The site won't load, the layout is broken, or you got a message that the site was hacked. WordPress repair isn't always a one-hour job, and the hardest part is rarely technical - it's the time that passes without knowing what to do. This page explains what happens, why, and what a fix costs.
The 8 most common WordPress problems
| Problem | Common cause | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| White Screen of Death - an empty white page | A plugin that crashed, PHP running out of memory | High - the site is down |
| 500 Internal Server Error | A broken .htaccess file, a PHP error | High - the site is down |
| Too Many Redirects - a redirect loop | Wrong HTTPS settings, the site address in the database | High - no access |
| Hacked site - malware, spam, defacement | An outdated plugin or theme, a weak password | Critical - act now |
| Plugin conflict - broken parts of the page | Two plugins loading the same JS or CSS | Medium to high |
| Broken after an update - layout falls apart | Incompatible WordPress, theme and plugin versions | High - customers see it |
| Slow site - over 5 seconds to load | Heavy database queries, plugins that slow everything down | Medium - hurts SEO |
| 404 errors after a server move | Permalinks not saved again | Medium - content disappears |
How to fix a WordPress site: diagnose it properly first
A correct diagnosis saves most of the repair time. An experienced WordPress expert works in this order, and every step narrows down where the problem can be:
The debug.log file in wp-content/ (after turning on WP_DEBUG) tells the whole story. A PHP error with a file name and a line number turns hours of searching into minutes. For deeper code problems, see PHP developer.
When the admin is out of reach, rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled. The site comes back? One plugin is to blame. Bring them back one at a time until you find it.
WordPress, PHP and the theme each have a version. If a plugin needs PHP 8.0 and the server runs PHP 7.4, something breaks. Check in Tools → Site Health.
Back up before any fix. And before hunting the bug, check whether there is a healthy backup to go back to. A backup from before the problem is worth more than hours of searching.
Database connection errors, damaged tables and wrong URL settings in wp_options (siteurl, home) are common causes, checked directly in phpMyAdmin or with WP-CLI.
WordPress White Screen of Death: the fix, step by step
The white screen scares site owners more than anything else - yet in most cases the fix is simple. The causes, from most to least common:
- A plugin that stopped working - disable all plugins over FTP, then turn them back on one by one.
- The memory limit - add
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');to wp-config.php. - A broken theme - switch to a default theme (Twenty Twenty-Six) over FTP.
- A PHP syntax error - usually an edit to functions.php; remove it or restore the file from a backup.
Fixing a hacked WordPress site
A hacked WordPress site is not the end of the world, but it has to be handled in the right order. Doing it wrong - for example deleting files by hand without cleaning the database - leaves the door open for the next attack.
Stop visitors from reaching it and stop the malware from spreading to them: password protection or maintenance mode.
With Wordfence Scan or by checking recently changed files by hand (find . -mtime -7 -name "*.php").
Delete infected files, clean injections out of the database and restore the core files from WordPress.org.
Update every plugin, change all passwords, add two-factor authentication and limit login attempts.
If Google flagged the site as dangerous: Search Console → Security Issues → Request Review, once the site is fully clean.
When an update breaks your WordPress site
You update WordPress, the theme or a plugin, and suddenly the site looks broken. It happens when versions are not compatible. The right fix always has two steps: go back to the previous version (from a backup or a manual downgrade), then find and fix the incompatibility before updating again. If the site was hacked after an update, see WordPress security.
A common mistake is to postpone updates forever "because it worked yesterday". Updates put off for six months pile up, and when everything is finally updated at once, the chance of something breaking multiplies. The right approach: a staging site, one update at a time, a check after each one.
Most of the WordPress problems I fix come from one of three causes: a plugin with bad code, an update made without staging, or a backup nobody tested. The three don'ts: don't install a plugin without checking it first, don't update production without a backup, and don't assume the backup works until you've tested a restore. A site with a staging copy almost never needs an emergency repair.
How much does WordPress repair cost?
Every site owner asks, and most repair services don't answer. These are the real starting prices:
| Type of repair | Price | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| White screen or a simple 500 error | from $80 | 1-3 hours |
| Plugin conflict or layout fix | from $110 | 2-5 hours |
| Fix after a broken update | from $140 | 3-8 hours |
| Basic malware clean-up after a hack (one site, no hardening) | from $220 | 4-12 hours |
| Database and lost content recovery | from $170 | 2-10 hours |
| Speed optimization (Core Web Vitals) | from $420 | 8-20 hours |
The final price depends on how complex the site is (how many plugins, how much custom code), whether a backup exists and what server access is available. A full hack recovery with hardening is priced on the WordPress security page. Every job gets a quote before work starts - no surprises. Once the site works again, website maintenance keeps it that way, and an aging site may need a website upgrade rather than another patch.
5 things not to do when your site is down
- Delete files at random
"Maybe it's this file" is the surest way to turn a small problem into a disaster. If you don't know what a file does, don't touch it.
- Install a "fix plugin" found on Google
Searching for a quick WordPress fix leads to plugins that are malware themselves. One security plugin only - Wordfence or Solid Security - and only from the official repository.
- Update everything while the site is stuck
A broken site plus 15 plugin updates means 15 new variables that are hard to diagnose. Diagnose first, fix, and only then update.
- Set file permissions to 777
Forum "advice" that opens the site to every attacker. The right permissions: 644 for files, 755 for folders.
- Wait for it to go away
A hacked WordPress site doesn't clean itself. The malware spreads, Google flags the site, customers get warnings - every hour of waiting adds damage.
Vadim is a lovely person with one-of-a-kind service: attentive to every question, explains patiently and quickly understands what the client wants. Highly recommended.
WordPress repair: frequently asked questions
How long does it take to fix a WordPress site?
90% of the common problems (white screen, 500 errors, plugin conflicts) are solved within 1-4 hours. Cleaning up after a hack takes 4-12 hours, and a complex database recovery up to two days. The time depends on server access, whether a backup exists and how much custom code the site has.
Can a WordPress site be fixed without FTP access?
Some fixes are possible from wp-admin, such as editing plugins or rolling back a version. A white screen, PHP errors and malware clean-up usually need FTP or SSH access to the server; without it the options are limited.
What if the site has no backup?
It is harder but not impossible. Content can often be partly recovered from the Wayback Machine, and the WordPress core files can be downloaded again from WordPress.org. Custom code without a backup may be lost. After the fix, a daily automatic backup is set up immediately.
Should I fix an old WordPress site or rebuild it?
A site over five years old with an outdated theme, PHP 7, dozens of old plugins and undocumented custom code is sometimes cheaper to rebuild than to keep alive. A younger site on reasonable foundations is almost always worth fixing. In between there is a third option: a structured upgrade of the existing site - PHP 8, updates on staging and speed - without a rebuild.
How do I prevent WordPress problems in the future?
Four rules prevent 90% of the problems: a daily automatic backup to external storage, a staging site before every update, no more than 15-20 active plugins, and weekly rather than monthly plugin updates. On top of that, a maintenance plan with a developer who checks the site every month.
Does WordPress repair include security?
A basic fix gets the site working again. A proper fix also finds out why it broke and prevents a repeat. After a hack, a clean-up without hardening means a second hack within weeks, so a full hack recovery always includes security hardening - that is the recovery package on the security page.
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