WordPress ·
WordPress Critical Error? What to Do First
By Manu Mathew, Technical Lead Engineer · Published 13 November 2026 · Last updated 13 November 2026
You open your website and see one plain line: “There has been a critical error on this website.” Visitors see it too. Sometimes the dashboard still works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
A WordPress critical error looks alarming, but it is usually one piece of code failing, not the whole site being lost. Your content is normally still there. The aim is to find that piece and switch it off safely.
Quick answer
A WordPress critical error means a plugin, theme or piece of custom code hit a fatal PHP error. First check the site’s admin email for a recovery link, log in through it and deactivate the item named. If no email arrives, ask your host or developer to check the error log and disable the plugin there.
What does “There has been a critical error on this website” mean?
It means PHP, the language WordPress runs on, stopped part-way through building the page because of a fatal error.
Since WordPress 5.2, the site shows this message instead of a blank white page. At the same time, WordPress tries to email the site’s admin address with details and a special login link. That feature is called Recovery Mode.
The important point: your posts, pages, orders and settings sit in the database, and a critical error doesn’t delete them. Something stopped the page from being built, that’s all.
What usually causes a WordPress critical error?
Most of the time it follows a change: an update, a new plugin, a theme edit or a server change.
Common causes include:
- A plugin update that clashes with another plugin or with your theme.
- A theme update or edit, including a small change to the theme’s functions file.
- A PHP version change by the host, where older code isn’t ready for the newer version.
- Custom code snippets pasted into the site without testing.
- Running out of memory on a busy or heavy site.
Ask yourself what changed just before the error appeared. That is usually the best first clue.
| What changed recently | Likely place to look |
|---|---|
| A plugin was updated or added | That plugin |
| The theme was updated or edited | The theme |
| The host upgraded PHP | Older plugins or the theme |
| Nothing you know of | Automatic updates, or the error log |
What should you do first?
Stay calm, don’t start deleting things, and look for the recovery email.
Here is a sensible order:
- Check the admin email inbox, including spam, for a message saying the site is having a technical issue. It names the plugin or theme involved and includes a recovery link.
- Log in through that link. WordPress pauses the faulty item for your session only, so you can reach the dashboard.
- Deactivate the plugin or theme named in the notice. Don’t delete it yet.
- Exit Recovery Mode and check the site in a private browser window.
- Note what you did and when, so whoever fixes the root cause knows the story.
Deactivating is a temporary fix. The site works again, but you’ve lost whatever that plugin did, so the next step is to update, replace or repair it.
If your site takes payments or bookings, test one of those as soon as the site is back.
What if the recovery email never arrives?
Then the site needs to be checked from behind the scenes: the error log and the files, usually through your host’s control panel.
The recovery email is sent from your web server. If the site normally sends mail through a separate email service, that setup may not have loaded when the error happened, so the message can land in spam or go missing. My note on contact form emails not arriving explains why server email is unreliable.
Without the email, the usual steps are:
- Ask your host’s support to look at the PHP error log. It normally names the file that failed.
- Disable the plugin from the files. Renaming a plugin’s folder switches it off. Renaming the whole plugins folder switches them all off.
- Switch to a default theme if the error points to the theme.
- Turn on debug logging briefly. The WordPress debugging guide explains how, and recommends doing it on staging, not live sites.
If you’re not comfortable editing files, this is a good moment to stop and ask for help. A wrong edit in the wrong file can make things worse.
Should you restore a backup instead?
Sometimes, but only after you know what broke, or you may restore the same problem.
A restore rolls back everything since the backup, including new orders, enquiries and posts. On a shop or a busy site, that can lose real business records. Fixing or disabling one plugin is often the smaller, safer step.
A backup is still your safety net. Before anyone changes files, take a fresh copy of the broken site as it is. A good backup includes both the files and the database.
If the error came with other odd signs, such as unknown admin users or strange redirects, treat it as a possible hack instead. That needs a clean-up, not just a plugin switched off.
How do I handle a critical error for a client?
I get the site working first, then find the real cause, and I tell the owner what happened in plain words.
My usual steps are:
- Take a copy of the site as it is, files and database, before touching anything.
- Read the error log to find the exact file and line that failed.
- Restore service with the smallest change, usually disabling one plugin.
- Find the root cause on a staging copy: a version clash, a PHP change or a code fault.
- Fix it properly, then re-enable and test the features that depend on it.
- Write a short note of the cause, the fix and anything worth changing, such as how updates are applied.
Often the lasting fix is a process one, such as testing updates on staging before they reach the live site.
Frequently asked questions
Is my content lost after a WordPress critical error?
Usually not. Posts, pages, orders and settings live in the database, and a fatal PHP error stops the page from being built without deleting that data. Once the faulty plugin, theme or code is disabled or fixed, the content normally appears again as it was.
How long does WordPress Recovery Mode last?
Recovery Mode applies only to the administrator who logged in through the link, while that session lasts. Visitors keep seeing the error until the faulty item is deactivated or fixed. After the fix, you exit Recovery Mode from the admin toolbar, and WordPress goes back to loading everything normally.
Can automatic updates cause a critical error?
Yes. An automatic plugin, theme or core update can clash with other code on the site. Automatic updates are still useful for security, but on a site that matters to your business, keep a recent backup and check the site after updates, or test important updates on staging first.
Is a white screen the same as a critical error?
They come from the same kind of problem. Older WordPress versions, and some setups, show a blank white page when a fatal error happens, while newer versions show the critical error message. In both cases the fix starts with finding the plugin, theme or code that failed.
When should I call a developer?
Call one if the recovery email doesn’t arrive, if you’d need to edit files, if the site takes payments, or if the error returns after you deactivate something. A developer can read the error log, fix the cause on a copy and keep your records safe.
Need help with a WordPress critical error?
If your site is showing a critical error, or keeps breaking after updates, I’m happy to take a look. The WordPress websites page covers the kinds of work I take on, for businesses in Kozhikode, across Kerala and remote.
You can reach me through the contact section, email me at manu@manu.co.in or call +91 75589 09408. Tell me a little about the site and what changed before the error, and we’ll go from there.