The dreaded 500 internal server mistake. Information technology always seems to come up at the most inopportune time and you're suddenly left scrambling to figure out how to get your WordPress site back online. Trust us, we've all been in that location. Other errors that behave similarly that y'all might have also seen include the frightening error establishing a database connexion and the dreaded white screen of decease. Just from the moment your site goes downwardly, you're losing visitors and customers. Not to mention information technology simply looks bad for your brand.

Today we're going to dive into the 500 internal server error and walk you through some ways to get your site back online quickly. Read more below about what causes this error and what you can do to prevent it in the futurity.

  • What is a 500 internal server mistake?
  • How to gear up the 500 internal server error

Check Out Our Ultimate Guide to Fixing the 500 Internal Server Error

What is a 500 Internal Server Error?

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) defines the 500 Internal Server Error as:

The 500 (Internal Server Error) status code indicates that the server encountered an unexpected status that prevented it from fulfilling the request.

When you visit a website your browser sends a request over to the server where the site is hosted. The server takes this request, processes it, and sends back the requested resource (PHP, HTML, CSS, etc.) forth with an HTTP header. The HTTP also includes what they call an HTTP status lawmaking. A status code is a way to notify you virtually the condition of the request. Information technology could exist a 200 status code which means "Everything is OK" or a 500 condition code which means something has gone wrong.

There are a lot of different types of 500 status mistake codes (500, 501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) and they all mean something different. In this instance, a 500 internal server fault indicates that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the asking(RFC 7231, section half-dozen.vi.i).

500 internal server error in WordPress
500 internal server fault in WordPress

500 Internal Server Fault Variations

Due to the various web servers, operating systems, and browsers, a 500 internal server fault can present itself in a number of dissimilar means. But they are all communicating the same matter. Below are just a couple of the many unlike variations y'all might see on the spider web:

    • "500 Internal Server Fault"
    • "HTTP 500"
    • "Internal Server Error"
    • "HTTP 500 – Internal Server Fault"
    • "500 Fault"
    • "HTTP Error 500"
    • "500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Internal Server Error. Lamentable something went incorrect."
    • "500. That's an error. There was an mistake. Delight try again later. That'southward all nosotros know."
    • "The website cannot display the folio – HTTP 500."
    • "Is currently unable to handle this request. HTTP ERROR 500."

Yous might also see this message accompanying information technology:

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request. Please contact the server administrator, [email protected] and inform them of the fourth dimension the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have acquired the error. More than information about this error may be available in the server error log.

Internal Server Error
Internal Server Error

Other times, you might simply run into a blank white screen. When dealing with 500 internal server errors, this is really quite common in browsers like Firefox and Safari.

500 internal server error in Firefox
500 internal server mistake in Firefox

Bigger brands might even accept their own custom 500 internal server mistake messages, such every bit this ane from Airbnb.

Airbnb 500 internal server error
Airbnb 500 internal server error

Here is another artistic 500 server error instance from the folks over at readme.

readme 500 internal server error
readme 500 internal server fault

Even the mighty YouTube isn't rubber from 500 internal server errors.

500 internal server error on YouTube
500 internal server error on YouTube

If it's an IIS 7.0 (Windows) or college server, they have additional HTTP status codes to more closely indicate the cause of the 500 error:

  • 500.0 – Module or ISAPI error occurred.
  • 500.xi – Application is shutting down on the web server.
  • 500.12 – Application is decorated restarting on the spider web server.
  • 500.13 – Spider web server is likewise busy.
  • 500.15 – Directly requests for global.asax are non allowed.
  • 500.19 – Configuration data is invalid.
  • 500.21 – Module non recognized.
  • 500.22 – An ASP.Cyberspace httpModules configuration does not use in Managed Pipeline fashion.
  • 500.23 – An ASP.Internet httpHandlers configuration does not utilise in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.24 – An ASP.NET impersonation configuration does non apply in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.50 – A rewrite fault occurred during RQ_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A configuration or inbound rule execution fault occurred.
  • 500.51 – A rewrite error occurred during GL_PRE_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A global configuration or global rule execution fault occurred.
  • 500.52 – A rewrite mistake occurred during RQ_SEND_RESPONSE notification handling. An outbound rule execution occurred.
  • 500.53 – A rewrite error occurred during RQ_RELEASE_REQUEST_STATE notification handling. An outbound rule execution error occurred. The rule is configured to exist executed earlier the output user cache gets updated.
    500.100 – Internal ASP fault.

