WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode – How to Fix (Complete Guide)

When you try to visit your WordPress website and instead see the message:

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

…and it never goes away, your site is stuck in maintenance mode.

This is one of the most common WordPress issues faced by beginners and experienced site owners alike. It usually happens after plugin updates, theme updates, or WordPress core upgrades. The good news?
This issue is fixable in minutes if you know exactly what to do.

In this in-depth guide, you’ll learn:

• What maintenance mode actually is

• Why WordPress gets stuck in it

• Multiple proven methods to fix it

• How to prevent it from happening again

• Advanced troubleshooting if basic fixes fail

If your WordPress site is stuck in maintenance mode and you need it fixed urgently, especially for a live business or WooCommerce store, you don’t have to risk trial-and-error troubleshooting.
WPThrill offers professional emergency WordPress support to get your site back online fast, safely, and without data loss.

What Is WordPress Maintenance Mode?

WordPress maintenance mode is a temporary state that activates automatically when:

• WordPress core is updating

• Plugins are being updated

• Themes are being updated

During this process, WordPress creates a temporary file called:

This file tells WordPress to show a maintenance message to visitors while updates are running.

Normally, once updates finish successfully, WordPress automatically deletes this file and your site comes back online.

But if something interrupts the update process, the .maintenance file remains — and your site stays stuck.

Common Reasons WordPress Gets Stuck in Maintenance Mode

Understanding the root cause helps you prevent future issues.

1. Update Process Was Interrupted

This is the most common reason. Updates can fail due to:

• Slow internet connection

• Server timeout

• Browser crash

• Closing the update tab too early

When this happens, WordPress never gets the chance to remove the .maintenance file.

2. Low Server Resources

If your hosting plan has:

• Low PHP memory limit

• Limited CPU usage

• Low execution time

Updates may fail mid-process, especially when updating large plugins or multiple plugins at once.

3. Plugin or Theme Conflicts

Poorly coded plugins or themes can break the update cycle, leaving WordPress stuck in maintenance mode.

4. File Permission Issues

If WordPress does not have permission to delete files, it cannot remove the .maintenance file.

5. Manual Updates Gone Wrong

Uploading files manually via FTP without completing the process properly can also trigger this issue.

How to Fix WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode (Step-by-Step)

Below are all working solutions, starting from the easiest.

Method 1: Delete the .maintenance File (Most Effective Fix)

This method works in 90% of cases.

Step 1: Access Your Site Files

You can do this using either:

• cPanel File Manager

• FTP client (FileZilla)

• Hosting control panel (CyberPanel, Plesk, etc.)

Step 2: Open the Root Directory

Navigate to the folder where WordPress is installed. Common locations:

Step 3: Find the .maintenance File

• Make sure hidden files are visible

• Look for a file named .maintenance

Step 4: Delete the File

Once deleted, refresh your website.

Your site should immediately come back online.

Method 2: Rename the .maintenance File (Safer Alternative)

If you don’t want to delete it directly, rename it to:

This disables maintenance mode while keeping a backup.

Method 3: Clear Browser and Server Cache

Sometimes the site is fixed but cached maintenance pages are still being served. Caching can sometimes continue showing the maintenance page even after the issue is fixed, especially when server or CDN caching is enabled. Using a well-configured caching plugin helps manage cache behavior during updates and reduces the risk of serving outdated pages. This overview of the best WordPress caching plugins covers reliable options and what to look for when choosing one.

Clear:

• Browser cache

• Hosting cache (LiteSpeed, WP Rocket, etc.)

• CDN cache (Cloudflare, Bunny.net)

Method 4: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Low memory often causes update failures.

Add this code to your wp-config.php file:

Upload the file and reload your site.

Method 5: Disable All Plugins via FTP

If deleting .maintenance didn’t help, a plugin conflict might be causing the issue. If you’re locked out of the WordPress admin area because of maintenance mode or a broken plugin, you can still fix the problem manually. WPThrill has a detailed guide on how to disable WordPress plugins without access to the admin dashboard, which walks you through safe FTP and file manager methods step by step.

Steps:

1. Go to /wp-content/

2. Rename the plugins folder to:

3. Refresh your website

If the site loads, rename the folder back and activate plugins one by one from the dashboard.

