Critical error 📝 WordPress

WordPress: There Has Been a Critical Error on This Website

A PHP fatal error (usually from a plugin or theme) stopped WordPress; the real error is in the debug log or recovery-mode email.

Seen on: WordPress PHP Linux

Meaning

Since WordPress 5.2, fatal errors show this friendly message instead of a white screen. WordPress emails the admin a recovery-mode link describing which plugin/theme failed.

Common causes

  • Plugin or theme incompatible with your PHP or WordPress version
  • Plugin/theme update introduced a bug
  • PHP memory limit exhausted
  • Corrupted or partially uploaded plugin files
  • Custom code in functions.php with a syntax error

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Open the recovery-mode link from the admin email
  2. Enable WP_DEBUG_LOG and read wp-content/debug.log
  3. Rename the offending plugin folder in wp-content/plugins via FTP/SSH
  4. Switch to a default theme by renaming your theme folder
  5. Raise memory: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

Detailed fix by platform

WordPress

  1. wp-config.php — log errors without showing them to visitors:
    php
    define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);      // writes wp-content/debug.log
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Linux

  1. With WP-CLI: wp plugin deactivate --all then re-enable one by one.

How to diagnose

  1. Email — Did WordPress email a recovery link naming the plugin?
  2. Debug log — What is the fatal error and file?
  3. Recent change — Which plugin/theme/PHP version changed?

🧠 Still stuck? Analyze your error

Paste the full message, response headers or stack trace — we'll detect the platform and point to the most likely cause.