How to Fix the “Critical Error on Your Website”

This error usually appears when a plugin, theme, or PHP configuration breaks the site.
Use the steps below in order, they are safe for most cases.

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1. Enable WordPress Recovery Mode (if available) #

When the error happens, WordPress often sends an email to the admin address with a “Recovery Mode” link.

1. Open the email with subject like “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”.
2. Click the recovery link and log in.
3. WordPress will show which plugin or theme caused the error and let you deactivate it with one click.

If you do not have the email or cannot access it, continue with the next steps.

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2. Deactivate plugins via FTP or File Manager #

Most critical errors are caused by a plugin conflict.

1. Access your site files via hosting File Manager or FTP.
2. Go to wp-content/.
3. Rename the folder plugins to plugins-disabled.
4. Visit your site again:
   • If it loads, the problem is one of the plugins.
5. Rename the folder back to plugins, then:
   • Inside plugins, rename each plugin folder one by one (for example elementor → elementor-disabled).
   • After each rename, reload the site until it works.
6. Once you find the plugin causing the issue, leave it disabled and replace/update it.

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3. Switch to a default theme #

If disabling plugins does not help, the issue may be with the active theme or a child theme.

1. In wp-content/themes/, make sure a default theme like twentytwentyfour exists.
2. Rename your active theme folder (for example portfoliocraft → portfoliocraft-disabled).
3. WordPress will automatically fall back to the default theme.
4. If the site works now, the issue is in the theme or custom code added to it (functions.php, custom plugins, etc.).

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4. Check PHP version and memory limit #

Some themes and plugins require a minimum PHP version and enough memory.

1. In your hosting control panel, check PHP version:
   • Use at least PHP 7.4 (better 8.0+).
2. Increase PHP/WordPress memory limit to at least 256M (512M recommended) by adding in wp-config.php before the line “That’s all, stop editing”:

phpdefine( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );

3. Save and reload the site.

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5. Enable debug mode to see the real error #

If the error still appears, turn on debugging to see the exact problem.

1. Open wp-config.php.
2. Find: define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );
3. Change it to:

phpdefine( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );

4. Visit the site again.
5. Check the file wp-content/debug.log on the server.
   • The last lines will show which file and which plugin/theme triggered the fatal error.
6. Fix or disable the component mentioned there.

After finishing, set WP_DEBUG back to false for production.

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6. Restore from backup if needed #

If none of the steps help and you have a recent backup:

1. Use your hosting backup tool or a plugin backup to restore the site to a working state.
2. After restore, update themes/plugins one by one and test to