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Blank site or fatal error

A blank white page, a 500 error, or a fatal error message. This is always urgent — the front end renders nothing — and it is usually one of a handful of causes.
If you are mid-launch, restoring a backup is faster than debugging. Diagnose the cause later, on staging.

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Read the error first

Most hosting providers show a useful error, and WordPress hides it by default.

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Cause 1 — PHP version is too old

The most common cause on hosts that have not been maintained.
1

Check your PHP version

Tools → Site Health → Info → Server.
2

You need 7.4 or higher

The theme targets PHP 7.4+. PHP 7.2 and 7.3 cannot run it.
3

Change it

Most hosts offer a PHP version selector in cPanel or their dashboard. Switch to 8.1 or newer.
4

Ask your host if you cannot

It is a host setting, not a WordPress one, and most hosts will change it for you.
See Requirements.

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Cause 2 — a plugin fatal error

1

Deactivate all plugins

Plugins → Installed Plugins → Deactivate at the top. Not by the plugin, by the bulk action.
2

Reload the site

If it comes back, a plugin is the cause and you have narrowed it to the set.
3

Reactivate in halves

Turn on half, check, then the other half. Repeat until you find the one that breaks it.
4

Leave it deactivated

Then decide whether you need it, or find an alternative.
If you cannot reach the plugins screen, deactivate via WP-CLI or by renaming the plugin folder.
An incompatible plugin version is the usual culprit. Check whether the plugin updated shortly before the site broke. Rolling back to the previous version is a temporary fix that confirms the diagnosis.

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Cause 3 — memory exhausted

Symptoms are often a blank page, or a specific “Allowed memory size exhausted” error.
1

Check your limit

Tools → Site Health → Info → Server → memory_limit.
2

Raise it

Aim for 256M. Add this to wp-config.php:
3

If it cannot be raised

Some hosts cap PHP memory below what WordPress wants. That is a hosting limitation — raising it is worth discussing with your host.

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Cause 4 — a broken child theme

If you have one, it overrides the parent and can break independently.

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Cause 5 — a template error on one page

If only one page is blank rather than the whole site, that page’s template is likely at fault.

Switch its template

In the page editor, change Page Attributes → Template to Default Template.

Switch its builder

If it was saved with Elementor, try Saved Templates → Home as a sanity check.
See Missing header or footer.
Have a working backup. This is the one scenario that justifies it. Configure automated database and file backups before you need them.

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Diagnosis flow

1

Is the whole site blank, or one page?

One page → cause 5, a template problem. Everything → continue.
2

Is the dashboard reachable?

No → PHP version, memory, or a fatal error. Check Site Health’s Info tab, which works even when the front end does not.
3

Deactivate all plugins

Site returns → a plugin. Bisect to find it.
4

Disable your child theme

Site returns → your custom code.
5

Switch back to another theme

Only as a last resort, and it will change your site’s appearance.

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Prevention

Plugin conflicts

The bisect procedure in detail.

Requirements

PHP and server requirements.