There Has Been a Critical Error on This Website

"There has been a critical error on this website" is WordPress's built-in fatal error handler, introduced in WordPress 5.2. It replaces the white screen of death with a more user-friendly message. The actual cause is a PHP fatal error in a plugin, theme, or WordPress core file. This guide walks through identifying and fixing the root cause.

01. What This Error Means

This message means PHP encountered a fatal error that prevented WordPress from rendering the page. WordPress catches the error, logs it, sends a notification email, and displays this generic message instead of a blank screen or raw PHP error.

The error can appear on the frontend (visitors see it), the admin panel (you can't log in), or both. The specific cause depends on what code triggered the fatal error.

02. Finding the Cause

The fastest way to identify the problem is the error log:

# Check the site's error log
tail -20 ~/public_html/error_log

Or in cPanel, go to Errors under the Metrics section. You'll see the PHP fatal error with the exact file and line number, like:

PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function some_function()
in /home/user/public_html/wp-content/plugins/broken-plugin/main.php on line 42

This tells you exactly which plugin or theme file caused the crash.

If WP_DEBUG is enabled, you can also check the debug log:

tail -30 ~/public_html/wp-content/debug.log

03. Using WordPress Recovery Mode

When a fatal error occurs, WordPress sends an email to the admin address with a special recovery link. This link lets you access the WordPress admin panel with the broken plugin/theme automatically paused.

1. Check your admin email - Look for a message from "WordPress" with subject "Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue"
2. Click the recovery link - This logs you into the admin panel in recovery mode
3. Go to Plugins - The plugin causing the error will show a banner. Deactivate it
4. Exit recovery mode - Click the "Exit Recovery Mode" link in the admin bar

04. Manual Fix via File Manager or FTP

If you don't have the recovery email or can't use it:

If a Plugin Is the Cause

1. Open cPanel > File Manager
2. Navigate to wp-content/plugins/
3. Rename the broken plugin's folder - Add .bak to the end (e.g., broken-plugin.bak)
4. Load your site - It should work now with the plugin deactivated
5. Log in to WordPress admin - Update or replace the plugin, then rename the folder back if needed

If a Theme Is the Cause

1. Navigate to wp-content/themes/
2. Rename the active theme's folder - WordPress falls back to a default theme (Twenty Twenty-Four, etc.)
3. Log in and fix the theme - Update it or switch to a different theme

If You're Not Sure What Caused It

Rename the entire plugins directory to deactivate everything:

mv ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins.bak

If the site works, rename it back and reactivate plugins one at a time to find the culprit:

mv ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins.bak ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins

05. Common Causes

Plugin update broke compatibility - A plugin update introduced a bug or requires a newer PHP version. Roll back the plugin by restoring from backup or downloading an older version from wordpress.org.

PHP version mismatch - A plugin requires PHP 8.1+ but the account is running PHP 7.4. Check the error message for version requirements. See our PHP version guide.

Memory exhaustion - PHP ran out of memory. The error log will show "Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted." Increase WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php and PHP memory_limit in cPanel.

Corrupted core files - WordPress core files were modified by malware or a failed update. Reinstall WordPress core by uploading fresh files from wordpress.org (keeping wp-content/ and wp-config.php). See our hacked site recovery guide.

Elementor version mismatch - If using Elementor with Pro, both must be at compatible versions. See our Elementor critical error guide.

Quick Recap: WordPress Critical Error

1. Check the error log - tail -20 ~/public_html/error_log shows the exact cause
2. Use recovery mode - Check your admin email for the recovery link from WordPress
3. Rename the broken plugin - Add .bak to the plugin folder name via File Manager
4. Check PHP version - Make sure your PHP version meets the plugin's requirements
5. Check memory - Increase WP_MEMORY_LIMIT if the error is memory exhaustion

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Errors articles