Description
Plug Error Handler is a lightweight and safety-focused WordPress plugin that helps prevent white screens or fatal crashes caused by problematic plugins. It does this by automatically detecting and deactivating any plugin that throws a PHP fatal error or parse error during activation or update.
It’s designed to ensure a smooth admin experience by intercepting site-breaking issues at the moment they occur.
🔐 Key Features
- Detects PHP fatal errors, parse errors, compile errors, and core errors.
- Automatically deactivates the faulty plugin during activation or update.
- Displays a clear admin notice indicating which plugin caused the issue and what type of error it triggered.
- Lightweight: No database usage (uses transients), no impact on performance.
- No settings page — works silently in the background for your safety.
⚠️ Limitations
- Only handles PHP errors — does not detect:
- JavaScript errors
- CSS conflicts
- Plugin conflicts that don’t produce fatal errors
- Only handles errors during activation or update (not runtime issues).
- Designed for administrator-level users who manage plugin changes.
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later. See https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html for details.
Screenshots
Example admin notice showing which plugin was deactivated and why. 
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder
plug-error-handlerto the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- That’s it! The plugin runs silently in the background.
FAQ
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What does this plugin actually do?
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It monitors for PHP fatal errors, parse errors, and similar fatal conditions during plugin activation or update. If such an error occurs, it immediately deactivates the plugin and prevents your site from breaking.
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How does it detect errors?
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It uses
register_shutdown_function()to catch fatal errors viaerror_get_last()and uses the$_GET['plugin']and$_GET['action']values to identify which plugin was being activated or updated. -
Does it protect from runtime plugin errors?
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No. It only works at the time of plugin activation or plugin update. Runtime errors (which occur after a plugin has been successfully activated) are not handled.
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Does it protect against JavaScript or CSS errors?
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No, this plugin only handles PHP errors. It does not analyze or mitigate issues from JavaScript or stylesheets.
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Will this plugin conflict with other admin plugins?
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No. It’s built to be conflict-free and only activates its logic when a plugin is being activated or updated.
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Can I see logs or history of plugin errors?
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No logs are stored to the database to keep this plugin lightweight. You’ll only see an admin notice if a plugin was automatically deactivated due to an error.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Plug Error Handler” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Plug Error Handler” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.2
- Added support for plugin updates (
update-pluginaction). - Improved error handling logic.
- Fixed text domain mismatch and translation comments.
- Compliant with WordPress plugin standards and Plugin Checker.
1.0.1
- Initial public release with fatal error detection during plugin activation.