500 Errors Impact on SEO

Unlike 503 errors, which are used for WordPress maintenance mode and tell Google to bank check back at a later fourth dimension, a 500 error can accept a negative impact on SEO if not fixed correct abroad. If your site is just down for say x minutes and it's beingness crawled consistently a lot of times the crawler volition simply get the page delivered from cache. Or Google might non even have a chance to re-crawl it before it's support. In this scenario, you lot're completely fine.

However, if the site is downwardly for an extended period of time, say 6+ hours, so Google might see the 500 fault as a site level issue that needs to exist addressed. This could impact your rankings. If you're worried about repeat 500 errors you lot should effigy out why they are happening to brainstorm with. Some of the solutions below can help.

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Mistake

Where should you start troubleshooting when you lot see a 500 internal server fault on your WordPress site? Sometimes yous might not fifty-fifty know where to begin. Typically 500 errors are on the server itself, merely from our experience, these errors originate from two things, the first isuser mistake (client-side event), and the second is that there is a problem with the server. So we'll dive into a little of both.

Check out these mutual causes and ways to gear up the 500 internal server error and get back up and running in no fourth dimension.

ane. Try Reloading the Page

This might seem a little obvious to some, only one of the easiest and first things you should endeavour when encountering a 500 internal server fault is to but wait a infinitesimal or so and reload the page (F5 or Ctrl + F5). It could be that the host or server is just overloaded and the site volition come up right back. While you're waiting, you could likewise apace effort a unlike browser to rule that out as an result.

Some other thing y'all tin exercise is to paste the website into downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This website will tell you lot if the site is down or if it's a problem on your side. A tool similar this checks the HTTP status code that is returned from the server. If it's annihilation other than a 200 "Everything is OK" so it volition return a down indication.

downforeveryoneorjustme
downforeveryoneorjustme

We've also noticed that sometimes this tin can occur immediately after you update a plugin or theme on your WordPress site. Typically this is on hosts that aren't ready up properly. What happens is they experience a temporary timeout correct afterward. Nevertheless, things usually resolve themselves in a couple of seconds and therefore refreshing is all you demand to do.

2. Articulate Your Browser Cache

Clearing your browser enshroud is always another good troubleshooting step before diving into deeper debugging on your site. Below are instructions on how to clear cache in the various browsers:

  • How to Force Refresh a Single Folio for All Browsers
  • How to Clear Browser Enshroud for Google Chrome
  • How to Clear Browser Cache for Mozilla Firefox
  • How to Clear Browser Enshroud for Safari
  • How to Clear Browser Cache for Internet Explorer
  • How to Clear Browser Cache for Microsoft Edge
  • How to Articulate Browser Cache for Opera

3. Check Your Server Logs

Yous should also take advantage of your error logs. If you're a Kinsta customer, you can easily see errors in the log viewer in the MyKinsta dashboard. This can help you rapidly narrow down the issue, especially if it's resulting from a plugin on your site.

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Check error logs for 500 internal server errors
Check error logs for 500 internal server errors

If your host doesn't accept a logging tool, y'all can likewise enable WordPress debugging mode past calculation the following lawmaking to your wp-config.php file to enable logging:

          define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); ascertain( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', truthful ); define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', imitation );

The logs are typically located in the /wp-content directory. Others, similar here at Kinsta might have a dedicated folder chosen "logs".

WordPress error logs folder (SFTP)
WordPress error logs folder (SFTP)

Y'all tin also check the log files in Apache and Nginx, which are commonly located here:

  • Apache: /var/log/apache2/error.log
  • Nginx: /var/log/nginx/fault.log

If you're a Kinsta customer you tin can likewise take advantage of our analytics tool to get a breakup of the total number of 500 errors and meet how often and when they are occurring. This can help you lot troubleshoot if this is an ongoing issue, or perhaps something that has resolved itself.

