Updating WordPress, themes, or plugins is usually a smooth process. However, sometimes your site can get stuck in maintenance mode, leaving visitors with the dreaded “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute” message. While this issue can be frustrating, the good news is that it’s easy to fix if you know what to do. In this article, we’ll explain why this happens, how to fix it quickly, and tips to prevent it from happening again.
Understanding WordPress Maintenance Mode
When you update WordPress core, plugins, or themes, WordPress automatically creates a temporary .maintenance file in your site’s root directory. This file triggers maintenance mode, ensuring visitors don’t encounter errors during updates. Normally, this file is removed once updates finish.
If the update process is interrupted — due to a timeout, server error, or incompatible plugin — the .maintenance file doesn’t get deleted, leaving your site stuck in maintenance mode.
How to Fix WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode
1. Access Your Website’s Files
To fix this issue, you’ll need access to your site’s root folder. You can do this using:
- cPanel File Manager (provided by most hosting services)
- FTP/SFTP client like FileZilla
- Hosting panel tools such as Plesk or DirectAdmin
2. Delete the .maintenance File
Once connected, look for a file named .maintenance in the root directory (where folders like wp-content, wp-admin, and wp-includes are located).
Simply delete this file. Once removed, your site should load normally again.
# Example with command line:
rm .maintenance
3. Clear Cache
After deleting the file, clear your:
- Browser cache
- WordPress cache (if using a plugin like W3 Total Cache or WP Rocket)
- CDN cache (such as Cloudflare, if applicable)
This ensures you’re viewing the latest version of your site and not the cached maintenance message.
4. Check for Incomplete Updates
Go back to your WordPress dashboard and verify if the updates were completed:
- Reinstall any plugins or themes that didn’t finish updating
- Check for compatibility issues that may have caused the failure
Why Your Site Got Stuck in Maintenance Mode
There are several common reasons why WordPress may fail to exit maintenance mode:
- Slow or unstable hosting server
- Updating too many plugins at once
- Plugin or theme conflicts
- Low PHP memory limits
- Timeouts during the update process
Identifying the root cause can help prevent future issues.
Preventing Maintenance Mode Problems
To avoid this frustrating problem in the future, follow these best practices:
- Update one item at a time instead of updating all plugins and themes together
- Ensure backups before running updates
- Use reliable hosting with sufficient PHP memory and execution time
- Check compatibility before updating plugins or themes
- Keep your WordPress version up to date to reduce bugs and vulnerabilities
SEO Tip: Optimize Your Site After Fixing It
If your site was stuck for a while, search engines might have crawled the maintenance message. To ensure your SEO isn’t affected:
- Resubmit your sitemap via Google Search Console
- Clear your site’s cache
- Run a quick audit with tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to check for errors
Including keywords like WordPress maintenance mode, WordPress troubleshooting, and how to fix WordPress errors in your content can also help improve visibility for users searching for solutions.
Getting stuck in maintenance mode can be stressful, but it’s a common and easily fixable issue. By removing the .maintenance file, clearing caches, and following preventive tips, you can restore your site quickly and keep it running smoothly. Regular maintenance, reliable hosting, and cautious updates are your best defenses against downtime and other WordPress errors.