The dreaded 500 internal server error. It always seems to come at the most inopportune time and y'all're suddenly left scrambling to figure out how to get your WordPress site back online. Trust us, we've all been there. Other errors that behave similarly that you might accept likewise seen include the frightening error establishing a database connection and the dreaded white screen of death. But from the moment your site goes down, you're losing visitors and customers. Not to mention information technology simply looks bad for your brand.

Today nosotros're going to dive into the 500 internal server error and walk you lot through some ways to get your site back online chop-chop. Read more than beneath nigh what causes this error and what you tin can practice to prevent information technology in the future.

  • What is a 500 internal server error?
  • How to fix the 500 internal server error

Bank check Out Our Ultimate Guide to Fixing the 500 Internal Server Error

What is a 500 Internal Server Error?

The Internet Engineering Job Force (IETF) defines the 500 Internal Server Error equally:

The 500 (Internal Server Error) status code indicates that the server encountered an unexpected condition 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 information technology, and sends back the requested resources (PHP, HTML, CSS, etc.) forth with an HTTP header. The HTTP also includes what they call an HTTP status code. A status code is a way to notify you lot about the condition of the request. Information technology could be a 200 status code which means "Everything is OK" or a 500 status lawmaking which ways something has gone wrong.

In that location are a lot of dissimilar types of 500 status error codes (500, 501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) and they all hateful something unlike. In this case, a 500 internal server error indicates that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request(RFC 7231, section six.6.1).

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

500 Internal Server Error Variations

Due to the diverse web servers, operating systems, and browsers, a 500 internal server fault can present itself in a number of different ways. But they are all communicating the aforementioned thing. Below are just a couple of the many different variations you might meet on the spider web:

    • "500 Internal Server Error"
    • "HTTP 500"
    • "Internal Server Fault"
    • "HTTP 500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Mistake"
    • "HTTP Error 500"
    • "500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Internal Server Fault. Distressing something went wrong."
    • "500. That's an mistake. There was an error. Please try over again subsequently. That's all nosotros know."
    • "The website cannot display the folio – HTTP 500."
    • "Is currently unable to handle this request. HTTP Mistake 500."

You might also see this message accompanying it:

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request. Please contact the server administrator, [electronic mail protected] and inform them of the time the error occurred, and annihilation you might take washed that may accept caused the error. More than information about this error may exist available in the server error log.

Internal Server Error
Internal Server Fault

Other times, you lot might simply come across a bare white screen. When dealing with 500 internal server errors, this is actually quite mutual in browsers like Firefox and Safari.

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

Bigger brands might even have their own custom 500 internal server fault messages, such as this one from Airbnb.

Airbnb 500 internal server error
Airbnb 500 internal server fault

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

readme 500 internal server error
readme 500 internal server error

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

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

If information technology'due south an IIS 7.0 (Windows) or college server, they have boosted HTTP status codes to more closely point the cause of the 500 fault:

  • 500.0 – Module or ISAPI fault occurred.
  • 500.11 – Application is shutting downwardly on the web server.
  • 500.12 – Application is busy restarting on the web server.
  • 500.13 – Web server is too busy.
  • 500.15 – Straight requests for global.asax are not immune.
  • 500.xix – Configuration information is invalid.
  • 500.21 – Module not recognized.
  • 500.22 – An ASP.Cyberspace httpModules configuration does not utilise in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.23 – An ASP.Net httpHandlers configuration does not apply in Managed Pipeline way.
  • 500.24 – An ASP.Internet impersonation configuration does not use in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.l – A rewrite error occurred during RQ_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A configuration or inbound dominion execution error occurred.
  • 500.51 – A rewrite error occurred during GL_PRE_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A global configuration or global dominion execution fault occurred.
  • 500.52 – A rewrite error 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 dominion execution fault occurred. The dominion is configured to be executed before the output user cache gets updated.
    500.100 – Internal ASP mistake.