Response analysis 500 error breakdown
Response analysis 500 error breakup

If the 500 error is displaying because of a fatal PHP error, you tin can also try enabling PHP error reporting. Simply add the following lawmaking to the file throwing the error. Typically you can narrow down the file in the console tab of Google Chrome DevTools.

          ini_set('display_errors', 1); ini_set('display_startup_errors', i); error_reporting(E_ALL);

And you might need to as well alter your php.ini file with the following:

          display_errors = on

4. Fault Establishing a Database Connection

500 internal server errors can besides occur from a database connectedness error. Depending upon your browser you might meet dissimilar errors. But both will generate a 500 HTTP status code regardless in your server logs.

Below is an instance of what an "error establishing a database connection" message looks like your browser. The entire page is blank because no data tin can be retrieved to render the page, as the connection is not working properly. Not only does this break the forepart-end of your site, but it will also prevent y'all from accessing your WordPress dashboard.

Example of error establishing a database connection
Example of error establishing a database connection

So why exactly does this happen? Well, here are a few common reasons beneath.

  • The about mutual issue is that yourdatabase login credentials are incorrect. Your WordPress site uses divide login information to connect to its MySQL database.
  • Your WordPress database is corrupted. With so many moving parts with themes, plugins, and users constantly deleting and installing them, sometimes databases get corrupted. This tin can be due to a missing or individually corrupted table, or peradventure some data was deleted by accident.
  • You may take corrupt files in your WordPress installation. This can fifty-fifty happen sometimes due to hackers.
  • Problems with your database server. A number of things could be incorrect on the spider web hosts end, such as the database being overloaded from a traffic spike or unresponsive from too many concurrent connections. This is actually quite common with shared hosts as they are utilizing the same resource for a lot of users on the same servers.

Bank check out our in-depth postal service on how to fix the error establishing a database connection in WordPress.

five. Check Your Plugins and Themes

Third-party plugins and themes can easily cause 500 internal server errors. We've seen all types cause them here at Kinsta, from slider plugins to ad rotator plugins. A lot of times you should meet the error immediately after installing something new or running an update. This is one reason why we always recommend utilizing a staging environment for updates or at least running updates one by 1. Otherwise, if you encounter a 500 internal server error you lot're of a sudden scrambling to figure out which i caused it.

A few ways you tin can troubleshoot this is by deactivating all your plugins. Think, you lot won't lose whatsoever data if you simply deactivate a plugin. If you can nonetheless access your admin, a quick mode to exercise this is to browse to "Plugins" and select "Deactivate" from the bulk deportment carte. This will disable all of your plugins.

Deactivate all plugins
Deactivate all plugins

If this fixes the upshot you'll need to find the culprit. Start activating them one past one, reloading the site after each activation. When you see the 500 internal server error return, you've found the misbehaving plugin. You can then accomplish out to the plugin developer for help or post a support ticket in the WordPress repository.

If you can't login to WordPress admin you tin FTP into your server and rename your plugins folder to something like plugins_old. And then check your site again. If it works, then y'all will need to exam each plugin one by one. Rename your plugin binder dorsum to "plugins" and and then rename each plugin folder within of if information technology, one by one, until y'all detect it. You could likewise try to replicate this on a staging site first.

Rename plugin folder
Rename plugin folder

Always makes sure your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are up to appointment. And cheque to ensure you are running a supported version of PHP. If it turns out to be a conflict with bad lawmaking in a plugin, yous might demand to bring in a WordPress developer to set up the upshot.

6. Reinstall WordPress Core

Sometimes WordPress core files can go corrupted, especially on older sites. It's actually quite easy to re-upload simply the core of WordPress without impacting your plugins or themes. Nosotros have an in-depth guide with 5 different ways to reinstall WordPress. And of course, brand certain to take a backup earlier proceeding. Skip to ane of the sections below:

  • How to reinstall WordPress from the WordPress dashboard while preserving existing content
  • How to manually reinstall WordPress via FTP while preserving existing content
  • How to manually reinstall WordPress via WP-CLI while preserving existing content

7. Permissions Error

A permissions fault with a file or folder on your server can also cause a 500 internal server error to occur. Hither are some typical recommendations for permissions when it comes to file and folder permissions in WordPress:

  • All files should be 644 (-rw-r–r–) or 640.
  • All directories should be 755 (drwxr-xr-ten) or 750.
  • No directories should ever be given 777, even upload directories.
  • Hardening: wp-config.php could also be gear up to 440 or 400 to prevent other users on the server from reading information technology.

