How to Access WordPress Admin with a Fatal Error Warning

Posted on by Prakash Tiwari
fatal error

Sometimes, when you open your WordPress site, you see a scary message that says, “There has been a critical error on this website.” You may also see “Fatal error” on a white screen. Your site may stop working, and you may be unable to access your admin dashboard.

Don’t panic. This is a common problem. You can fix it and get back into your WordPress admin panel. In this guide, I’ll show you simple steps to access your WordPress admin even after a fatal error.

What Causes a Fatal Error in WordPress?

A fatal error means something in the website code has gone wrong. It stops WordPress from loading correctly. Here are common causes:

  • A bad plugin
  • A broken theme
  • A code change gone wrong
  • Running out of memory
  • A missing or damaged file

Now, let’s fix it and reaccess the admin dashboard.

Step 1: Enable Debug Mode

You can use debug mode to see what’s causing the error.

Steps to Turn On Debug Mode:

  1. Open your hosting panel (like cPanel or File Manager)
  2. Go to the folder named public_html or where WordPress is installed.
  3. Find the file called wp-config.php
  4. Right-click and click Edit.
  5. Look for this line:

define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, false );

  1. Change it to:

define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );

define( ‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true );

define( ‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false );

  1. Save the file

Now, WordPress will log the error details in a file. You can find the file here:
/wp-content/debug.log

Open it to see what is causing the error.

Step 2: Disable All Plugins

Most of the time, a plugin is the problem. You need to disable plugins to check if that solves it.

  1. Open File Manager or connect using FTP
  2. Go to the folder: wp-content/
  3. Find the folder named plugins.
  4. Rename it to something like plugins_old

WordPress will now stop all plugins. Try revisiting your site and admin area. If it works, then you know one of the plugins caused the problem.

Step 3: Rename the Active Theme

Sometimes, the active theme creates an error. You can switch it off by renaming its folder.

Steps to Deactivate the Theme

  1. Go to wp-content/themes/
  2. Find the folder of your active theme.
  3. Rename it (for example: twentytwentyone-old)

WordPress will now try to use a default theme. If there is no default theme, upload one like Twenty-One to the folder and try again.

Step 4: Increase Memory Limit

Low memory can cause a fatal error. You can fix it by increasing the memory limit.

Steps to Increase Memory

  1. Go to wp-config.php
  2. Add this line just before “That’s all, stop editing!”

define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);

  1. Save the file

This change gives more memory to WordPress. Try opening your admin panel again.

Step 5: Check for Corrupted Core Files

A WordPress update gone wrong can damage core files. You can fix this by uploading fresh files.

  1. Go to wordpress.org and download the latest WordPress zip
  2. Unzip it on your computer.
  3. Open the folder and delete wp-content
  4. Upload all other files to your server using FTP or File Manager.
  5. Overwrite the old files.

This will fix any broken WordPress files without deleting your content.

Step 6: Restore a Backup

If nothing works, use a backup to bring the site back to normal.

  • If your hosting offers daily backups, restore one from the day before the error.
  • If you used a plugin like UpdraftPlus or All-in-One WP Migration, restore the backup.

Once restored, try logging into the admin panel.

Step 7: Use Recovery Mode Email

Sometimes, WordPress sends a recovery email when it hits a fatal error.

  1. Check your inbox for an email with the subject:
    “Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue”
  2. Open the email and click the unique login link
  3. This opens WordPress in recovery mode
  4. Deactivate the plugin or theme causing the issue
  5. Save changes and exit recovery mode

This is the easiest way to fix fatal errors, but it only works if WordPress can still send emails.