You updated your themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More. Now you see a white screen. You can’t access WP AdminThe admin (administrator) is the highest user role with full... More. Your site is locked.

When a themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More breaks your site, you can’t simply switch it back from the dashboardThe dashboard, or admin panel, is the backend interface wher... More, because you can’t log in.

The solution? Change the active themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More directly from your databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More.

This guide shows you how, step by step.

1. When You Need This Method

This technique is useful when:

• A themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More update causes a white screen or fatal error
• You’re locked out of /wp-admin
• Your site shows a “Critical Error” message
• You need to revert to a default themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More to regain access

If you can still access the adminThe admin (administrator) is the highest user role with full... More area, just switch themes normally. This method is only for when you cannot.

2. Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access phpMyAdmin

Log into your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, etc.) and open phpMyAdmin.

Don’t know how? Most hosts have a guide. Look for “Databases” → “phpMyAdmin” or contact support.

Step 2: Select Your DatabaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More and Open _options

In the left sidebarA widget-ready area typically displayed alongside main conte... More, click on your WordPress databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More. Then find and click the table that ends with _options.

The prefix may vary:

• wp_options
• wp2_options
• hello_options (if your site is on a subdomain called “hello”)
• Any other custom prefix

Tip: Use the search bar at the top of phpMyAdmin and search for options if you have many tables.

Step 3: Locate template and stylesheet

You need to find two rows in the _options table:

• template
• stylesheet

These rows control your active themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More. They are usually on pageStatic content (e.g., "About Us," "Contact") not part of chr... More 2 of the options table. Use the pagination controls at the bottom to navigate.

Alternatively: Click the Search tab, search for option_name = 'template', then repeat for stylesheet.

Step 4: Replace with a Default Theme

First, check which themes are installed on your server:

• Open your hosting File Manager or connect via FTP
• Navigate to /wp-content/themes/
• Note the folder names of installed themes (e.g., twentytwentyfour, twentytwentythree)

Now edit the databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More:

1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the template row.
2. In the option_value field, replace the current themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More name with a default WordPress themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More that is installed on your server (e.g., twentytwentyfour).
3. Click Go to save.
4. Repeat the same process for the stylesheet row.

Important: Both template and stylesheet must be set to the same themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More name (unless you’re using a child themeA theme that inherits functionality and styling from a paren... More, in that case, template is the parent, stylesheet is the child).

Recommended default themes: twentytwentyfour, twentytwentythree, twentytwentytwo. These come with every WordPress installation.

If the default themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More isn’t installed: Download it from WordPress.org, upload it via FTP to /wp-content/themes/, then follow the steps above.

Step 5: Done!

Visit your website. It should load normally again. Log into WP AdminThe admin (administrator) is the highest user role with full... More, you’re back in control.

From there, you can:

• Reactivate your original themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More (if the issue is fixed)
• Switch to a different themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More
• Troubleshoot the problem further

3. Troubleshooting

My site is still broken after changing the theme

The issue might not be your themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More. Try disabling all plugins (see our guide on disabling plugins via phpMyAdmin).

I don’t see template and stylesheet rows

Search for them using the Search tab in phpMyAdmin. If they don’t exist, your databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More may have a different structure, contact your host.

I changed the theme but the admin area is still inaccessible

Clear your browser cache. Try a different browser or incognito mode. If that doesn’t work, the issue may be a pluginSoftware that adds specific features or functionality to a W... More or a corrupted WordPress coreCore The foundational files and code of WordPress itself, ma... More file.

Can I switch to any theme?

Only to themes that are already installed in /wp-content/themes/. If your desired themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More isn’t installed, upload it via FTP first.

Final Thoughts

A broken themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More doesn’t have to lock you out of your site forever. By changing the active themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More directly from the databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More, you can regain access in minutes.

Remember:

• Always back up your databaseWhere all WordPress content, settings, and user data are sto... More before making changes
• Only switch to a themeTheme A collection of files that determine a site's design, ... More that is already installed
• Both template and stylesheet usually need the same value
• If this doesn’t work, try disabling plugins next

Now you know how to rescue your site from a theme-related white screen, no panic required.