Activating or updating a plugin results in a blank screen across the site or admin area.
Plugin Causes White Screen of Death
Key Points: The site or admin area shows a completely blank screen after plugin activation or update.
You hit “Activate” — and the whole site goes white. No errors, no content, just a digital void. This is WordPress’s version of a heart attack, and a plugin is the likely trigger.
🚨 Why It Happens
- Plugin contains fatal PHP error
- Server hits memory limit during plugin load
- Plugin conflicts with current theme or another plugin
🛠️ What to Do
- Access your site via FTP or File Manager
- Rename the plugin’s folder inside
/wp-content/plugins/to deactivate it - Enable
WP_DEBUGinwp-config.phpto trace the issue - Contact plugin author if issue persists after restoring
💡 Tip
Always test plugins in a staging environment before using them on production sites.