Fix “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” in WordPress

If you’ve ever updated a WordPress plugin, theme, or core and seen the message “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” stuck on your site, you’re not alone. This message appears when WordPress is in maintenance mode during updates, but sometimes it doesn’t disappear automatically. The quick fix is to manually delete the .maintenance file from your WordPress root directory.

Quick Fix

Access your website files via FTP, SFTP, or your hosting file manager.
Locate the .maintenance file in the root folder of your WordPress installation.
Delete the .maintenance file.
Reload your website to confirm it’s back online.

Why This Happens

When WordPress performs updates, it creates a temporary .maintenance file in the root directory to put the site into maintenance mode. This prevents visitors from seeing broken or incomplete pages during the update process.

Normally, WordPress deletes this file automatically once the update finishes. However, if the update is interrupted — due to server timeout, connection issues, or plugin conflicts — the .maintenance file remains, causing the site to stay stuck in maintenance mode.

Step-by-step: Fixing the Issue

For Nginx or Apache Servers

Connect to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla or via SSH.
Navigate to your WordPress root directory (where wp-config.php is located).
Look for the .maintenance file. It may be hidden, so ensure your FTP client shows hidden files.
Delete the .maintenance file.
Clear your browser cache and reload your website.

# Example SSH commands:
cd /path/to/wordpress
rm .maintenance

For cPanel or Plesk Users

Log in to your hosting control panel (cPanel or Plesk).
Open the File Manager.
Navigate to your WordPress root directory (usually public_html or a subfolder).
Enable “Show Hidden Files” if not already enabled.
Find and delete the .maintenance file.
Reload your website to verify the fix.

Works on

Web servers: Nginx, Apache, LiteSpeed
Hosting control panels: cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin
File access methods: FTP, SFTP, SSH, Hosting File Managers
WordPress versions: All versions that use the maintenance mode file during updates

FAQ

Q: What if I don’t see the .maintenance file?: A: Make sure your FTP client or file manager shows hidden files. The .maintenance file is hidden by default because of the leading dot.
Q: Can I just wait for the maintenance mode to end?: A: Usually yes, but if the update process was interrupted, the site will stay stuck. Manual removal of the .maintenance file is needed.
Q: Will deleting the .maintenance file cause any data loss?: A: No, deleting this file only ends maintenance mode. It does not affect your database or content.
Q: How can I prevent this from happening again?: A: Ensure your server has enough resources and stable connections during updates. Avoid interrupting updates manually and keep plugins/themes compatible and updated.
Q: Is there a plugin to fix this automatically?: A: Some plugins can detect and remove the maintenance file, but manual removal is the most reliable and fastest method.