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To resolve the White Screen of Death (WSOD) in Elementor, follow these structured steps, starting with the simplest solutions:
1. Enable Debugging to Identify Errors
- Edit wp-config.php (via FTP or hosting file manager) and add:
PHP:define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
- Check wp-content/debug.log for error messages after reproducing the issue.
2. Increase PHP Memory Limit, this is normally the most popular reason. Web hosts not having a large enough Memory limit set.
- Add to wp-config.php:
PHP:define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');
- Alternatively, adjust memory_limit in php.ini (e.g., memory_limit = 512M).
3. Check for Plugin Conflicts
- Via Dashboard: Deactivate all plugins except Elementor. Reactivate one by one to find the culprit.
- Via FTP: Rename the /wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_temp to disable all plugins.
4. Switch to a Default Theme
- Use a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) via Appearance > Themes.
- Via FTP: Rename your current theme folder in /wp-content/themes to force a switch.
5. Regenerate Elementor CSS & Data
- Go to Elementor > Tools > General and click Regenerate CSS and Sync Library.
6. Update Everything
- Ensure WordPress, Elementor, your theme, and all plugins are updated to the latest versions.
7. Roll Back Elementor
- If the issue started after an update, use a plugin like WP Rollback to revert to a stable version of Elementor.
8. Check Server Requirements
- PHP Version: Use PHP 7.4 or higher (recommended PHP 8.0+).
- MySQL/MariaDB: Ensure compatibility with your WordPress version.
9. Manually Reinstall Elementor
- Delete the Elementor plugin folder via FTP (/wp-content/plugins/elementor) and reinstall it fresh.
10. Inspect Custom Code
- Temporarily disable custom code in functions.php or remove recently added snippets.
11. Clear Caches
- Clear server cache, CDN, and browser cache. Disable caching plugins temporarily.
12. Check Hosting Environment
- Contact your host to ensure no server-side limits (e.g., memory, execution time) or outages.
13. Restore from Backup
- If all else fails, restore your site from a backup before the issue occurred.
Additional Tips:
- Safe Mode: Use Elementor's Safe Mode (if accessible) to isolate conflicts.
- Error Logs: Review server error logs via your hosting panel for specifics.
- Fatal Error Handler: Install the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin to diagnose without affecting users.