If your WordPress site has stopped working after you updated PHP, and you don't have the option to go back to a previous version, then you can follow this guide to make your site working again.
Note: If you still have the option to downgrade PHP to a previous version, we recommend that you do this. Next you can update WordPress and then update PHP again.
Check our guide for step-by-step instructions: How do I change the PHP version.
Step 1 - Deactivate all plugins from phpMyAdmin
The most common reason for a site not to work after a PHP update is an outdated plugin. So we start with deactivating all plugins that are installed on your WordPress site. The deactivated plugins will still be there but won't affect your site.
We have created a separate guide to show you how to do this: Disable WordPress plugins in phpMyAdmin
Check if you can access your site, after disabling the plugins. If it works, continue to step 3, if not please go on to the next step.
Step 2 - Change the theme to a default version
If you are using a customised theme on your site, this can also cause problems. To rule this out, you should temporarily change your active theme to one of the default WordPress themes (twentysixteen, twentyseventeen, etc.).
You can do this from phpMyAdmin as well. Check our guide for detailed instructions: Change your WordPress theme from the database.
Step 3 - Log in to WordPress admin
You should now be able to access your dashboard in WordPress admin and see your site again, though it will look different. Please, log into WordPress admin.
If you still cannot access WP admin, please contact our support so that we can help you figure out what is wrong.
Step 4 - Update WordPress, plugins and themes
Now that you are logged in, you should make sure that everything gets updated to the latest version, this includes WordPress core, all your plugins and all themes. Remove any plugins and themes that you don't need.
Tip: Just like WordPress core, plugins and themes need to be maintained and updated regularly. If you notice that a plugin that you have installed hasn't been updated in a while, this might be an indication that it is no longer maintained. In that case, it's better to find an alternative plugin that has the same functionality.
Step 5 - Activate the plugins and theme again
Now that everything is updated to the latest version, you can start activating your plugins and theme again. We recommend that you do this, one-by-one, checking each time that your site is still working as it should.
If your site breaks after you activated a specific plugin or theme, you can deactivate it again from phpMyAdmin. You will probably need to replace this plugin or theme since it doesn't seem to be compatible with the latest PHP update.
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