WordPress operations
Something broke after WP update
Fatal error, white screen, or plugin conflict after update — Health finding and safe recovery.
Typical symptom
After Update all admin is down, front 500, fatal_error_recent or plugin_conflict.
Puluno modules
Health
Undo change
Ledger — coming
Issue codes
update_risk_high, fatal_error_recent, plugin_conflict
What you see
fatal_error_recent,plugin_conflict,update_risk_high.- White screen or “There has been a critical error”.
- Admin works only after renaming plugin folder via FTP.
- Client updated “everything at once” on Friday afternoon.
Why it happens
WordPress update stack = core + theme + N plugins. One incompatible pair breaks the site.
Typical scenarios:
- Host PHP older than plugin requires.
- Premium plugin without license → no update → conflict with new WP.
- Auto-update enabled without staging.
- Object cache holds stale opcode after fatal.
What Puluno does
| Phase | Module | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose | Health | last fatal, conflicting plugins, update risk |
| Apply | — | Health does not auto-update production without approval |
| Verify | Health report | admin + front 200 |
Plugin rollback ledger in Center — coming; today FTP / backup.
Step by step
- Restore site: deactivate last plugin (FTP
plugins/plugin-off) or backup. - Health Center → read fatal log summary.
- Update incrementally: WP core → one plugin → test front.
- Staging or host snapshot before next wave.
- PHP version — host panel (8.1+ recommended).
- Verify: Health green, Explorer homepage 200.
Never “Update all” on production without backup.
Rollback — undo the change
- Host snapshot — fastest rollback today.
- Plugin deactivation — immediate recovery.
- Puluno ledger for WP core updates — planned.
When it is not Puluno
- Theme builder cache — regenerate CSS in Elementor/Divi.
- Database corrupt — host support, not SEO plugin.
- Compromise via outdated plugin — incident response outside Health checklist.
Related: WP-Cron not running, OPcache.
Related situations
Module manual