So you hit “Update”—and now your site’s broken. Don’t panic. Here’s how to fix it without making it worse.
We’ve all been there. You update a plugin, your theme, or even WordPress itself… and suddenly your site isn’t loading. Maybe you see a white screen. Maybe there’s an error message you don’t understand. Either way, it’s frustrating—and it feels like everything just fell apart.
But here’s the good news: this happens more often than you think, and most of the time, it’s fixable. You just need a clear path forward and a bit of patience.
Start by Assessing the Damage
Not all update issues break your entire site. Sometimes it’s just one part—like the admin dashboard—while the front end is still accessible. Try loading your homepage in a private browser tab. Then try logging into your admin area at /wp-admin. If one still works, you’re already in a better spot than you think.
Roll Back If You Can
If you’ve got backups (and we really hope you do), now’s the time to use them. Most hosting providers offer one-click restore options, and tools like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack can roll your site back to the moment before everything went sideways. If you’re not comfortable doing this on your own, reach out to your host. They’ve likely seen this a hundred times and can help with a quick reset.
Dig Into the Error
If you can access your site files—either through your host’s file manager or via FTP—you can get a clearer picture of what went wrong. In your wp-config.php file, enabling WP_DEBUG mode will often surface the exact error causing the issue. It’s not always pretty, but it can point you to a plugin conflict or a broken theme function.
Disable the Troublemakers
Still locked out of your dashboard? Try renaming the plugins folder to something like plugins-disabled. This essentially tells WordPress to ignore them all. If your site suddenly loads again—bingo, it’s a plugin issue. From there, you can rename the folder back and reactivate your plugins one by one to find the one that’s causing the problem.
Temporarily Revert Problem Updates
If the issue came from a theme or plugin update, you can usually download a previous version from the developer’s site or the WordPress plugin directory and upload it manually. It’s not a permanent solution, but it gives you breathing room until the developer releases a fix—or until you have time to troubleshoot properly.
Call In Backup If Needed
If you’re stuck or just want it handled fast, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider. Many managed WordPress hosts offer surprisingly good support when things break after updates. They might be able to roll back your site, adjust permissions, or even identify the source of the error without you needing to touch code at all.
Preventing the Next Surprise
Most update-related issues can be avoided with a few simple habits. Always back up your site before running updates. If your host offers a staging site, use it to test updates before pushing them live. And whenever possible, update one plugin at a time instead of clicking “Update All”—that way, if something breaks, you know exactly where to look.
Final Thoughts
WordPress updates are important—they keep your site secure, fast, and compatible with new features. But when something goes wrong, it can feel overwhelming. Having a recovery plan (and ideally, a reliable backup system) turns a stressful situation into a quick fix.
Want help keeping your site safe, stable, and stress-free? Our WordPress maintenance plans handle all the updates, backups, and troubleshooting for you. Let’s talk about getting you covered.