See the WordPress Codex commodity on changing file permissions for a more in-depth explanation.

You tin can easily encounter your file permissions with an FTP customer (every bit seen beneath). You lot could besides achieve out to your WordPress host back up team and ask them to quickly GREP file permissions on your folders and files to ensure they're setup properly.

File permissions SFTP
File permissions SFTP

viii. PHP Memory Limit

A 500 internal server error could also exist caused by exhausting the PHP retentivity limit on your server. You could endeavor increasing the limit. Follow the instructions beneath on how to change this limit in cPanel, Apache, your php.ini file, and wp-config.php file.

Increase PHP Retentivity Limit in cPanel

If you're running on a host that uses cPanel, you can hands alter this from the UI. Nether Software click on "Select PHP Version."

Select PHP version
Select PHP version

Click on "Switch to PHP Options."

Switch to PHP options
Switch to PHP options

You tin then click on the memory_limit attribute and change its value. Then click on "Save."

Increase PHP memory limit in cPanel
Increment PHP memory limit in cPanel

Increment PHP Memory Limit in Apache

The .htaccess file is a special subconscious file that contains diverse settings you lot tin utilise to change the server beliefs, correct down to a directory specific level. Outset login to your site via FTP or SSH, take a expect at your root directory and see if in that location is a .htaccess file there.

.htaccess file
.htaccess file

If there is you lot can edit that file to add the necessary code for increasing the PHP memory limit. Almost probable it is gear up at 64M or below, you tin try increasing this value.

          php_value memory_limit 128M

Increment PHP Retentivity Limit in php.ini File

If the above doesn't work for yous might endeavor editing your php.ini file. Log in to your site via FTP or SSH, become to your site's root directory and open or create a php.ini file.

php.ini file
php.ini file

If the file was already there, search for the three settings and alter them if necessary. If you only created the file, or the settings are nowhere to be found you lot can paste the code below. You can modify of course the values to meet your needs.

          memory_limit = 128M

Some shared hosts might as well crave that y'all add together the suPHP directive in your .htaccess file for the above php.ini file settings to piece of work. To do this, edit your .htaccess file, too located at the root of your site, and add together the post-obit code towards the top of the file:

          <IfModule mod_suphp.c>  suPHP_ConfigPath /home/yourusername/public_html </IfModule>

If the above didn't work for you, it could be that your host has the global settings locked down and instead have it configured to utilize .user.ini files. To edit your .user.ini file, login to your site via FTP or SSH, get to your site's root directory and open or create a .user.ini file. Yous tin can then paste in the post-obit code:

          memory_limit = 128M

Increment PHP Memory Limit in wp-config.php

The last option is not one we are fans of, but if all else fails you can give it a become. Starting time, log in to your site via FTP or SSH, and locate your wp-config.php file, which is typically in the root of your site.

wp-config.php file
wp-config.php file

Add the following code to the summit of your wp-config.php file:

          define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '128M');

You lot tin likewise ask your host if you're running into memory limit issues. We utilize the Kinsta APM tool and other troubleshooting methods hither at Kinsta to help clients narrow downwardly what plugin, query, or script might be exhausting the limit. Y'all tin can likewise apply your own custom New Relic cardinal from your own license.

Debugging with New Relic
Debugging with New Relic

ix. Problem With Your .htaccess File

Kinsta only uses Nginx, but if you lot're using a WordPress host that is running Apache, it could very well be that your .htaccess file has a problem or has become corrupted. Follow the steps below to recreate a new 1 from scratch.

Kickoff, log in to your site via FTP or SSH, and rename your .htaccess file to .htaccess_old.

Rename .htaccess file
Rename .htaccess file

Ordinarily to recreate this file you can simply re-relieve your permalinks in WordPress. However, if y'all're in the heart of a 500 internal server mistake yous nearly probable can't access your WordPress admin, so this isn't an option. Therefore you tin create a new .htaccess file and input the post-obit contents. So upload it to your server.

