Fixing a broken WordPress site: your website is down or shows an error

Your website opens as a white screen, shows “There has been a critical error on this website”, returns a 500 Internal Server Error, or the admin stopped letting you in after an update. Sometimes the site is up but the layout has collapsed and the menu is dead. Every hour offline costs enquiries and trust, so speed matters.

The goal of emergency repair is simple: the site back online first, the explanation second. We go through the hosting panel and the logs, find what caused the failure and do what it takes to bring the site back. Only then do we write up what happened and what should change so it does not happen again. The scope shown on this page covers the first diagnosis and a typical fix; if the damage turns out to be bigger, we estimate the rest once the site is up.

What the work includes

• Quick diagnosis. We read the PHP errors and server logs (error_log, debug.log) in the hosting panel, switch on WP_DEBUG if needed and pinpoint the file or plugin where the error originates.
• Restoring from backup. If the host or your backup service holds a recent copy and that is the fastest safe route, we restore the site first and investigate the cause afterwards.
• Disabling the faulty plugin or theme. We deactivate the offending plugin or theme over FTP/SSH or in the database so the admin opens again, then switch the rest back on one at a time.
• Fixing PHP compatibility. If the failure came from a PHP version change or outdated code, we fix the error or temporarily select a compatible PHP version until the code is sorted out.
• Repairing the database. We run a table check and repair (REPAIR TABLE or WP-CLI), verify the connection details and privileges in wp-config.php and clear bloated transients if they are choking the site.
• Rolling back an update. If the site broke after a WordPress core, theme or plugin update, we roll that component back to the last working version and note what must be checked before updating again.
• File permissions and .htaccess. We check file and folder permissions, .htaccess rules and permalinks, which are common causes of 500 errors and 404 pages.
• Checks after the fix. We go through the home page, subpages, forms and, in a shop, the basket and checkout, so the site actually works rather than merely loads.
• Summary of cause and recommendations. We write a short note on what caused the failure, what we did and what should be done permanently: update, replace or remove.

Typical situations

A plugin auto-updated and the site now shows nothing but the critical error message. The host raised the PHP version and a function in an old theme stopped working. Someone edited functions.php and left a syntax error behind. A database table got corrupted after a server restart, or the disk filled up. An expired SSL certificate or a wrong site URL in the database sends visitors into an endless redirect loop. In all of these, knowing the right first step saves hours.

What we need from you

• Access to the hosting panel (cPanel, Plesk or your host’s own panel) or FTP/SSH. Without it a broken site cannot be repaired.
• A WordPress administrator account, if the admin still opens.
• What happened right before the failure: an update, a new plugin, a PHP change, a code edit, a migration.
• Where the last working backup is, if one exists.
• A quick decision on whether you prefer a restore from backup (you may lose recent changes) or a fix in place.

What is not included

• Cleaning a hacked or malware-infected site. That is a separate service, malware removal, which we hand the job over to as soon as the logs show a break-in.
• A thorough rewrite of old theme or plugin code for PHP 8. We make the quick fix; bigger work is estimated separately (see PHP version upgrade).
• Fixing the host’s own outage (server down, disk full). We talk to the host where needed, but repairing the server is their job.
• Routine updating of all plugins and the theme after the repair. That belongs to maintenance.

Who it suits

Any owner of a WordPress or WooCommerce site that is down or misbehaving right now and who has no developer to call. If the site is up but slow or suspicious, start with a health check and security audit instead. If you would rather someone kept the site in order so mornings like this stop happening, look at website maintenance, where updates are tested before they go live.