“There has been a critical error on this website” means WordPress hit a PHP error it couldn’t recover from, so it stopped loading the page. The cause is almost always a plugin, a theme or a PHP version change. Your content is usually safe. The fastest fix is to use the recovery mode link WordPress emails you, then switch off whatever broke.
Key takeaways
- The message is WordPress’s polite way of hiding a “fatal” PHP error from visitors.
- Check the site admin’s inbox for an email titled “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”. It contains a recovery mode link.
- Most cases trace back to a plugin or theme update, or a PHP upgrade by the host.
- If there’s no email, you can find the culprit through the error log or by renaming the plugins folder.
- Take a backup before you change anything, and call for help if it’s a shop that’s losing sales.
What does “There has been a critical error on this website” mean?
WordPress runs on a programming language called PHP. When some PHP code fails badly enough, PHP stops running. That’s called a “fatal error”. Before 2019, a fatal error usually meant a blank white page. Since WordPress 5.2, WordPress catches the error and shows this friendlier message instead.
The same release added recovery mode. WordPress detects which plugin or theme caused the error and emails the site’s admin address. The email lets you log in with that plugin or theme paused, so you can fix things. The WordPress core team explained the feature in its recovery mode announcement.
What usually causes the critical error?
- A plugin update that clashes with another plugin, your theme or your PHP version.
- A theme update, or a custom change in the theme’s functions file.
- A PHP upgrade on the server. Older plugins can use code that newer PHP no longer allows.
- Running out of memory, often on busy shops or page builders.
- A failed or half-finished update, which leaves files mismatched.
- Malware or a bad edit that has damaged a core file.
Think about what changed in the last day or two. That’s usually your best clue.
How do I fix it with the recovery mode email?
- Find the email. It goes to the admin email set in WordPress settings, which may not be your main inbox. Check spam too. The subject is “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”.
- Read the error details. The email names the plugin or theme and the file that failed.
- Click the recovery mode link and log in. The broken plugin or theme is paused for you only.
- Deactivate the plugin, or switch to a default theme if the theme is at fault.
- Exit recovery mode and check the site in a private browser window.
- Replace or roll back the plugin, or contact its developer, before switching it on again.
What if I didn’t get the recovery mode email?
The email can fail if your site can’t send mail, or if the admin address is old. You still have three good ways in.
1. Turn on the debug log
Using your host’s file manager or SFTP, open wp-config.php in the site’s main folder. Add these lines above the “That’s all, stop editing” comment:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );Reload the site, then open wp-content/debug.log. The last lines name the file that failed, and the folder name tells you which plugin or theme it belongs to. The WordPress debugging guide explains each setting. Switch debugging off again when you’re done.
2. Rename the plugins folder
Rename wp-content/plugins to plugins-off. WordPress deactivates every plugin. If the site comes back, rename it to plugins again, then rename each plugin folder one at a time until the error returns. The last one you renamed is the culprit.
3. Check the PHP version
If nothing changed on your side, ask your host whether PHP was upgraded. Most hosting panels let you pick the PHP version. Moving back one version can buy time while you update the plugin that can’t cope.
How do I stop it happening again?
Critical errors are mostly a maintenance problem. A few habits prevent most of them:
- Back up before every update, and keep a copy off the server.
- Update on a staging copy first, then on the live site. Our guide to staging sites and safe updates shows how.
- Remove plugins you don’t use. Fewer plugins means fewer clashes.
- Keep PHP current, but test before the host upgrades it for you.
- Use uptime monitoring, so you hear about errors before customers do.
This is the kind of work our website maintenance plans handle every month. If you’d like a person to call when something breaks, our website support team is Australian and answers the phone.
When should I call a professional?
Get help straight away if any of these apply:
- It’s an online shop and orders have stopped.
- You can’t reach the files or the hosting panel.
- The error mentions core WordPress files, not a plugin or theme.
- You see unfamiliar admin users or strange files, which can point to a hack.
Our fast WordPress repairs service handles exactly this. If the error comes with a database message instead, see our guide to fixing “Error establishing a database connection”. For shops with broken checkouts, our earlier article on emergency WordPress repair goes deeper.
If the error appeared straight after an update, our guide to recovering from a WordPress update that broke your site walks through the rollback, and the most common WordPress problems covers the faults we see most often.
Frequently asked questions
Have I lost my website content?
Almost never. Your pages and posts live in the database, which this error doesn’t touch. Once the faulty code is switched off, the content returns.
Where does the recovery mode email go?
To the “Administration Email Address” in Settings > General. If that’s an old address, ask your host or developer to check the error log instead.
Can a hack cause a critical error?
Yes. Malware sometimes breaks files as it injects code. If you see strange admin users or files, treat it as a security incident, not just an error.
Is it safe to delete the plugin causing the error?
Deactivate it first. Deleting a plugin can also delete its settings. Once the site is stable, decide whether to update, replace or remove it.
Why does the error only show on some pages?
The failing code may only run on certain pages, such as the checkout or a page with a specific form. The debug log will show which file fails and when.
Sources
- Fatal Error Recovery Mode in 5.2, Make WordPress Core, April 2019
- Debugging in WordPress, WordPress Developer Resources
- Common WordPress errors, WordPress Developer Resources