Method 6: Switch to a Default Theme

Theme update failures can also cause maintenance lock.

Rename your active theme folder:

WordPress will automatically switch to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Five. If your WordPress site entered maintenance mode after a failed theme update or a broken theme file, switching themes blindly can risk layout or content issues. WPThrill has a complete guide on how to restore a broken WordPress theme without losing data, helping you recover safely while keeping your content, settings, and customizations intact.

Method 7: Manually Finish a Failed Update

Sometimes WordPress is halfway through an update.

Check these folders:

Delete any temporary folders related to updates.

Method 8: Fix File Permissions

Incorrect permissions can stop WordPress from removing maintenance files.

Recommended permissions:

Apply permissions recursively from your hosting panel.

Method 9: Enable Debug Mode to Identify Errors

If nothing works, enable debugging to identify the exact issue.

Add this to wp-config.php:

Reload your site and check the error message displayed. When basic fixes don’t resolve maintenance mode issues, identifying the exact error becomes critical. WPThrill has a step-by-step guide on how to enable WordPress debug mode to find errors, helping you uncover plugin conflicts, PHP warnings, and fatal errors that keep your site stuck in maintenance mode.

Method 10: Restore a Backup

If updates severely broke your site, restoring a backup is sometimes the fastest solution. Regular backups are your safety net when updates fail or maintenance mode locks your site. If you’re not already using a reliable solution, WPThrill has a curated list of the top backup plugins for WordPress, covering both beginner-friendly and advanced options for automatic and manual backups.

• Use hosting backups

• Use plugin backups (UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, etc.)

Once restored, update plugins one at a time. If updates or conflicts have severely broken your site and maintenance mode won’t clear, restoring a clean backup is often the safest way forward. WPThrill has a detailed walkthrough on how to restore a WordPress site from a backup manually, allowing you to recover your site even when plugins or hosting tools aren’t accessible.

How to Prevent WordPress Maintenance Mode Issues in the Future

Prevention saves hours of stress.

Update One Plugin at a Time

Avoid bulk updates on shared hosting environments.

Use a Staging Site

Always test updates on staging before pushing to live.

Increase PHP Limits

Low PHP memory is a common reason WordPress updates fail and maintenance mode doesn’t clear properly. If you encounter memory-related errors during updates, this guide on fixing the “Allowed memory size exhausted” error in WordPress explains how to safely increase limits and stabilize your site.

Recommended values:

• PHP memory: 256M

• Max execution time: 300 seconds

Keep Regular Backups

Automated daily backups are essential.

Use Reliable Hosting

Low-quality hosting increases update failures significantly.

When Maintenance Mode Is Actually Useful

Maintenance mode isn’t always bad.

You should intentionally use it when:

• Redesigning your website

• Migrating servers

• Updating WooCommerce stores

Use proper plugins like:

• WP Maintenance Mode

• SeedProd

• Coming Soon Page by WPBeginner

These plugins show custom pages instead of WordPress’s default message.

WordPress Maintenance Mode vs Coming Soon Mode

Maintenance mode is temporary and automatic.
Coming Soon mode is intentional and controlled.

Never rely on WordPress’s default maintenance screen for long periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does WordPress get stuck in maintenance mode?

Because the update process was interrupted, failed, or lacked server resources, leaving the .maintenance file behind.

Is it safe to delete the .maintenance file?

Yes. It is completely safe and recommended when WordPress is stuck.

Can maintenance mode affect SEO?

Yes. If your site stays down for long periods, search engines may temporarily deindex pages.

How long should maintenance mode last normally?

Usually a few seconds to a minute during updates.

Can plugins cause maintenance mode issues?

Yes. Poorly coded or heavy plugins are a major cause.

Should I disable maintenance mode using a plugin?

No. The default WordPress maintenance mode should be fixed manually, not overridden by plugins.

Final Thoughts

A WordPress site stuck in maintenance mode can feel scary, especially if it’s a business or revenue-generating website.

But as you’ve seen, this is a controllable and fixable issue.

By understanding how WordPress updates work, fixing the .maintenance file, and following best practices, you can resolve this issue quickly and prevent it from happening again.

If you want more real-world WordPress fixes, performance guides, and troubleshooting tutorials, WPThrill is built exactly for you.