500 Errors Impact on SEO

Dissimilar 503 errors, which are used for WordPress maintenance mode and tell Google to check back at a subsequently time, a 500 error can have a negative impact on SEO if non stock-still right away. If your site is only downward for say 10 minutes and it'south being crawled consistently a lot of times the crawler volition simply get the page delivered from enshroud. Or Google might not fifty-fifty have a chance to re-crawl information technology before it's back up. In this scenario, you're completely fine.

Nevertheless, if the site is down for an extended catamenia of fourth dimension, say 6+ hours, then Google might see the 500 error as a site level consequence that needs to exist addressed. This could impact your rankings. If you're worried about echo 500 errors you lot should figure out why they are happening to begin with. Some of the solutions beneath tin can aid.

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error

Where should yous beginning troubleshooting when you lot see a 500 internal server error on your WordPress site? Sometimes y'all might not fifty-fifty know where to brainstorm. Typically 500 errors are on the server itself, just from our experience, these errors originate from two things, the showtime isuser error (client-side effect), and the second is that at that place is a problem with the server. So nosotros'll dive into a little of both.

Check out these common causes and ways to fix the 500 internal server error and become support and running in no fourth dimension.

1. Endeavor Reloading the Page

This might seem a trivial obvious to some, but one of the easiest and first things you should endeavor when encountering a 500 internal server error is to but wait a minute or so and reload the page (F5 or Ctrl + F5). It could exist that the host or server is simply overloaded and the site will come right back. While you're waiting, yous could too quickly try a different browser to rule that out as an event.

Another matter y'all can do is to paste the website into downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This website will tell yous if the site is down or if it'southward a problem on your side. A tool like 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 occur immediately after you update a plugin or theme on your WordPress site. Typically this is on hosts that aren't set properly. What happens is they experience a temporary timeout correct subsequently. All the same, things unremarkably 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 some other expert troubleshooting pace before diving into deeper debugging on your site. Beneath are instructions on how to clear cache in the various browsers:

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

iii. Check Your Server Logs

You should also take advantage of your error logs. If yous're a Kinsta customer, yous can hands encounter errors in the log viewer in the MyKinsta dashboard. This tin can help you lot speedily narrow downwards the event, especially if it's resulting from a plugin on your site.

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

If your host doesn't take a logging tool, you tin also enable WordPress debugging mode by adding the post-obit code to your wp-config.php file to enable logging:

          define( 'WP_DEBUG', truthful ); define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true ); define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', simulated );

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)

You tin besides check the log files in Apache and Nginx, which are commonly located here:

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

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

Response analysis 500 error breakdown
Response assay 500 error breakdown

If the 500 error is displaying considering of a fatal PHP error, y'all can also endeavor enabling PHP error reporting. Simply add the following code 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', 1); error_reporting(E_ALL);

And you might need to also modify your php.ini file with the following:

          display_errors = on

4. Error Establishing a Database Connexion

500 internal server errors can also occur from a database connection error. Depending upon your browser you might meet unlike errors. But both volition generate a 500 HTTP status code regardless in your server logs.

Below is an example of what an "error establishing a database connexion" message looks like your browser. The entire folio is blank because no information can be retrieved to render the folio, equally the connection is not working properly. Not only does this intermission the front-end of your site, but it volition also prevent you from accessing your WordPress dashboard.

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

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

  • The most common issue is that yourdatabase login credentials are wrong. Your WordPress site uses separate login information to connect to its MySQL database.
  • Your WordPress database is corrupted. With and then many moving parts with themes, plugins, and users constantly deleting and installing them, sometimes databases get corrupted. This can exist due to a missing or individually corrupted table, or mayhap some information was deleted by accident.
  • You may accept corrupt files in your WordPress installation. This can even happen sometimes due to hackers.
  • Bug with your database server. A number of things could exist wrong on the spider web hosts stop, such as the database being overloaded from a traffic fasten 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.

