01
Emergencies
WordPress emergencies and technical recovery for sites that are down
If you have a WordPress site down with a critical error locking you out of the panel, or a glitch that is annoying without taking the whole site down, I will take care of it. I get into the server to see what happened and fix the problem right away, whether it is a real emergency or you just need one-off technical support.
Diagnosis before action
Top priority
Response in under 4 hours
Is your site down, or is something just not working right?
The site isn't working
It's down, throws a critical error, you can't get into the panel, or you can't sell. This is a real emergency.
Something is off but the site is still up
A plugin acting up, a broken feature, a one-off technical fix outside your regular maintenance. This is one-off WordPress technical support, and I handle that too.
What usually happens
What you see on screen is almost never the real problem
Blank screen or error
Memory exhausted, incompatible plugin, corrupted file, or a half-applied update.
You can't get into the panel
Locked-out user, permissions error, or a session that doesn't work.
The site is doing strange things
Redirects elsewhere, shows content that isn't yours, or loads spam.
It broke after an update
The fault appeared right after touching something, and the change needs to be undone carefully, not blindly.
A technical read on the fault
Fixing WordPress means looking beyond the surface
The visible symptom rarely matches the cause. A blank screen can come from a plugin, the server's memory, or a half-applied update. Acting on the symptom without diagnosing usually makes things worse.Patching without understanding what happened solves the problem but can be the seed of other WordPress issues down the line.The order of action matters on a live site: restoring a backup without knowing what happened is not the same as isolating the fault first and understanding its origin.If the prior state isn't recorded before touching anything, valuable information is lost for understanding what failed and preventing it from happening again.
In an emergency, the risk isn't failing to fix it. It's making it worse by acting without looking first.
Protocol for WordPress emergencies
What I don't do
- Restore a backup without knowing what happened
- Update plugins and hope it fixes itself
- Delete files that "look suspicious"
- Fix WordPress without knowing the root cause
What I do
- I isolate the fault and trace where it came from
- I prioritise getting the site working again
- I only touch what the diagnosis justifies
- I leave WordPress stable
What I need from you to start
02
What you noticed is wrong, or the error shown on screen
03
Which part of the business is stopped
04
Whether it happened right after a change or update
05
Your access credentials, if you have them handy
How I recover a WordPress site that's down
I see what's broken
I check what's stopped working and which part of the business it affects.
I contain the problem
I stop the fault from spreading further while I locate the cause.
I bring it back up
I make sure the site loads correctly.
I check that it works
I check that everything works, not just that it loads.
I tell you what happened and what to do
And what's worth doing so it doesn't happen again.
Every moment the site is down, something takes a hit
What to expect
What you can expect from a WordPress recovery
The priority is getting the site working correctly again, not making everything perfect on the first pass. A second phase, if the case calls for it, is where I go deeper.
First, that the site works
I check before acting
I focus on what's stopping you from working
I don't apply blind patches
If needed, there's a second phase
What I deliver when I close out an emergency
The site working again
With all core features working
What caused it
A clear explanation of what failed, without unnecessary jargon.
Exactly what I did
A summary of the actions I applied to your site.
What's worth doing next
I tell you if a deeper disinfection, maintenance, or audit is worth doing, if needed.
What I fix
Site down or critical errors
Blank screen, server errors. I identify the point of failure and restore WordPress without unnecessary changes.
Conflicts after an update
From a plugin, theme, or the WordPress core. I isolate the conflict and apply the right fix to get it working again.
Locked out of the panel
User, permission, or role issues. I restore secure access and fix the lock-out.
Malware or injections detected urgently
Immediate containment while a full disinfection is organised, if needed.
Database errors
Connection issues, corruption, or lock-ups. I diagnose the cause and repair what's needed to restore stability.
Payments, checkout, orders in WooCommerce
I fix faults in the purchase flow to restore sales and transactions.
Forms and emails that stop arriving
I restore reliable delivery of contact or order emails.
SSL, domain, or misconfigured redirects
I resolve issues that prevent correct access to the site.
Who responds
I'm Javier Afan and I handle every case myself
With over 10 years working with WordPress at agencies, and specialised in security on top of that, I know that in an emergency, what matters most isn't just speed — it's having enough knowledge not to make things worse. When you write to me, you talk to me directly, no tickets or middlemen.
Diagnosis before acting blindly
Priority on recovering what's critical
You talk to me directly
I explain what happened, no jargon
Frequently asked questions
Before you write to me
How long does it take you to get a blocked site back online?
I get to work immediately once I receive your notice, to investigate the source of the problem, isolate the technical fault, and get the site back to normal as fast as possible, making sure your business doesn't suffer prolonged customer loss or stay inaccessible for hours because of an unexpected issue.
What if I actually got hacked?
The first step is stabilising the site. If the diagnosis points to a hack, I'll tell you, and we move on to a proper disinfection.
What if my domain suddenly stops connecting to the site?
I check the DNS, the domain status, and the server configuration to restore the connection as soon as possible, avoiding hours of your business being unreachable online.
What do I do if my site shows a warning that it's dangerous?
I step in immediately to clear the security warnings scaring off customers, fixing the problem at the root so browsers let everyone back in with full confidence.
What do I do if a broken plugin locks up the whole site?
I get into the server via FTP right away to rename the faulty component's folder and deactivate it instantly, making the site visible again immediately while I look for a stable alternative that won't compromise functionality.
Do you guarantee the same fault won't happen again?
I investigate the exact cause of the break and apply a definitive fix to the system to ensure stability and stop the error from coming back for the same reason.
Do I need to give you access to the control panel to fix the site?
Yes, I need admin-level access to your WordPress panel and your hosting provider's credentials so I can get in to check the internal files, review server logs, and apply the technical fix with full freedom and speed, without you having to do anything yourself.
Do I need to already have maintenance with you?
No. I can step in even if you don't have any service contracted with me.
What if I don't have a recent backup of the site?
While having a prior backup is always ideal, if you don't have one, I'll thoroughly trace the system files and database tables to find the exact source of the fault and try to manually repair the current damage, saving as much information as possible.
Every moment counts while the site is down
No obligation. I'll tell you what I find and what I'd do, and you decide whether to go ahead.