Running WordPress on a VPS gives you full control, but it also means you are responsible for server-side issues. One of the most frustrating problems is when the WordPress admin page (/wp-admin) stops working, shows an error, or loads as a blank white page—while the frontend may still work.
This article covers all common causes, explains why they happen on VPS environments, and provides step-by-step solutions for each scenario.
Complete Troubleshooting Guide (Errors & White Screen)
Symptoms You May See
Here are provided most cases for not working WordPress admin page:
/wp-adminshows a blank white pagewp-adminreturns 500 Internal Server Error403 Forbidden
404 Not Found
Login page loads but dashboard is blank
Site frontend works, admin does not
Error after PHP or WordPress update
Step 1: Enable WordPress Debugging
A blank page usually means PHP encountered a fatal error but is not displaying it.
So you should edit wp-config.php:
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true);Now reload /wp-admin.
If an error message appears, it will usually point directly to the cause.
Step 2: Check Server Error Logs
If WordPress shows nothing, the server logs will.
Apache
/var/log/apache2/error.log
Nginx
/var/log/nginx/error.log
Typical errors include:
Memory exhaustion
Missing PHP functions
Permission issues
Plugin or theme fatal errors
Most Common Causes and Solutions
PHP Memory Limit Exhausted
Symptoms
White screen
Fatal error mentioning memory exhaustion
Solution
Increase WordPress memory limit in wp-config.php:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');Then update PHP settings:
memory_limit = 256M
Restart PHP-FPM afterward.
Plugin Conflicts (Very Common)
A faulty or incompatible plugin can break the admin panel.
Quick Fix: Disable All Plugins
Rename the plugins directory:
wp-content/plugins → plugins_disabled
If the admin loads again, rename the folder back and enable plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
Broken or Incompatible Theme
WordPress loads theme files even in the admin area.
Fix
Disable the active theme:
wp-content/themes/your-theme → your-theme_disabled
WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme.
Broken or Incompatible Theme
WordPress loads theme files even in the admin area.
Fix
Disable the active theme:
wp-content/themes/your-theme → your-theme_disabled
WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme.
Corrupted WordPress Core Files
Admin files may be damaged after a failed update.
Safe Fix
Reinstall WordPress core files:
Replace
/wp-adminReplace
/wp-includes
Do not overwrite wp-content or wp-config.php.
.htaccess Issues (Apache Servers)
A bad rewrite rule can block admin access.
Fix
Rename .htaccess:
.htaccess → .htaccess_old
Reload the admin page, then regenerate permalinks.
Database Connection or Corruption
Symptoms
“Error establishing a database connection”
Admin page partially loads
Fix
Verify database credentials in wp-config.php.
You can also enable database repair:
define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);Then visit:
/wp-admin/maint/repair.php
When WordPress admin pages fail on a VPS, the issue is almost always server-side—not WordPress itself. With proper logging, version control, and systematic troubleshooting, these issues can be resolved quickly and prevented in the future.