WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode: How to Fix It

Is your website stuck in WordPress’s maintenance mode? Maintenance mode is automatically activated in your WordPress website when you carry out maintenance, e.g., updating your WordPress themes or plugins. While WordPress is stuck in maintenance mode, users can’t see your site. WordPress will display a message that lets them know that updates are underway. 

This usually doesn’t last more than a few seconds, but occasionally you may encounter maintenance mode issues that leave your WordPress site stuck. If this has happened to you, don’t panic. This is a common error, and it’s easy to fix. 

If you’d prefer expert help right away, you can hire a WordPress developer on Codeable – otherwise, here’s the step-by-step fix.

Common reasons why your WordPress site is stuck in maintenance mode

WordPress goes into maintenance mode whenever an update is applied. Updates are usually straightforward, but there are several reasons why something can go wrong, which causes WordPress to get stuck in maintenance mode. 

When you make an update, a .maintenance file is created in the root folder of your WordPress site. The .maintenance file is what tells WordPress to put your site into maintenance mode and display the message that pops up for users. As soon as your update is completed, WordPress deletes the .maintenance file from the root folder, and the message disappears. 

However, sometimes the file is not deleted, and WordPress gets stuck in maintenance mode. As a result, every time you visit your site, you’ll see a message: “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” 

These WordPress maintenance mode errors can be caused by:

• Accidentally closing your browser window in the middle of an automatic update.
• Trying to bulk update a large number of WordPress plugins or themes simultaneously causes an overload on your hosting provider’s server.
• A compatibility issue causes a glitch, e.g., when you’ve updated your version of WordPress, but your WordPress theme or plugins are no longer compatible with the new version.
• The update timed out before WordPress could delete the .maintenance file created at the start of the process. 

Don’t worry, your website won’t be stuck in maintenance mode forever. There are a few ways you can fix this error. 

How to fix WordPress stuck in maintenance mode

If you find your WordPress stuck in maintenance mode, you should start by trying the most obvious fixes first. We’ve outlined a few of your options below: 

Delete the .maintenance file 

There are two ways to delete the .maintenance file, depending on your setup.

Method A: File Manager (cPanel / hPanel / MyKinsta)

• Log into your hosting control panel – this will be cPanel, hPanel (Hostinger), or MyKinsta, depending on your host.
• Open File Manager. Navigate to your site’s root directory, usually called public_html or www.
• Enable Show Hidden Files. Look for a gear or settings icon in the toolbar. The .maintenance file is hidden by default and won’t appear until you check this option.
• Right-click .maintenance and select Delete.
• Clear your browser cache and any plugin caches via your WordPress dashboard or hosting panel before reloading your site.

Method B: FTP Client (FileZilla)

• Connect to your server using an FTP client such as FileZilla.
• Navigate to your site’s root directory (public_html).
• In the menu bar, click Server > Force Showing Hidden Files.
• Right-click .maintenance and select Delete.
• Clear your browser and plugin caches before refreshing your site.

Still not working?

Wait 10 minutes first – the update may still be running in the background. Accessing the backend too early can interrupt it.

Next time, update plugins one at a time instead of using Update All. Bulk updates can overload your hosting server and leave the .maintenance file stuck.

Check your theme and plugins 

Before every update, you would ideally check whether your WordPress theme and plugins are compatible with the version of WordPress you are updating to or not. If WordPress remains stuck in maintenance mode, check your plugins and theme individually as they might not be updated to the latest version. You can do this by deactivating them one by one, refreshing your cache, and checking to see whether this has solved the issue. 

Advanced troubleshooting

If deleting the .maintenance file doesn’t resolve the issue, the problem likely runs a little deeper. Here’s what to try next:

• Isolate a faulty plugin: rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_old via File Manager or FTP. If your site loads normally afterward, rename the folder back and deactivate plugins one by one to find the culprit.
• Isolate a faulty theme: rename your active theme’s folder inside wp-content/themes. WordPress will fall back to a default theme, letting you confirm whether the theme is causing the issue.
• Clear your CDN or server cache: if you use Cloudflare or a server-side caching layer, log in and purge everything. Sometimes a stale cache makes it appear as though your site is still in maintenance mode even after the file has been deleted.

Contact your hosting provider or hire an expert

If the steps above haven’t resolved things, your hosting provider is the logical next stop. Most managed WordPress hosts – including Kinsta and WP Engine – have support teams experienced with maintenance mode errors and can often fix the issue without you needing to touch anything in the backend.

For more complex issues – compatibility conflicts, corrupted files, or a site that won’t load after multiple attempts – a vetted WordPress developer can diagnose and resolve the root cause quickly. 

Codeable matches you with pre-vetted WordPress experts – you submit the problem, compare quotes, and get your site back online without the guesswork. Every day offline means lost traffic and revenue, so this is often the most cost-effective option when self-service fixes haven’t worked.

How to prevent WordPress from getting stuck in maintenance mode

We’ve already explored many of the ways to resolve WordPress that has been stuck in maintenance mode – now, let’s look at what you can do to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are our top tips for a smoother maintenance experience:

• Update your plugins/theme regularly, but avoid bulk updates. Installing updates one at a time makes it easier to spot issues early, reduces strain on your server, and lowers the risk of maintenance mode errors or prolonged downtime. 
• If you’re not already, get your site on a good hosting provider service like Kinsta and WP Engine. This will prevent a host of errors, including server overloads. And if something does go wrong, you’ll have the benefit of excellent customer support. 
• Sometimes errors lead to data loss. Perform regular backups so you can restore the last version of your site if you can’t solve the issue. 
• Test all WordPress updates on a staging site first, so you can see it will cause a maintenance mode error.

Don’t close or refresh your browser tab while WordPress is showing an update progress bar. Wait for the update to complete before navigating away – closing the tab mid-update is one of the most common triggers for this issue.

• A solid, regular WordPress maintenance plan keeps your plugins, theme, and core files in sync – dramatically reducing the risk of maintenance mode errors in the first place.

Solve your maintenance mode errors with Codeable

Getting your WordPress site stuck in maintenance mode is a frustrating error that can have repercussions for your business or blog. Fortunately, it’s a pretty common error, and there’s a lot you can do to avoid WordPress getting stuck to begin with. However, sometimes it’s just inevitable. 

While you can try to fix the issue yourself using our list above, the easiest way forward is to hire an experienced developer from Codeable. They can diagnose the real reason why your WordPress is stuck in maintenance mode and fix the issue in no time at all. 

Are you experiencing issues and need a helping hand? Compare quotes and solve your issues quickly by submitting your project on Codeable. It’s the quickest way to get your site up and running again. And if you want to reduce the chances of running into maintenance mode issues again in the future, Codeable’s maintenance packages can help keep your site healthy with ongoing expert support.