What to Do When a WordPress Update Breaks Your Site

If a WordPress update breaks your site, don’t keep clicking update. First restore access: roll back the plugin or theme that caused the problem, or restore the most recent backup. Then find the conflict on a staging copy before trying the update again.

Step 1: Figure out what changed

Note which update ran last: WordPress core, a plugin or your theme. If you updated several at once, the most recent major update is the usual suspect.

Step 2: Get the site working again

• If you can reach the dashboard, deactivate the plugin you just updated
• If you can’t, rename that plugin’s folder over SFTP to disable it
• If the theme is at fault, switch to a default theme temporarily
• If all else fails, restore the latest backup

WordPress’s recovery mode may also email the site admin a special login link when a fatal error occurs.

Step 3: Find the real cause

Most broken updates come from a conflict between two plugins, a plugin and your theme, or a plugin and your PHP version. Check your error log, then reproduce the problem on a staging copy so your live site stays up while you test.

Step 4: Update safely next time

• Take a backup before every update
• Update one plugin at a time on important sites
• Read changelogs for major version jumps
• Check key pages and forms after updating

Frequently asked questions