Help center · Syndaq

How to fix WordPress stuck in maintenance mode

Remove maintenance lock files and recover from incomplete updates.

WordPress can become stuck in maintenance mode when an update fails or is interrupted before the temporary lock file is removed.

Common symptoms

  • The site says Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance
  • The admin area is inaccessible
  • The issue began after updating plugins, themes, or WordPress core

Troubleshooting steps

  1. Use File Manager to look for a .maintenance file in the WordPress root directory.
  2. Delete the .maintenance file if it remains present.
  3. Sign back into WordPress admin and confirm whether the interrupted update completed successfully.
  4. Update plugins and themes one at a time if the site entered maintenance mode during a bulk update.
  5. Check disk space and PHP limits if updates repeatedly fail partway through.

Additional notes

  • A stale maintenance file is safe to remove when the update is clearly not still running.
  • Repeated update failures usually indicate a deeper resource or compatibility issue.

When to contact support

Contact support if maintenance mode returns immediately after deletion.

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