          # Brainstorm WordPress <IfModule mod_rewrite.c> RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^alphabetize\.php$ - [50] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] </IfModule> # Cease WordPress

Come across the WordPress Codex for more examples, such as a default .htaccess file for multisite.

10. Coding or Syntax Errors in Your CGI/Perl Script

500 errors being caused by errors in CGI and Perl is a lot less common than information technology used to exist. Although it's all the same worth mentioning, peculiarly for those using cPanel where there are a lot of ane-click CGI scripts even so beingness used. As AEM on Stack Overflow says:

CGI has been replaced by a vast variety of web programming technologies, including PHP, various Apache extensions like mod_perl, Java of various flavors and frameworks including Java EE, Struts, Spring, etc, Python-based frameworks similar Django, Cherry on Rails and many other Cherry-red frameworks, and various Microsoft technologies.

Here are a few tips when working with CGI scripts:

  • When editing, always used a plain text editor, such as Atom, Sublime, or Notepad++. This ensures they remain in ASCII format.
  • Ensure correct permissions of chmod 755 are used on CGI scripts and directories.
  • Upload your CGI scripts in ASCII mode (which you tin can select in your FTP editor) into the cgi-bin directory on your server.
  • Confirm that the Perl modules you crave for your script are installed and supported.

11. Server Outcome (Check With Your Host)

Finally, considering 500 internal server errors can also occur from PHP timing out or fatal PHP errors with 3rd-political party plugins, you can always cheque with your WordPress host. Sometimes these errors can exist difficult to troubleshoot without an expert. Hither are simply a few common examples of some errors that trigger 500 HTTP status codes on the server that might take y'all scratching your head.

          PHP bulletin: PHP Fatal mistake: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function mysql_error()...        
          PHP message: PHP Fatal fault: Uncaught Error: Cannot use object of type WP_Error as array in /world wide web/folder/spider web/shared/content/plugins/plugin/functions.php:525

Nosotros monitor all client's sites here at Kinsta and are automatically notified when these types of errors occur. This allows us to be pro-active and first fixing the issue right away. We likewise apply LXD managed hosts and orchestrated LXC software containers for each site. This means that every WordPress site is housed in its ain isolated container, which has all of the software resources required to run information technology (Linux, Nginx, PHP, MySQL). The resource are 100% private and are not shared with anyone else or fifty-fifty your ain sites.

PHP timeouts could as well occur from the lack of PHP workers, although typically these cause 504 errors, non 500 errors. These make up one's mind how many simultaneous requests your site can handle at a given time. To put it simply, each uncached request for your website is handled by a PHP Worker.

When PHP workers are already busy on a site, they first to build up a queue. Once you've reached your limit of PHP workers, the queue starts to push out older requests which could result in 500 errors or incomplete requests. Read our in-depth article well-nigh PHP workers.

Monitor Your Site

If y'all're worried about these types of errors happening on your site in the future, yous can also utilize a tool like updown.io to monitor and notify y'all immediately if they occur. Information technology periodically sends an HTTP HEAD request to the URL of your selection. Yous tin can only utilize your homepage. The tool allows you to set check frequencies of:

  • 15 seconds
  • 30 seconds
  • 1 infinitesimal
  • ii minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes

It will send y'all an electronic mail if and when your site goes downwardly. Here is an example below.

Email notification of 500 error
Email notification of 500 error

This can be particularly useful if y'all're trying to debug a faulty plugin or are on a shared host, who tend to overcrowd their servers. This can give you proof of how ofttimes your site might actually be doing downwardly (even during the middle of the night). That'southward why we ever recommend going with a managed WordPress host. Brand sure to cheque out our post that explores the top 9 reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting.

Summary

500 internal server errors are always frustrating, but hopefully, now you know a few additional ways to troubleshoot them to quickly get your site back up and running. Remember, typically these types of errors are caused by third-party plugins, fatal PHP errors, database connection issues, problems with your .htaccess file or PHP memory limits, and sometimes PHP timeouts.

Was at that place anything we missed? Perchance you take some other tip on troubleshooting 500 internal server errors. If so, let u.s. know below in the comments.

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