How to Fix WordPress Critical Error in 2025 – Step-by-Step Guide

How to Fix WordPress Critical Error in 2025 – Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever visited your WordPress site and seen the message:
“There has been a critical error on your website.”
Don’t panic.

This is one of the most common WordPress issues in 2025, and the good news is — it’s easy to fix if you know where to look.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix WordPress critical error step by step, even if you’re not a developer.

❓ What Causes the WordPress Critical Error?

The critical error usually happens due to:

• Plugin conflicts
• Theme issues
• PHP errors or version mismatches
• Memory limit exhaustion
• Database connection problems

🔧 Step-by-Step Fix (Even for Beginners)

✅ 1. Enable Debug Mode

• Open your wp-config.php file.
• Add or edit this line:

phpCopyEditdefine('WP_DEBUG', true);

• This will show detailed error logs to help you identify the problem.

✅ 2. Deactivate Plugins via File Manager

If you can’t access your admin panel:

• Go to your hosting File Manager or use FTP
• Navigate to: /wp-content/plugins/
• Rename the plugins folder to plugins-old

Then reload your website. If it works, one of your plugins is the culprit.

✅ 3. Switch to a Default Theme

• Go to /wp-content/themes/
• Rename your current theme folder
• WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme like twentytwentyfour

If the site loads — it’s a theme conflict.

✅ 4. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Add this line to your wp-config.php:

phpCopyEditdefine('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

This helps if your site is crashing due to memory overload.

✅ 5. Restore from Backup (if nothing works)

If none of the above works:

• Contact your host for backup recovery.
• Or restore using a plugin like UpdraftPlus if you’ve set it up earlier.

🛠 Recommended Tools

Tool	Use
UpdraftPlus	Backup/Restore
FileZilla	FTP access
WP Debug Log	Error tracking

🧠 Pro Tip:

Always update plugins and themes one at a time. After each update, test your site. This avoids future conflicts and critical errors.

✅ Conclusion

The WordPress critical error can feel scary, but it’s usually fixable with just a few quick steps. In 2025, being familiar with these troubleshooting techniques will save you time, money, and headaches.

Fix it once — and move on with your content creation and monetization!