PrestaShop repair, what to do when the shop is down, step by step
In short: PrestaShop repair starts with naming the symptom (white screen, 500 error, database error, problem after an update), then enabling debug mode and reading the logs. That way you see the real cause instead of guessing. Work on a copy and with a backup so you do not deepen the failure.
A shop that is down is a real loss with every hour. The good news: most PrestaShop failures have a few repeatable causes, and the fix is about calmly ruling them out, not rebuilding the shop from scratch. Below we walk through the most common scenarios.
First: name the symptom
Before you change anything, establish exactly what you see. The repair path depends on the symptom:
- a blank, white page (the so-called white screen),
- a 500 error (Internal Server Error),
- a database connection error,
- the shop stopped working after an update of a module, theme or PrestaShop.
Rule number one: work on a copy and with a backup
Before you start, make a backup of the files and the database. Repairing live without a point to return to is the easiest way to turn one problem into two. With a backup you can act boldly, because you can always roll back.
White screen in PrestaShop
A white screen is usually a PHP error hidden from the customer. To see the real message, enable debug mode in the shop's config file. Then clear the cache folder (a common cause of a „frozen" white page) and check the most recently installed or updated module or theme. In most cases the culprit is a module conflict or too small a PHP memory limit. We expand on this in: PrestaShop, the white screen.
500 error in PrestaShop
A 500 error signals that the server hit something it cannot handle. The most common causes are an error in a module or theme, a broken .htaccess file, too little PHP memory, or a failed update. The key is the server error log and debug mode, which point to the exact spot. More in: PrestaShop, 500 error and demo mode.
The shop stopped working after an update
If the failure appeared right after updating PrestaShop, a module or a theme, that is most likely where the cause is. Roll back the last change (restore the previous module version or restore from a pre-update backup), check module compatibility with the shop version and clear the cache. This is exactly why shop updates are worth doing with a backup and in a controlled way.
Database connection error
A „cannot connect to database" message usually means wrong credentials in the config file (after a migration or password change), an overloaded database or a hosting-side problem. Check the database name, user, password and host, and if they are correct, contact your host.
When it is not a failure but an infection
Sometimes „the shop is down" is the result of a hack: redirects, swapped payments, strange files. If you see such symptoms, treat it as an infection and act on the malware removal guide, and while you are at it, close up PrestaShop shop security.
A shop earns when it works
In e-commerce every hour of downtime is a real loss, so a calm, methodical repair matters more than clicking blindly. If your PrestaShop shop stopped working and you do not want to guess under time pressure, get in touch. We will diagnose the cause and restore the shop, protecting orders and customer data.