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The error message “There has been a critical error on this website. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress” is a generic message in WordPress that indicates some issue is preventing your website from functioning correctly. It can be caused by a variety of factors. Here’s how to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Check for Additional Information:

• Admin Dashboard Access: If you can still access your WordPress admin dashboard (usually located at [invalid URL removed]), look for any error messages displayed there. These might provide more specific clues about the cause of the critical error.
• Review Recent Changes: Did you recently install a new plugin, update a theme, or modify any code on your website? Revert any recent changes you made to see if it resolves the error.

2. Enable Debugging:

• WordPress has a built-in debugging mode that can provide more detailed error messages. Here’s how to enable it:

  • Access your website’s root directory using an FTP client or file manager provided by your hosting company.
  • Locate the wp-config.php file and edit it.
  • Add the following line near the top of the file, outside the <?php tags:

  define('WP_DEBUG', true);
  define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);  // Change to 'true' if you want errors displayed on the website (not recommended for a public site)
  define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);       // Logs errors to a file (recommended)
  

  • Save the changes to wp-config.php.
  • Now, reload your website. You should see more specific error messages displayed on the screen (if you set WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY to true) or they’ll be logged to a file named debug.log in your WordPress root directory (if you set WP_DEBUG_LOG to true).

3. Common Causes and Solutions:

Here are some common causes of critical errors in WordPress and how to fix them:

• Plugin Conflict: Disable all plugins and then reactivate them one by one to see if a specific plugin is causing the issue.
• Theme Conflict: If you recently changed themes, try switching back to the default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to see if the error persists.
• PHP Memory Limit: Sometimes, a critical error can occur if your website’s PHP memory limit is too low. You can contact your hosting provider to see if they can increase the memory limit.
• Corrupted Core Files: In rare cases, some core WordPress files might be corrupted. You can try reinstalling the latest version of WordPress.

4. Additional Resources:

• The WordPress Codex troubleshooting guide provides a more comprehensive overview of troubleshooting common WordPress errors: https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/debug/debug-wordpress/
• You can also search online forums and communities dedicated to WordPress for help with specific error messages you encounter during the debugging process.

If you’re not comfortable troubleshooting the issue yourself, consider seeking help from a WordPress developer or your website hosting provider. They can assist you in diagnosing and fixing the critical error on your website.