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The most direct way to control WordPress core maintenance mode is WP-CLI. From the directory containing your WordPress installation, run wp maintenance-mode activate to enable it and wp maintenance-mode deactivate to turn it off. Use wp maintenance-mode status to inspect the current state; wp maintenance-mode is-active is available when you need a simple check for an administrator or script.
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If a site is stuck on a maintenance screen after an interrupted update, connect with authenticated FTP, SSH, or your hosting file manager, remove the root-level .maintenance file, and then verify the state. WordPress core treats a .maintenance file created less than 10 minutes ago as active, while an older file is treated as inactive.
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WP-CLI gives you explicit commands for turning core maintenance mode on and off. It is preferable when you have shell or remote command access because the operation, confirmation message, and status check are all visible in one place.
1. Open the WordPress installation directory
Connect to the server through SSH or another shell and change to the directory that contains the WordPress installation. If you do not want to change directories, provide the installation path with WP-CLI’s --path option.
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The command must target the correct site. On a server hosting several WordPress installations, running the command from the wrong directory can affect a different site or fail to find a WordPress installation.
2. Check the current state
Run:
wp maintenance-mode statusThis tells you whether WordPress core currently considers maintenance mode active. Checking first avoids enabling an already active state unnecessarily and gives you a baseline for troubleshooting.
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Run:
wp maintenance-mode activateWP-CLI reports the result with the success message Success: Activated Maintenance mode. Open the site in a separate browser session, preferably one that is not already authenticated as an administrator, and confirm that visitors receive the maintenance response rather than the normal front end.
4. Record what you changed
For a planned update, note the time you activated maintenance mode and the work you intend to perform. This is particularly useful because WordPress core’s file-based check is time-sensitive: a newly created file is active for the first 10 minutes according to the core behavior described below. Your change log should distinguish a deliberate maintenance window from an abandoned file left by an interrupted update.
Disable maintenance mode with WP-CLI
When the update or other work is complete, return to the same WordPress installation directory and run:
wp maintenance-mode deactivateThe documented success response is Success: Deactivated Maintenance mode. Recheck both the command-line state and the public site:
wp maintenance-mode statusLoad the front end in a separate browser session after deactivation. An administrator’s authenticated session can behave differently from a visitor’s session, so checking from an independent session helps confirm that the public site is available.
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Use status and is-active for checks
WP-CLI documents four subcommands for maintenance mode: activate, deactivate, is-active, and status.
| Subcommand | Purpose | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
wp maintenance-mode activate |
Enables WordPress core maintenance mode. | Start a planned maintenance window before updates or other work. |
wp maintenance-mode deactivate |
Disables WordPress core maintenance mode. | Restore normal public access after the work is complete. |
wp maintenance-mode status |
Displays the current maintenance state. | Inspect the site before activation, after deactivation, or during recovery. |
wp maintenance-mode is-active |
Checks whether maintenance mode is active. | Use as a focused check in an administrative procedure or an automation script. |
Use the full command with the correct path when the shell’s current directory is not the site root. For example:
wp --path=/path/to/wordpress maintenance-mode statusReplace the path with the actual installation directory on your server. Do not copy a path from another site or assume that the document root and the WordPress root are identical.
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WordPress core does not require a separate dashboard switch for this temporary state. It checks for a file named .maintenance in the WordPress root directory. The core documentation describes the check as: “Checks for a file in the WordPress root directory named “.maintenance”.”
The root-level .maintenance file
The file is hidden on many operating systems because its name begins with a dot. It is placed directly in the WordPress root, alongside the installation’s core files, not in a theme directory, plugin directory, uploads directory, or a user’s home directory.
The file contains an $upgrading timestamp. That timestamp lets WordPress decide whether the file represents a current maintenance operation or a stale remnant of an older one.
The ten-minute rule
If the .maintenance file was created less than 10 minutes ago, WordPress treats maintenance mode as active. If the file is more than 10 minutes old, WordPress core’s wp_is_maintenance_mode() function returns false and the site is treated as not being in core maintenance mode.
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The age rule explains why a screen can disappear on its own after an abandoned file has aged past the active window, but waiting is not the clearest recovery practice. If you know an update was interrupted, remove the stale file and verify the result rather than leaving an unexplained hidden file in the installation root.
Recover a site stuck on the maintenance screen
An interrupted WordPress core, plugin, or theme update can leave .maintenance behind in the WordPress root. If the normal WP-CLI command cannot run or the site remains on a maintenance screen, address that file directly.
1. Obtain authenticated server access
Use one of the access methods permitted by your host and account:
- SSH, if you have shell access to the server.
- Authenticated FTP, if file transfer access is provided.
- Your hosting control panel’s authenticated file manager.
Do not attempt to remove a file through an unauthenticated or improvised method. You need access to the actual server directory that contains the WordPress installation.
2. Locate the WordPress root
Find the directory in which WordPress is installed. The correct directory is the one containing the WordPress core files and the root-level .maintenance file. On a multi-site server, verify the site name or path before making any change.
