{"id":7850,"date":"2026-04-21T10:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=7850"},"modified":"2026-06-09T21:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T19:36:44","slug":"what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do when WordPress shows &#8220;Critical Error&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A &#8220;There has been a critical error on this website&#8221; message in WordPress indicates that a serious problem is preventing the website from loading correctly. The error itself is not the cause\u2014it is simply WordPress informing you that something has gone wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common causes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Incompatible plugins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Theme conflicts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Corrupted WordPress files<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PHP errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Database issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Server resource limits being exceeded<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-1610908225\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, in most cases the issue can be identified and resolved without rebuilding the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Check_Your_WordPress_Recovery_Email\" >Check Your WordPress Recovery Email<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Enable_WordPress_Debug_Mode\" >Enable WordPress Debug Mode<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Disable_Recently_Installed_Plugins\" >Disable Recently Installed Plugins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Switch_to_a_Default_Theme\" >Switch to a Default Theme<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Repair_WordPress_Core_Files\" >Repair WordPress Core Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Repair_the_Database\" >Repair the Database<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Check_Server_Resource_Limits\" >Check Server Resource Limits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#How_to_Prevent_Critical_Errors\" >How to Prevent Critical Errors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-to-do-when-wordpress-shows-critical-error\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_Your_WordPress_Recovery_Email\"><\/span>Check Your WordPress Recovery Email<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since WordPress 5.2, the system automatically sends an email to the site administrator when a critical error occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The email usually contains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Information about the affected plugin or theme<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Technical details about the error<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A special recovery mode link<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recovery Mode allows you to access the WordPress dashboard and temporarily disable problematic plugins or themes without affecting other website files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before performing any troubleshooting, check the administrator email account associated with your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enable_WordPress_Debug_Mode\"><\/span>Enable WordPress Debug Mode<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If no recovery email was received, enabling debug mode can provide additional information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Connect to your website using FTP or your hosting file manager.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open the <code>wp-config.php<\/code> file located in the WordPress root directory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the following line:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>define('WP_DEBUG', false);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace it with:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>define('WP_DEBUG', true);\ndefine('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);\ndefine('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Save the file and refresh the website.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress will create an error log located at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>\/wp-content\/debug.log\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This file often contains the exact plugin, theme, or PHP file responsible for the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disable_Recently_Installed_Plugins\"><\/span>Disable Recently Installed Plugins<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plugins are one of the most common causes of critical errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To test whether a plugin is responsible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Connect to the website via FTP or File Manager.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>\/wp-content\/plugins\/\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rename the folder of a recently installed or updated plugin.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>contact-form-7\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>contact-form-7-disabled\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reload the website.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the site starts working again, the renamed plugin is likely causing the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Switch_to_a_Default_Theme\"><\/span>Switch to a Default Theme<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A faulty or incompatible theme can also trigger critical errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To test this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>\/wp-content\/themes\/\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rename the active theme folder.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>astra\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>astra-disabled\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If a default WordPress theme such as Twenty Twenty-Four is installed, WordPress will automatically activate it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the website loads correctly afterward, the theme is likely the source of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Repair_WordPress_Core_Files\"><\/span>Repair WordPress Core Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critical errors sometimes occur after incomplete WordPress updates or corrupted system files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To repair WordPress:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download the latest version of WordPress from the official website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extract the archive locally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upload all files and folders except:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp-content\nwp-config.php\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Overwrite the existing files on the server.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This process refreshes WordPress core files without affecting your website content, plugins, themes, or settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Repair_the_Database\"><\/span>Repair the Database<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Database corruption can also cause critical errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To enable the WordPress database repair tool:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the <code>wp-config.php<\/code> file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the following line:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>https:&#47;&#47;yourdomain.com\/wp-admin\/maint\/repair.php\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run the repair process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After completion, remove the line from <code>wp-config.php<\/code> for security reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_Server_Resource_Limits\"><\/span>Check Server Resource Limits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A website may display a critical error if it exceeds available server resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PHP memory exhaustion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CPU limits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Entry process limits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PHP execution time limits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check your hosting control panel or PHP error logs for messages such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Allowed memory size exhausted\nMaximum execution time exceeded\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If resource limits are causing the issue, increasing PHP limits or optimizing the website may resolve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Prevent_Critical_Errors\"><\/span>How to Prevent Critical Errors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although critical errors cannot always be avoided, the following practices can significantly reduce the risk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create regular backups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update WordPress, plugins, and themes regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test updates on a staging environment when possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install plugins only from trusted developers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove unused plugins and themes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitor PHP and server error logs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your PHP version up to date<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A WordPress critical error is usually caused by a plugin conflict, theme issue, corrupted files, database problems, or insufficient server resources. The fastest way to identify the cause is to check the recovery email, enable WordPress debug mode, and review the generated error logs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In most cases, the problem can be resolved by disabling a faulty plugin, switching themes, repairing WordPress files, or correcting a server configuration issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[58],"manual_kb_tag":[549,638,9126,9127,9128,9129,9130,9131,9132,548],"class_list":["post-7850","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-web-applications-cms","manual_kb_tag-debug-log","manual_kb_tag-wp-config-file","manual_kb_tag-wordpress-critical-error","manual_kb_tag-critical-error","manual_kb_tag-recovery-email","manual_kb_tag-recovery-mode","manual_kb_tag-wp-content-folder","manual_kb_tag-plugins-folder","manual_kb_tag-themes-folder","manual_kb_tag-debug-mode"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7851,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7850\/revisions\/7851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=7850"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=7850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}