How to Fix Maintenance Mode in WordPress

Understanding WordPress Maintenance Mode

WordPress automatically enters maintenance mode when updates are being processed. During this process, WordPress creates a file called
.maintenance in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

Normally, this file is removed automatically when the update completes. However, if the update is interrupted or fails,
the .maintenance file may remain in place, leaving your site stuck in maintenance mode.

Common Maintenance Mode Message

You may see a message similar to this:

Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.

If the message does not disappear after a few minutes, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Check for the .maintenance File

The first step is to check whether the .maintenance file is still present in your WordPress installation.

1. Log in to cPanel, DirectAdmin, FTP or your hosting file manager.
2. Open the root directory of your WordPress website.
3. This is usually public_html, or the folder where WordPress was installed.
4. Look for a file named .maintenance.
5. If the file exists, delete it.

Once the .maintenance file has been removed, reload your website. In most cases, this will immediately fix the issue.

Step 2: Check for Incomplete Updates

If your website loads again, the next step is to check whether any WordPress updates failed or were left incomplete.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Dashboard.
3. Select Updates.
4. Check for any pending WordPress core, plugin or theme updates.
5. Run the updates again if required.

If an update fails repeatedly, it may be caused by a plugin conflict, permissions issue, lack of disk space, or a server timeout.

Step 3: Deactivate Plugins if the Problem Continues

A faulty or interrupted plugin update can sometimes cause problems after maintenance mode has been cleared.

1. Open your WordPress files using File Manager or FTP.
2. Go to wp-content.
3. Find the folder called plugins.
4. Rename it to something like plugins_old.
5. Check whether your website loads correctly.

Renaming the plugins folder will temporarily deactivate all plugins. If the website starts working again, one of the plugins is likely causing the issue.

1. Rename plugins_old back to plugins.
2. Log in to WordPress.
3. Reactivate your plugins one by one.
4. Check the website after each plugin is activated.

Step 4: Switch to a Default Theme

If plugins are not the cause, the active theme may be causing the issue, especially if the problem happened during a theme update.

1. Open your WordPress files using File Manager or FTP.
2. Go to wp-content/themes.
3. Find your active theme folder.
4. Rename the theme folder, for example to your-theme_old.
5. WordPress should try to fall back to an available default theme.

Step 5: Check Disk Space and Permissions

Maintenance mode problems can also occur if the hosting account does not have enough disk space, or if WordPress cannot write files correctly during updates.

• Check your hosting account disk space usage.
• Make sure there is enough free space before running updates.
• Check that WordPress files and folders have suitable permissions.
• Avoid running many plugin and theme updates at the same time.
• Keep a recent backup before major updates.

Preventing Maintenance Mode Problems

To reduce the chance of WordPress becoming stuck in maintenance mode again, it is best to keep updates controlled and avoid interrupting them.

• Update plugins and themes in smaller batches.
• Do not close the browser while updates are running.
• Keep WordPress, themes and plugins updated regularly.
• Remove unused plugins and themes.
• Take backups before carrying out larger updates.
• Check available disk space before updating larger websites.

Takeaway

Getting stuck in WordPress maintenance mode can be frustrating, but in most cases the fix is simple.
Removing the .maintenance file will usually restore the website, and then you can check whether any updates need to be completed.

If the issue continues after removing the file, the next things to check are incomplete updates, plugins, themes, disk space and file permissions.