3. Remove only the stale .maintenance file
Delete the file named exactly .maintenance from that WordPress root. Do not delete similarly named files, a directory, or files inside wp-content. A hidden-file setting in a file manager may need to be enabled before the file is visible.
4. Verify from the command line when possible
After removal, return to the installation directory and run:
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wp maintenance-mode statusIf WP-CLI is available, the status check confirms what WordPress sees after the file cleanup. Then open the public site in a separate browser session and check the front end.
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If you cannot find .maintenance in the correct root, do not remove unrelated files to force the site online. Confirm that you are looking at the actual WordPress root, that hidden files are displayed, and that your account has permission to see server files. If WP-CLI is available, its status command provides another way to check the core state.
Choose the right control method
The two practical controls described here address different access situations. WP-CLI is a command interface for an explicit state change; direct file access is the recovery path when the file itself is the problem or commands are unavailable.
| Method | Access required | Control provided | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WP-CLI | Shell or remote command access to the WordPress installation. | Explicit activate, deactivate, status, and is-active operations. | Planned maintenance, repeatable administration, and scripted checks. |
| Direct file removal | Authenticated SSH, FTP, or hosting file-manager access to the server files. | Removes the root-level .maintenance file that controls the core check. |
Recovery after an interrupted update or when WP-CLI cannot run. |
Neither method is a replacement for the other. Use WP-CLI for a deliberate maintenance window when it is available; use authenticated file access to clean up a stale root file when the site is stuck or the command interface is inaccessible.
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Following the same sequence reduces the chance of leaving the site in an unintended state.
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Before starting
- Identify the exact WordPress installation path.
- Confirm that you have shell access or authenticated server-file access.
- Check the current state with
wp maintenance-mode statuswhen WP-CLI is available. - Decide whether the work requires core maintenance mode or only a separate presentation layer.
During the work
- Activate with
wp maintenance-mode activate. - Confirm the success message and test the public view in a separate browser session.
- Perform the planned update or maintenance task.
- If the process stops unexpectedly, check for the root-level
.maintenancefile before making other changes.
After the work
- Run
wp maintenance-mode deactivate. - Run
wp maintenance-mode statusto verify the state. - Load the site as a visitor, not only through an authenticated administrator session.
- If the site remains on the maintenance screen, use the recovery procedure and inspect the root-level file.
Troubleshoot common problems
WP-CLI cannot find the site
Make sure the shell is in the directory containing the WordPress installation, or add the correct --path value to each command. A path problem is different from a maintenance-mode problem: the command must first identify the intended installation before it can report or change its state.
The command appears to succeed but visitors still see maintenance mode
Run wp maintenance-mode status again and test from a separate browser session. If the status is not what you expect, repeat the command from the verified installation path. If the status indicates that maintenance mode is not active but the screen persists, inspect the server’s root-level .maintenance file and confirm that you are checking the same document root serving the public site.
The site is stuck after an update
Use authenticated SSH, FTP, or the hosting file manager to locate and remove the stale .maintenance file in the WordPress root. Then run the status command if available and test the front end. The ten-minute rule may eventually make an old file inactive, but explicit cleanup identifies and removes the cause.
You are unsure which file to delete
Delete only a file named exactly .maintenance at the WordPress root. Do not remove files from a theme or plugin directory merely because their names contain the word “maintenance.” If the root cannot be established, stop and verify the installation path before deleting anything.
WP-CLI is unavailable
Use authenticated server-file access to inspect the root directory. The file mechanism is part of WordPress core, so direct access can be used for recovery even when a command-line workflow is not available. After cleanup, verify the public site and use any available administrative status check.
Core maintenance state versus a custom maintenance page
WordPress core’s maintenance mode is a temporary state derived from the root-level .maintenance file and its timestamp. A custom maintenance page or a plugin that changes the appearance of the maintenance response is a separate presentation layer.
That distinction matters when diagnosing a site that appears unavailable. First establish whether core considers maintenance mode active with WP-CLI or by inspecting the root file. Then evaluate any custom page or plugin configuration independently. Removing .maintenance addresses the core state; it does not automatically undo a separate presentation layer that may still be configured to display a maintenance page.
Commands at a glance
wp maintenance-mode status
wp maintenance-mode activate
wp maintenance-mode deactivate
wp maintenance-mode is-activeRun these commands from the WordPress installation directory, or add --path=/path/to/wordpress before maintenance-mode. The activation and deactivation commands change the core state; the two checking commands let you inspect it before, during, and after a maintenance window.
Final decision
For normal administration, use WP-CLI: check with status, enable with activate, and disable with deactivate. If an interrupted update leaves the site stuck, connect with authenticated server access, remove the root-level .maintenance file, and verify the result. Remember that WordPress core treats a file younger than 10 minutes as active and an older file as inactive, and keep core state separate from any custom maintenance-page presentation.
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