# How to Find and Fix PHP Errors (Logs and Debugging)

> Canonical: https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-find-and-fix-php-errors-logs-and-debugging/ · Last modified: 2026-10-23T16:21:33+00:00

A blank white page, a sudden 500 error, or a site that half-loads are all usually caused by a **PHP error** – and the message that explains it is written to a log, even when nothing shows on screen. Knowing where to look turns “my site is broken” into a specific line you can act on. This guide shows how to read your PHP error logs on every [JetHost WordPress hosting](https://jethost.com/hosting-for-wordpress/) plan, how to switch on error messages safely while you’re testing, and the first things to check.

## Why errors are often invisible

On a live site, PHP is set *not* to print errors to the screen – and that’s deliberate. An error message can reveal file paths and other details that help an attacker, so showing them to every visitor would be a security risk. Instead, PHP quietly records each error in a log file. That’s why a broken page can look completely blank: the explanation exists, it’s just written to the log rather than displayed.

## Find the error log in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and look in the **Metrics** section.
2. Click **Errors** to see the most recent entries recorded for your account.
3. Each line shows the date, the error type, the file, and the line number – read from the bottom up, as the newest errors are last.

You can also find an `error_log` file inside the folder where the problem happened – for a main site, that’s usually `public_html`. Open it with [File Manager](https://jethost.com/kb/file-manager-in-jethost-wordpress-manager/) or over [FTP](https://jethost.com/kb/what-is-ftp-and-sftp/) to read the full detail.

## Reading what an error tells you

Most entries name the problem, the file, and the line – for example “PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error... in /home/user/public\_html/wp-content/plugins/example/file.php on line 42”. The file path usually points straight at the culprit: a specific plugin, theme, or custom script. A **fatal error** stops the page entirely, while a **warning** or **notice** lets it keep loading but signals code that may break on a [newer PHP version](https://jethost.com/kb/which-php-versions-does-jethost-support/).

## Show errors while testing

If you’re actively debugging and want errors on screen, you can turn `display_errors` on temporarily under **Select PHP Version → Options** (see [changing PHP settings](https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-change-php-settings-and-limits-in-cpanel/)). On WordPress, the cleaner route is to set `WP_DEBUG` and `WP_DEBUG_LOG` to `true` in `wp-config.php`, which writes everything to `wp-content/debug.log` without exposing it to visitors. Whichever you use, switch it back off the moment you’re finished.

## First things to try

- **“Memory exhausted”** – raise `memory_limit` in [PHP settings](https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-change-php-settings-and-limits-in-cpanel/).
- **“Maximum execution time exceeded”** – raise `max_execution_time` for long tasks.
- **“Call to undefined function”** – a required [PHP extension](https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-enable-or-disable-php-extensions-in-cpanel/) is switched off.
- **Error points to one plugin** – deactivate it to confirm, then update or replace it.

## JetHost Experts Tip

When you open a support ticket about a broken page, copy the exact error line from the log into the ticket. That one line tells our team the file, the plugin, and the cause straight away – and gets you a fix far faster than “the site is down”.

## Need more help?

Found the error but not sure how to fix it? Open a ticket through **Client Area → Support Tickets** with the log line and our team will help you resolve it.