How to Fix the “Briefly Unavailable For Scheduled Maintenance” Error in WordPress

The “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” message is displayed when WordPress is currently in maintenance mode. During the update, WordPress will create a temporary .maintenance file on your site. Usually, this file is automatically cleared when the update is finished, but sometimes WordPress can get stuck in maintenance mode. Here’s how you can fix it:

Ways to Fix WordPress Maintenance Error

1. Fixing the Error Using Hostinger’s hPanel

If you’re using Hostinger, you can access hPanel’s File Manager to fix this issue:

Log in to your hPanel dashboard and navigate to the Files section. Click on File Manager.
In the File Manager window, choose your root directory (public_html) and search for the .maintenance file.
Right-click on the file and choose the Delete option to remove it.

2. Fixing the Error Using an FTP Client

If you prefer using an FTP client like FileZilla, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Remote Site tab in FileZilla and look for the .maintenance file in the public_html folder.
If you can’t find the file, click the Server button on the menu bar and choose the “Force showing hidden files” option.
Delete the file to restore your WordPress site to its stable state.

How to Prevent the Error in the Future

To prevent the “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” error in the future, follow these tips:

Keep your browser tab open during WordPress updates to avoid server connection timeouts.
Don’t update too many plugins or themes at the same time to prevent conflicts and maintain website performance.
Check the compatibility of themes and plugins with your WordPress version before updating.
Consider upgrading your web hosting service for more storage space.

Plugins to Build a Custom Maintenance Mode Page

Instead of displaying the plain HTML page during maintenance mode, you can use these plugins to create a custom maintenance page:

Coming Soon Page, Maintenance Mode & Landing Pages: This plugin allows you to create and customize maintenance, “coming soon,” and landing pages with ease.
Minimal Coming Soon & Maintenance Mode: With this plugin, you can configure every aspect of your custom “Coming Soon” or maintenance mode page.
WP Maintenance Mode: This plugin provides a maintenance mode or “Coming Soon” page with countdown timers, contact forms, and more.

By following these steps and using the recommended plugins, you can fix the “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” error in WordPress and prevent it from happening in the future.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Good luck!

👉
Start your website with Hostinger – get fast, secure hosting here 👈

🔗 Read more from MinimaDesk:

🎁 Download free premium WordPress tools from our Starter Tools page.