Fix: Site Crash or HTTP 500 After Activating a PHP Snippet in Woody

This article explains how to recover your site when it shows an HTTP 500 error, a blank screen, or a WordPress critical error immediately after saving or activating a PHP snippet in Woody, and how to test PHP snippets safely to prevent the problem.

Troubleshooting: Site crash, HTTP 500, or critical error after activating a PHP snippet

If your site shows an HTTP 500 error, a WordPress critical error, or a blank screen right after you save or activate a PHP snippet, the snippet most likely contains a PHP error or code that should not run on every page load. This is most common when Snippet Scope is set to Run everywhere.

Woody Safe Mode temporarily stops Woody snippets from running so you can regain access to your WordPress admin area and fix the problem. Safe Mode does not delete, edit, or overwrite your snippets.

1. Enable Safe Mode:
   • If Woody shows an error notice after saving the snippet, click Enable Safe Mode.
   • If the normal Woody screen will not load, go to https://your-site.com/wp-admin/?wbcr-php-snippets-safe-mode while signed in as an administrator.
2. Open Woody snippets and look for the most recently created, edited, or activated PHP snippet.
3. Deactivate that snippet.
4. Fix the code or delete the snippet if you no longer need it.
5. After the site loads normally again, click Disable Safe Mode in the Woody admin notice and test the affected page again.

📝 Info: Safe Mode is a recovery tool. It temporarily disables Woody snippet execution so you can get back into the admin area and correct the broken code.

Testing PHP snippets safely

Before you activate a new PHP snippet on a live site:

• In Woody snippets > Settings, disable Auto-activate New Snippets so new snippets stay inactive until you are ready to test them.
• Prefer Where there is a shortcode over Run everywhere when the code only needs to appear in a specific post, page, or widget area.
• Review the snippet first, then activate it manually only after you are ready to test it.
• Create a fresh backup before adding complex or experimental PHP code.
• In Woody snippets > Settings, enable Enable Error Email Notifications and confirm the Error Notification Email is correct.

After you activate the snippet, test the exact page where it should run first. If the page loads normally and Woody does not report a new error, you can keep the snippet active.

⚠️ Warning: Themeisle support can help you use Woody features and Safe Mode recovery steps, but writing or debugging custom PHP snippets is outside standard support.