WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode? 2 Ways To Fix It In Less Than 5 Minutes

Is your WordPress site stuck in maintenance mode after you tried to update it? It’s incredibly frustrating, isn’t it? All your visitors see is a maintenance message, and your site is completely offline.

With each passing minute, the pressure increases. You worry about losing traffic and hurting your site’s reputation. And restarting the entire update process? That’s a headache you don’t need.

But don’t worry—you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll show you two quick methods to get your site out of maintenance mode. It takes less than 5 minutes.

TL;DR: You can quickly fix your WordPress site stuck in maintenance mode by deleting the .maintenance file via FTP or cPanel. Both these methods require you to edit your core files so make sure you take a complete backup of your site with a reliable backup plugin like BlogVault.

Why does your site get stuck in maintenance mode?

Every time you perform an update, WordPress automatically puts your site into maintenance mode temporarily. Once the updates are complete, WordPress takes your site out of maintenance mode and restores it to its live mode.

This should be a quick process, but sometimes things go wrong and your site is stuck in maintenance mode. There are multiple reasons why this might happen, such as:

• File-related issues: The .maintenance file isn’t removed completely or incorrect file permissions.
• Server and network issues: The update process gets interrupted due to server timeouts, network issues, insufficient server resources (such as memory or disk space), or temporary connection issues.
• Update-related issues: Large update files take longer than expected or updating multiple plugins or themes at once overwhelms the system.
• Compatibility and execution issues: PHP scripts exceed their maximum execution time, and there are compatibility issues between plugins or themes. Or background processes have interfered with the update process.

Step 1: Clear all your caches

But, first, make sure you clear your cache. This includes your WordPress cache, browsercache and any cache from a caching plugin. We do this is so that you’re viewing the latest version of your site. An outdated cache can sometimes display old messages.

Step 2: Delete the .maintenance file

There are two simple ways to get your site out of maintenance mode.

Option A) Using FTP

1. Connect to your site via FTP: Open up an FTP client like FileZilla and use your FTP credentials to establish a connection to your site. If you’re unsure about the credentials, check with your hosting provider.

2. Find the .maintenance file: You will find this file within your root directory, usually named public_html or www. The .maintenance file is hidden by default. To unhide it, click on Server and select Force show hidden files.

3. Delete the .maintenance file: Right-click on the file and choose Delete.

Your maintenance file is now deleted. Your site should be accessible to all users now.

Option B) Use cPanel’s File Manager

If your web host provides a cPanel and you prefer using it, here’s how you can do it:

1. Navigate to cPanel’s File Manager: Login to your cPanel dashboard and click on File Manager.

2. Find the .maintenance file: Locate your root folder. This is usually named public_html or www. The .maintenance file is hidden. To unhide it, click the Settings button with a gear icon in the top right corner and select the Check the Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) checkbox.

3. Delete the .maintenance file: Locate the file, right-click on it, and choose Delete.

With either of these two methods, you should be able to resolve the issue quickly and get your site back online. You can also use SSH via the command line, if you are so inclined. 

My WordPress is still stuck in maintenance mode. What now?

You’ve tried deleting the .maintenance file, but your WordPress site is still stuck in maintenance mode. Don’t worry, there are still several things you can do to fix it. Here’s how you can go about it:

1. First, confirm if the .maintenance file has been deleted. Sometimes, it reappears and keeps your site in maintenance mode. Make sure it stays deleted.
2. Next, clear your browser cache again. Old data can get stuck in your browser and clearing it can often help.
3. Try temporarily disabling all plugins. You can do this through FTP or cPanel by renaming the plugins folder to plugins_disabled. This will deactivate all the plugins and might solve the issue. To re-enable the plugins, change the name of the plugins folder to its formal name.
4. Increase the PHP memory limit by adding define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’); right above the line that says, /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */ in your wp-config.php file. This gives your site more memory to work with, which can help with the updates. 

If that line is already there and set to a lower limit, you can increase it to 256M. If 256M is not enough, you can try increasing it further, for example, to 512M.

5. Verify that your file permissions are set correctly. Sometimes incorrect file permissions can cause issues.
6. Manually complete updates by downloading the plugin or theme as a .zip file from the WordPress repository and installing it manually. This can resolve any incomplete updates.

Using a plugin like BlogVault lets you update WordPress, plugins, and themes without needing wp-admin access.

7. If all else fails, try restoring a previous backup. If you have a recent backup, it might be the quickest way to get your site back to normal.

If all else fails, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider. They can offer additional support and resources to help you resolve the issue.

Prevent WordPress from getting stuck in maintenance mode

There are several strategies to prevent this from happening again. Here’s what you can do:

Regular backups: Always keep a recent backup of your site. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore it.

Update during low traffic: Perform updates when your site has the least visitors. This reduces the chance of interruptions.

Update one-by-one: Don’t update all plugins and themes at once. Do them one at a time to avoid conflicts.

Use staging environments: Test updates in a staging environment first. This way, you can catch any issues before they affect your live site.

BlogVault makes creating a staging site incredibly easy with just a single click. Plus, this staging site is password protected, ensuring that your SEO rankings remain unaffected.

Check file permissions: Ensure your WordPress files have the correct permissions. Incorrect permissions can block updates.

Adequate server resources: Make sure your server has enough resources like memory and disk space. Running out of these can cause updates to fail.

Disable caching plugins: Turn off caching plugins during updates. They can sometimes get in the way.

Reliable internet connection: Make sure your internet connection is stable during updates to prevent interruptions.

Monitor site performance: Keep an eye on your site’s performance using tools like New Relic. If you notice anything odd, investigate before running updates.

Parting thoughts

To avoid your WordPress site getting stuck in maintenance mode, consider performing updates on a staging site. Once you’re done with your maintenance tasks, merge the changes with the live site. 

Choose a hosting plan with sufficient resources to handle updates smoothly and ensure a reliable internet connection to avoid interruptions. By following these tips, you can maintain a high-performing site and prevent maintenance mode problems. 

FAQs

How do I get out of maintenance mode in WordPress?

To get your WordPress site out of maintenance mode, you can manually delete the .maintenance file using an FTP client or the File Manager in cPanel. Refresh your website to see if the maintenance mode message is gone.

How long does WordPress maintenance take?

WordPress maintenance usually takes just a few minutes. However, the duration can vary based on the number and size of updates being performed.

Why is a website in maintenance mode?

A website enters maintenance mode during updates to prevent visitors from seeing incomplete or broken content. It’s a way to keep the website functional while changes are being made.

What happens in maintenance mode?

In maintenance mode, your website displays a message indicating it’s temporarily unavailable due to updates. The core functions of the site are paused until the updates are complete.