How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death

The WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD) is one of the most frustrating errors - your site shows a completely blank page with no error message. On dotCanada hosting, here are the most effective ways to diagnose and fix it.

Step 1: Enable WP_DEBUG

Connect to your site via FTP and open wp-config.php. Add the following lines before /* That's all, stop editing! */:

1. Add define('WP_DEBUG', true);
2. Add define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
3. Reload your site - errors will now appear or be logged to /wp-content/debug.log

Step 2: Disable All Plugins

A faulty plugin is the most common cause of the WSOD. Via FTP, navigate to /wp-content/ and rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled. If your site loads, a plugin is the culprit. Rename the folder back, then re-enable plugins one at a time to find the problematic one.

Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme

If disabling plugins doesn't help, your active theme may be the issue. Via FTP, go to /wp-content/themes/ and rename your active theme folder. WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.

Step 4: Increase PHP Memory

A memory exhaustion issue can also cause a blank screen. In wp-config.php, add:

• define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

If you need your server's PHP memory limit raised, contact our support team and we'll get it sorted for you.