Guide

A plugin update broke your WordPress site. Here is how to get it back.

It is one of the most common WordPress problems, and usually fixable. Take it one step at a time.

1. Do not keep clicking

Repeated updates and changes can make it harder to find the cause. Stop, and note what you updated just before it broke.

2. Restore a backup if you have one

Your host or a backup plugin may let you roll back to yesterday. This is the quickest fix if it works.

3. Switch off the plugin that did it

If you cannot reach the admin, connect to your site files and rename the folder of the plugin you updated, inside the plugins folder. WordPress will then load without it.

4. Check the error

Turn on WordPress debugging, or ask your host for the error log. It usually names the plugin or theme that failed.

5. Update in the right order

Back up first. Update one thing at a time, ideally on a copy of your site, and check the pages that matter before you move on.

6. Ask whether this is worth it

If every update is a gamble, the site has more moving parts than your business needs. A static site has no updates to break.

Questions

Why do updates break sites?

Plugins and themes come from different developers and do not always work together. One update can clash with another, or with your version of WordPress or PHP.

How do I stop it happening again?

Keep fewer plugins, back up before every update, and test on a copy. Or move to a site with nothing to update.

Still on WordPress?

Send us your address and we will tell you straight what we would change, and what it could save you.

Send us your address

More guides

Move your WordPress site to a fast static site.Your WordPress site was hacked. What to do first.Why your WordPress site is slow on mobile, and what to do.Static site or WordPress? An honest comparison.