If your WordPress site is stuck displaying the “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” message, don’t worry — this is a common issue that usually happens after an interrupted update.
How to Fix It
- Log in to your hosting cPanel
- Open File Manager
- Navigate to your website’s root folder (usually
public_html) - Look for a file named
.maintenance - Delete the file
That’s it — your site should be back to normal instantly.
Why This Happens
WordPress creates a temporary .maintenance file during updates. If the process gets interrupted, the file isn’t removed, causing your site to remain in maintenance mode.
Tip: If you don’t see the file, make sure “Show Hidden Files” is enabled in File Manager.