"Your site is experiencing a technical issue" email from WordPress

WordPress sent this because a plugin or theme crashed while someone loaded a page. The email names the plugin or theme and includes a special recovery link. That link is the fastest way back in.

What to do, in order

  1. Read the email to the end. It says which plugin or theme failed, and the file and line. Write that name down.
  2. Click the recovery mode link. It logs you in with the broken plugin paused for you only. The link expires after one day. If it has expired, go to step 5.
  3. Deactivate the named plugin from the Plugins screen. Check the public site in a private window. If it loads, the plugin was the cause.
  4. Update or replace it. Most crashes follow an update of WordPress, PHP or the plugin itself. Install the latest version, or roll back to the last one that worked.
  5. No link and no admin? Connect by FTP or your host's file manager. Rename the folder wp-content/plugins/plugin-name to plugin-name-off. WordPress disables it on the next load.
  6. Check the PHP version. If the host upgraded PHP recently, older plugins break. Most host panels let you pick the PHP version back while you update.

If the email named nothing or the site still fails, send me the address and I will find the broken part.

Want the rest of your site checked after it is back? Run a free 40-point check at tinkeraudit.com.