infoWordPress CoreerrorPHP errorwebwordpressdangerousfatal_errorfunctionsundefined_functionstar_halfUncommonwarningModerate

Call to undefined function is_super_admin()

The error occurs when WordPress tries to call the function is_super_admin() but the file that defines it has not been loaded. This typically happens in multisite environments or custom bootstraps where core capability files are skipped.

The missing definition leads to a fatal PHP error, stopping script execution and returning a server error response.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
HTTP 500 Internal Server Error
The server returns a generic error response.
[dashicons-admin-site]
Blank white screen
No content is displayed on the page.
[dashicons-media-code]
Fatal error message
PHP reports "Call to undefined function is_super_admin()".

Common Causes

SHORTINIT is defined
Defining SHORTINIT skips loading capabilities.php where the function lives.
Function called too early
Code runs before pluggable.php is required, such as in mu‑plugins or early hooks.
Missing core files
capabilities.php or pluggable.php is absent or corrupted.
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