WordPress stuck in maintenance mode: what to check

Establish whether maintenance is still legitimate

WordPress creates a temporary maintenance marker during an update. A long-running notice alone cannot tell you whether the update is running, has failed, or is being served from a cache.

1. Record when the notice began and whether a core, plugin or theme update was started manually, automatically or by the hosting platform.
2. Ask the host to check its update jobs and running processes for this installation. Do not launch another update or delete the marker while an update is active. If the process state is uncertain, stop and let the host investigate.
3. Preserve a current files-and-database snapshot and the available pre-update backup. Note any update error, storage warning or hosting resource limit before changing files.

Remove only a confirmed leftover marker

After the host confirms that no update remains active, an authorized operator can inspect the exact WordPress root using the host's file manager or secure file access.

1. Identify the installation serving the affected domain. Its root contains the wp-admin and wp-includes directories; do not assume the hosting account's top directory is the correct root.
2. Enable viewing hidden files if necessary and locate the file named exactly .maintenance in that root. Remove only that confirmed leftover file, not a folder, core files or a similarly named item elsewhere.
3. Check the public page and administration area again. If only cached visitors see the notice, ask the host to check the relevant cache after confirming the origin's state. If there is no marker or the notice persists, investigate instead of deleting other files.

Verify completion before the next update attempt

Treat restored access as the start of verification. Compare the intended update with the versions and update status now reported by WordPress.

1. Check core, plugin and theme versions, update notices, and any outstanding database-update prompt. Review host logs for the original interruption, such as disk space, permissions, download failure or execution limits.
2. If completion is uncertain, agree a controlled rerun with the host using the official update procedure and verified backups. Reproduce recurring failures on protected staging first; do not repeatedly restart production updates.
3. Verify public pages, administrator login, forms and business-critical functions. For shops, preserve new orders when planning any restoration. Keep a rollback plan until the update and affected journeys are confirmed.

Relevant official documentation

The official marker-removal advice is paired here with a process-state check and backup precautions. These references cannot confirm your update completed.

Need someone to investigate?

Read about WordPress update recovery, or send the notice, update timing and what the host has confirmed. Do not include credentials, backup archives or private logs.