When WordPress shows “There has been a critical error on this website,” your site may go offline. This message replaced the old white screen of death. Here’s how to fix it.
Check Your Email for Error Details
WordPress sends an email to the admin with a link to recovery mode and details about the error. This email usually identifies the exact file causing the problem.
Use Recovery Mode
The error email includes a special recovery mode link. Open it to access your dashboard and deactivate the problem plugin or theme.
Deactivate All Plugins via FTP
If you can’t access the dashboard, rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_old using FTP or your hosting file manager.
Switch to a Default Theme
Rename your active theme folder in wp-content/themes to force WordPress to load a default theme.
Increase the PHP Memory Limit
Add define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ ); to wp-config.php to rule out memory exhaustion.
Enable WP_DEBUG for Details
Add WP_DEBUG and WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY to wp-config.php to reveal the specific PHP error on the page.
Stuck on a Critical Error?
If you can’t fix the critical error yourself, contact Finggu Infotech for professional WordPress troubleshooting and repair.