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How To Fix A WordPress Website Stuck In Maintenance Mode

ByLiz M

One minute, you’re working on updating your WordPress plugins or themes, and the next, your website is stuck in maintenance mode.

You see the ominous message “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” You wait another minute or two, refresh your screen and yikes, it’s still there.

Panic sets in.

You’re left wondering what went wrong??!!

Hate to admit it, but anyone working with WordPress has usually been there.

Don’t worry — this is fixable, and it’s not as complicated as you might think. Let’s get your site back up and running in no time.

What Causes WordPress to Get Stuck in Maintenance Mode?

When you update plugins, themes, or WordPress core, the CMS temporarily creates a .maintenance file in your website’s root directory. This file tells visitors your site is undergoing updates.

Normally, WordPress deletes this file as soon as the update is complete. But if an update is interrupted—perhaps due to a slow server response, a timeout, or some other glitch occurs — the file doesn’t get automatically removed, leaving your site in limbo.

The Step-by-Step Fix

Here’s how to manually resolve the issue:

Step 1: Access Your Website Files

You’ll need access to your website’s files to delete the .maintenance file. Not sure how to do that? Here’s how:

  1. Login to Your Hosting Account: Head to your hosting provider’s dashboard and locate the file manager.
    • If you can’t access the file manager directly, you may need to use an FTP client like FileZilla.
  2. Navigate to the Root Directory: This is typically called public_html and contains your site’s main files.
    • If you have more than one website in your hosting account, it may be in another sub folder with a similar name to the domain.

Step 2: Locate and Delete the .maintenance File

  1. Look for a file named .maintenance in the root directory.
    • If you’re using an FTP client or file manager, ensure hidden files are visible. (There’s often a setting like “Show Hidden Files” you’ll need to enable.)
  2. Delete the .maintenance file.

Once the file is gone, refresh your website. It should be back online.

Step 3: Check for Incomplete Updates

Sometimes, plugin and themes updates don’t finish properly when maintenance mode gets stuck. You will want to ensure everything you were trying to update has occurred.

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
  3. Re-run any updates that failed or didn’t complete.

Step 4: Prevent Future Maintenance Mode Issues

While this issue can’t always be avoided, you can reduce the risk of it occurring again:

  1. Backup Before Updates: Use a backup plugin to save your site before making changes.
  2. Update One Thing at a Time: Avoid updating all plugins or themes simultaneously.
  3. Check Your Hosting Environment: Ensure your server meets WordPress’s recommended requirements for PHP, memory limits, and timeout settings.
  4. Consider a Staging Site: Test updates on a staging site before pushing them live.

Tech Crisis Averted!

Your website getting stuck in maintenance mode can be just a little frustrating, but once you know what is going on it’s usually a quick fix. With a little know-how and some preventive care, you can minimise downtime and keep your WordPress site running smoothly.

Now, next time your site pulls the “infinite maintenance mode” trick, you’ll know exactly what to do.

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