Updating your WordPress website is a crucial part of keeping it secure, fast, and compatible with the latest plugins and themes. However, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re facing the dreaded WordPress critical error message right after an update. Don’t panic — you’re not alone. This is a common issue that can affect even seasoned site administrators.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of dealing with a WordPress critical error after an update. We’ll explore the importance of rollbacks, staging environments, and reliable recovery practices that can help you restore your site quickly and safely.
What Is the WordPress Critical Error?
The WordPress critical error, often accompanied by the infamous “There has been a critical error on your website” message, indicates that your site encountered a fatal PHP error. These errors usually stem from:
- Incompatibilities between themes or plugins and the WordPress core
- Outdated PHP versions
- Incomplete updates or corrupted files
- Issues in the functions.php file or other key files
The error may render the entire front-end — and sometimes the admin dashboard — inaccessible. But don’t worry, there are several steps you can take to recover your site without losing your data.
Why Updates Cause Critical Errors
Updates are designed to enhance functionality and security, but they also introduce potential risks. Here’s why:
- Plugin Conflicts: New versions of WordPress may not play well with outdated plugins that haven’t been updated by their developers.
- Theme Incompatibility: A theme may rely on functions that get deprecated or removed in WordPress updates.
- PHP Version Issues: Your hosting environment might not support the updated version of PHP required by the latest WordPress core or plugins.
Initial Steps to Take When You See the Critical Error
When your screen turns white or displays a critical error notice, take these immediate steps:
- Check Your Email: WordPress often sends an email to the admin email address with more detailed error information along with a link to access recovery mode (if available).
- Access Recovery Mode: Click the recovery mode link. This allows you to deactivate the faulty plugin or theme causing the trouble without accessing wp-admin normally.
- Review the Error Logs: If recovery mode doesn’t work, check your server logs via hosting cPanel or FTP. The error_log file or PHP log should point you to the exact file and line number causing the issue.
Using File Access To Troubleshoot
If admin access is completely locked, you’ll need to use a file manager via your hosting panel or access the website’s files through an FTP client like FileZilla.
Here’s what you can do:
- Deactivate Plugins: Navigate to wp-content/plugins and rename the plugin folders to disable them one by one.
- Switch Themes: Temporarily rename the current theme folder in wp-content/themes. WordPress will fall back to the default theme.
- Check functions.php: If a manual code modification caused the issue, open functions.php in your theme folder and remove or fix the problematic lines.
Rollbacks: Your Safety Net
One of the best features available to WordPress users is the ability to roll back plugins, themes, or even the WordPress core version after a problematic update.
How to Perform a Rollback
Use the WP Rollback plugin to safely revert plugins and themes to a previous version. It adds a “Rollback” option beside each plugin or theme in your dashboard.
For manual rollbacks:
- Restore from Backup: If you use services like UpdraftPlus, Jetpack VaultPress, or your hosting’s backup tool, you can revert to a previous stable version.
- Upload Previous Core Files: Download the earlier version of WordPress from WordPress Release Archive and manually overwrite the core files via FTP, excluding wp-content and wp-config.php.
Important: Always test the rollback on a staging environment (more on that later) before doing it on your live site.
The Importance of a Staging Site
Imagine rolling out updates on a duplicate site where you can test every change with zero risk. That’s exactly what a staging environment is.
Most reliable web hosting providers offer 1-click staging environments. Here’s why staging is essential:
- Prevents Live Errors: You can verify compatibility of new updates beforehand.
- Faster Debugging: Since it’s a clone of your live site, troubleshooting is much easier.
- Peace of Mind: Design changes, plugin integrations, and updates can be tested safely.
If your host doesn’t offer staging, you can use plugins like WP Staging to create one manually.
Best Practices for Safe Recovery and Prevention
Recovery is one thing, but prevention is even more critical. Follow these best practices to avoid similar issues in the future:
1. Regular Backups
Backups should be automatic and frequent. Services like UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, or your hosting provider can keep daily backups available. Always keep a recent backup on hand before installing major updates.
2. Update in Order
Don’t update everything at once. Update plugins first, then themes, and finally the WordPress core. This hierarchy helps isolate and identify the cause if an error occurs.
3. Compatibility Checks
Before updating, check if plugins and themes are compatible with the latest version of WordPress. Read changelogs and user reviews to know what to expect.
4. Use Child Themes for Customizations
Directly editing theme files can cause conflicts during updates. Always use a child theme to preserve custom code during updates.
5. Monitor Site Health
WordPress provides a Site Health feature under Tools > Site Health. It highlights compatibility issues and suggests improvements.
When to Contact Support
If none of the troubleshooting steps work, it’s time to reach out to your hosting provider or a WordPress developer. Your host’s technical support might be able to restore your site from a backup or help you debug server-side issues you can’t access.
Also, consider reporting the issue to the plugin or theme developer if a specific update has caused the disruption. This helps improve future versions and warns other users of potential bugs.
Conclusion: Build a Resilient WordPress Site
Experiencing a critical error after a WordPress update can be alarming, but it doesn’t have to be catastrophic. By understanding the root causes, using staging environments, backing up regularly, and knowing how to perform rollbacks, you can recover your site efficiently and reduce future risks.
The key is to plan updates with caution, use the right tools at your disposal, and always, always test before you go live. That way, your WordPress site remains robust, secure, and available — just the way you and your users like it.
Preparedness transforms chaos into control. So the next time WordPress throws a critical error your way, you’ll know exactly what to do.