, learn how to keep it healthy moving forward.
Always keep backups, use staging for big changes, and monitor plugin updates. WordPress is powerful—but like any powerful tool, it needs a little care.