Fix “Briefly Unavailable for Scheduled Maintenance” Error in WordPress Last Updated: 2026 Are you seeing the error “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.” on your WordPress website? Don’t worry — this is a very common WordPress error that usually happens after updating a plugin, theme, or WordPress core. In this guide, you’ll learn what causes this error and how to fix it step-by-step . 📌 What is This Error? When WordPress updates plugins or themes, it temporarily puts your site into maintenance mode . During this process, WordPress creates a file called .maintenance in your root directory. If the update fails or gets interrupted, this file is not removed — causing your website to get stuck in maintenance mode. ⚠️ Common Causes Plugin or theme update failed Slow internet during update Server timeout Updating multiple plugins at once 🛠️ How to Fix “Briefly Unavailable” Error Step 1: Open File Manager ...