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infoWordPress Core•webwordpresserrorerroradmin_panel_settingspermissionsfolderfilesystemsystem_updateUpdate•labelCommon•check_circleEasy

Error: The site is stuck in maintenance mode

WordPress creates a .maintenance file when it starts an update. If the process stops before completion, the file remains and WordPress shows a maintenance message to visitors. The file stays because the script was unable to delete it, often due to permission issues, resource limits, or a conflicting plugin.

The presence of the file forces WordPress to return a 503 status code for all requests. Until the file is removed or the underlying issue is resolved, the site remains inaccessible to visitors.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Maintenance banner on front‑end
Visitors see a message that the site is temporarily unavailable.
[dashicons-admin-site]
Admin dashboard shows maintenance notice
Logged‑in users still see the same banner inside the admin area.
[dashicons-admin-tools]
503 Service Unavailable response
All URLs return HTTP 503 status code.

Common Causes

Interrupted update
Network drop or timeout leaves .maintenance file on server.
File permission error
WordPress lacks write permission to delete .maintenance.
Plugin or theme conflict
A maintenance‑mode plugin or incompatible code prevents cleanup.
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