Wordpress Site Crashed After Plugin Update How To Fix

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Wordpress Site Crashed After Plugin Update How To Fix. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

WordPress site crashed after plugin update: How to fix

A WordPress site that crashes immediately after a plugin update is usually caused by a conflict between the updated plugin, another installed extension, or the current WordPress core version. This can result in a blank white screen, a critical error message, or loss of access to the administration dashboard. The following steps will help you identify the problematic plugin and restore your site without losing your content.

Quick fix steps

1. Check your email for a WordPress recovery mode link.
2. Access your site via FTP or your hosting control panel's file manager.
3. Rename the wp-content/plugins folder to disable all plugins.
4. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
5. Rename the folder back and reactivate plugins one by one.

Detailed instructions

1. Use WordPress recovery mode

WordPress often sends an automated email to the site administrator when a plugin causes a fatal error. This email contains a unique recovery mode link.

1. Open the email from WordPress regarding the critical error.
2. Click the recovery mode link provided in the message.
3. Log in using your usual administrator credentials.
4. Navigate to Plugins in the left-hand menu.
5. Locate the plugin identified in the error email and click Deactivate.
6. Click Exit recovery mode at the top of the screen once the site is stable.

2. Disable plugins via FTP or file manager

If you cannot access the admin panel, you can force all plugins to deactivate by renaming the plugins directory.

1. Connect to your web server using an FTP client or log in to your hosting control panel and open File Manager.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation.
3. Locate the wp-content folder.
4. Right-click the plugins folder and rename it to plugins_old.
5. Attempt to log in to yourdomain.com.au/wp-admin.
6. Once logged in, rename plugins_old back to plugins.

3. Identify the conflicting plugin

With the plugins folder restored, reactivate your extensions individually to find the cause of the crash.

1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed plugins.
2. Click Activate on the first plugin in the list.
3. Refresh your website front end to check if it still loads correctly.
4. Repeat this process for each plugin until the error returns.
5. The last plugin activated before the crash is the conflicting extension.

4. Update or replace the problematic plugin

Once you have identified the faulty plugin, check for an updated version or a suitable alternative.

1. Visit the official WordPress plugin repository or the developer's website.
2. Verify that the plugin version is compatible with your current version of WordPress.
3. If an update is available, go to Plugins > Installed plugins and click Update now.
4. If no fix exists, leave the plugin deactivated and contact the plugin developer for support.

Troubleshooting

Site still displays a white screen

• Clear your browser cache and try accessing the site in an incognito window.
• If you use a caching plugin, clear the cache via FTP by deleting the contents of the wp-content/cache folder.
• Check if your theme is incompatible by temporarily switching to a default theme such as Twenty Twenty-Four via the database or by renaming the active theme folder in wp-content/themes.

Cannot access WordPress admin

• Ensure you are entering the correct URL, typically yourdomain.com.au/wp-admin.
• Verify your database credentials in the wp-config.php file if you see a database connection error.
• Confirm that your hosting account is active and has not exceeded its disk space or memory limits.

Still Having Issues?