WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode: Quick Fix Guide

When you update WordPress core, plugins, or themes, the system temporarily creates a .maintenance file in the root directory. Normally it disappears once the update finishes, but if something goes wrong, your site may get stuck showing:

Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.

This is called “maintenance mode lock.” Fortunately, it’s easy to fix.

Why WordPress Gets Stuck in Maintenance Mode

• The update process was interrupted (e.g., browser closed or server timeout).
• A plugin/theme update failed to complete.
• Slow or limited hosting resources caused update scripts to stall.
• The .maintenance file wasn’t automatically removed.

Step-by-Step Fix

1) Remove the .maintenance File

Connect to your site via FTP, SFTP, or your hosting File Manager. Look in the WordPress root directory (the same place as wp-config.php).

1. Find the file named .maintenance.
2. Delete it (or rename it to .maintenance_old).
3. Reload your site — it should come back immediately.

2) Clear Browser and Site Cache

If you still see the maintenance message, clear:

• Your browser cache.
• WordPress caching plugin cache (e.g., W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache).
• Server/CDN cache (Cloudflare, hosting panel cache).

3) Check for Incomplete Updates

After fixing maintenance mode, verify your updates:

• Go to Dashboard → Updates to confirm all updates finished.
• If an update failed, re-run it to ensure files are intact.
• Look for broken themes/plugins and reinstall if necessary.

4) Increase PHP Execution Time (Optional)

If maintenance mode often gets stuck, increase the PHP execution time in php.ini or .htaccess:

max_execution_time = 300

This allows updates to complete before timing out.

Preventing Future Issues

• Update one plugin or theme at a time instead of bulk-updating everything.
• Use a staging site for testing large updates.
• Keep backups before running updates, so you can roll back if needed.
• Ensure enough hosting resources (PHP memory, execution time).

Summary

1. Delete the .maintenance file in your root directory.
2. Clear caches to remove the stuck message.
3. Verify all updates and rerun failed ones.
4. Optimize hosting and update strategy to prevent future lockups.

By removing the .maintenance file and checking for failed updates, you can quickly restore your WordPress site and keep it running smoothly.

👉 Need more help? Explore our WordPress Troubleshooting Guide for step-by-step solutions to the most common errors.