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Is your store or back-office showing a white screen? This guide explains the causes and the steps to solve it. Need help? Our experts intervene within minutes.
PrestaShop white screen: how to diagnose and fix the issue
Causes and steps to solve it. Our experts intervene within minutes.
The white screen (or WSOD - White Screen of Death) on PrestaShop is the symptom of a fatal PHP error that the server cannot display. It is one of the most common and stressful problems: no message, no visible hint. The site simply seems to have disappeared.
This is the #1 cause. Two modules modifying the same hook, controller or class cause a silent fatal error. Often happens after installing or updating a module.
A syntax error in a modified PHP file, a poorly written override, or a class called but missing causes an immediate crash. PHP cannot execute the code and returns a white screen.
PrestaShop uses an intensive cache system (Smarty for front, Symfony for back-office 1.7+). If the cache is corrupted (after an interrupted update, partial deployment), the site shows a white screen.
A PHP script exceeding memory_limit is killed by the server without visible error. Common with mass imports, thumbnail regeneration, or heavy modules.
A PrestaShop or module update interrupted midway (timeout, disconnection) leaves the site in an inconsistent state. Some files updated, others not: result, white screen.
A theme not compatible with your PrestaShop version, or with a broken Smarty template, can cause a white screen on the entire front-office.
Follow these steps in order to diagnose and fix the issue:
Edit /config/defines.inc.php: set _PS_MODE_DEV_ to true. If a PHP error is the cause, it will appear instead of the white screen. Note the exact message.
Via FTP, delete the contents of /var/cache/prod/ and /var/cache/dev/ (PrestaShop 1.7+) or /cache/smarty/compile/ and /cache/smarty/cache/ (PrestaShop 1.6). Keep the folders, only clear their contents.
If the back-office is also white-screen, you cannot disable modules normally. Access phpMyAdmin, table ps_module, and set active to 0 for the last installed module. Reload the site.
From your hosting panel, check that the PHP version is compatible with your PrestaShop. PrestaShop 1.7: PHP 7.1 to 7.4. PrestaShop 8.x: PHP 7.4 to 8.1. PrestaShop 9: PHP 8.1+.
Rename /override/ to /override_bak/. If the site comes back, an override is at fault. Reintegrate them one by one to find the culprit.
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Absolutely perfect. A fatal error on my website following a module update was fixed in under an hour by Youssef and his team. What a pleasure to work with such efficient professionals. I recommend them without hesitation.
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