If you’ve worked with WordPress long enough, you know the feeling: everything is fine… and then suddenly your website disappears, breaks, or throws an error message you’ve never seen before. At MinuteBrands, we get calls every single week from business owners who didn’t touch anything, yet somehow their site “just stopped working.” WordPress errors come in a variety of ways. While they aren’t always emergencies, you should fix any error as soon as possible.
Sometimes it’s caused by outdated software. Sometimes a theme or plugin update goes sideways. And sometimes it’s the infamous white screen of death, which I’ve personally seen dozens of times — especially when someone (us included) updates a site running on an older PHP version. Other times it’s a plugin conflict that instantly crashes the site.
The good news? Most common WordPress errors look scary, but the solutions are often simple. And with a proper backup, you can recover from almost anything.
If you’d like help fixing any of these errors or need a rescue, you can reach us anytime:
👉 https://minutebrands.com/contact/
Understanding the Most Common WordPress Errors
Before we dive into fixes, here are the errors we encounter most often:
- The White Screen of Death
- 500 Internal Server Error
- 404 Page Not Found
- Error Establishing a Database Connection
- Maintenance Mode Stuck
- Plugin or Theme Conflicts
Each one has its own cause — and its own solution — so let’s break them down in plain English.
The White Screen of Death (WSOD)
If you update a plugin, theme, or PHP version and suddenly your site turns into a blank white screen, welcome to the club. The WSOD is one of the most common WordPress issues.
Why it happens:
- Outdated PHP versions
- Plugin or theme conflicts
- Memory limit issues
- Corrupted files
What you can try:
- Disable all plugins (then reactivate one by one)
- Switch to a default theme temporarily
- Increase PHP memory limit
- Update PHP to a supported version
I’ve personally seen older PHP versions crash sites instantly during updates. It’s one of the reasons we always recommend keeping your server up to date. Your host may force a PHP update or you may ask them for it. Be prepared for some troubleshooting as 50% of the time updating from PHP 7.x to 8.x will crash the site. But following the steps in this article will help you recover quickly.
500 Internal Server Error
This one looks intimidating, but it’s usually caused by something small.
Common causes:
- Corrupted .htaccess file
- Outdated plugin or theme
- Server configuration issues
Fixes to try:
- Rename your .htaccess file to generate a new one
- Disable plugins
- Reinstall WordPress core files
404 Page Not Found Errors
404 errors often have nothing to do with the page itself being missing.
Most likely cause:
Your permalink settings became corrupted.
Quick fix:
Go to Settings → Permalinks → Save
(This regenerates the permalink structure instantly. Ok. Do this twice just to be sure as sometimes it actually fixes the problem.)
If the issue persists, your .htaccess file might need to be rebuilt or replaced.
Error Establishing a Database Connection
This one usually appears out of nowhere and can freeze your entire site.
What causes it:
- Wrong database login details
- Corrupted database tables
- Hosting server issues
Possible solutions:
- Check the database credentials in wp-config.php
- Repair the database using WordPress’ built-in repair mode
- Contact your hosting provider to rule out server issues
Stuck in Maintenance Mode
This is a surprisingly common problem — especially when updates fail or time out.
When WordPress updates something, it temporarily puts your site in maintenance mode. But when something goes wrong, your site gets stuck there… indefinitely. While it seems like one of the scary WordPress errors, it usually isn’t as bad as it looks.
The fix is simple:
Delete the file named .maintenance from your site’s root directory.
That single file controls maintenance mode. Delete it → site returns instantly.
We’ve solved many “emergency” calls by removing this one tiny file. It may not fix the source of the problem but should get your site back to live again right away.
Plugin & Theme Conflicts
This is one of the biggest causes of random WordPress errors, especially when someone has:
- Too many plugins
- Outdated plugins
- Plugins from different developers doing the same thing
- Custom themes/plugins that no longer match the latest WordPress version
How to diagnose quickly:
- Deactivate all plugins
- Reactivate them one at a time (reload each time until the problem occurs again and you’ll know which one is to blame.)
- Switch to a default theme temporarily
If the site suddenly works again, you’ve found the culprit.
Why Backups Matter More Than Anything
Of every fix in this guide, keeping a backup is the most important.
Most website “rescues” we handle take minutes if there’s a recent backup available. When there isn’t? Things get complicated fast.
A good backup lets you:
- Restore your site instantly
- Reverse a bad plugin update
- Recover from a hack
- Avoid downtime
Set up automatic backups once and forget about it. They’re a lifesaver. This can be done free so there is no excuse not to have one and don’t simply rely on your host. As long as you have a backup from before a hack, you can restore the site to exactly the way it was. You may lose a little data, but this is a real lifeline when you need it.
When to Call In a Professional
If your site stays down for more than a few minutes and you’re not sure what caused the issue, it’s wise to get help right away. The longer a site is offline or corrupted, the greater the risk of data loss, broken pages, and SEO damage.
At MinuteBrands, we handle:
- White screen of death fixes
- PHP and plugin conflicts
- Misbehaving themes
- Database errors
- Stuck maintenance mode
- Full site rescues
- Ongoing WordPress support
If you’d like our team to fix your WordPress error or rescue a broken site, contact us anytime:
👉 https://minutebrands.com/contact/