Check out our in-depth post on how to prepare the error establishing a database connection in WordPress.

v. Bank check Your Plugins and Themes

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

A few means you can troubleshoot this is by deactivating all your plugins. Recall, you won't lose whatsoever data if you simply deactivate a plugin. If you can still admission your admin, a quick way to do this is to browse to "Plugins" and select "Deactivate" from the majority actions menu. This will disable all of your plugins.

Deactivate all plugins
Deactivate all plugins

If this fixes the issue yous'll demand to detect the culprit. Kickoff activating them 1 past one, reloading the site afterwards each activation. When you lot run into the 500 internal server fault return, you've plant the misbehaving plugin. You lot can and then reach out to the plugin programmer for help or mail service a support ticket in the WordPress repository.

If yous can't login to WordPress admin you can FTP into your server and rename your plugins binder to something similar plugins_old. Then check your site again. If it works, so y'all volition need to test each plugin one past 1. Rename your plugin folder back to "plugins" and and then rename each plugin folder within of if it, one by one, until you discover it. You could as well effort 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 date. And check to ensure you are running a supported version of PHP. If information technology turns out to be a conflict with bad code in a plugin, you might demand to bring in a WordPress developer to prepare the event.

6. Reinstall WordPress Cadre

Sometimes WordPress cadre files can get corrupted, especially on older sites. It's actually quite easy to re-upload only the core of WordPress without impacting your plugins or themes. We have an in-depth guide with 5 unlike ways to reinstall WordPress. And of course, brand certain to have a fill-in earlier proceeding. Skip to i 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

vii. Permissions Error

A permissions mistake 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-x) or 750.
  • No directories should ever exist given 777, even upload directories.
  • Hardening: wp-config.php could as well be ready 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 than in-depth explanation.

You can easily see your file permissions with an FTP client (as seen below). You could too accomplish out to your WordPress host support team and ask them to apace GREP file permissions on your folders and files to ensure they're setup properly.

File permissions SFTP
File permissions SFTP

8. PHP Memory Limit

A 500 internal server mistake could too exist caused by exhausting the PHP memory limit on your server. You lot could try increasing the limit. Follow the instructions below on how to change this limit in cPanel, Apache, your php.ini file, and wp-config.php file.

Increase PHP Memory Limit in cPanel

If you're running on a host that uses cPanel, yous can hands modify 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

Y'all can then click on the memory_limit attribute and change its value. Then click on "Relieve."

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

Increase PHP Memory Limit in Apache

The .htaccess file is a special hidden file that contains various settings y'all can use to modify the server behavior, right down to a directory specific level. First login to your site via FTP or SSH, have a look at your root directory and see if at that place is a .htaccess file there.

.htaccess file
.htaccess file

If there is yous can edit that file to add together the necessary code for increasing the PHP retentivity limit. Most probable it is set at 64M or beneath, you can try increasing this value.

          php_value memory_limit 128M

Increase PHP Memory Limit in php.ini File

If the in a higher place doesn't work for you might try editing your php.ini file. Log in to your site via FTP or SSH, go to your site'southward 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 lot just created the file, or the settings are nowhere to be found you can paste the code beneath. You can alter of course the values to run into your needs.

          memory_limit = 128M

Some shared hosts might also crave that y'all add the suPHP directive in your .htaccess file for the to a higher place php.ini file settings to work. To do this, edit your .htaccess file, also located at the root of your site, and add the following 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 downwards and instead take it configured to utilize .user.ini files. To edit your .user.ini file, login to your site via FTP or SSH, become to your site's root directory and open or create a .user.ini file. You can and so paste in the following code:

          memory_limit = 128M

Increase PHP Memory Limit in wp-config.php

The terminal pick is not one we are fans of, but if all else fails yous tin give information technology a become. Showtime, 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 together the following lawmaking to the top of your wp-config.php file:

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

You can also enquire your host if you're running into retention limit issues. We apply New Relic and other troubleshooting methods here at Kinsta to help clients narrow downwards what plugin, query, or script might be exhausting the limit. You can too apply your own custom New Relic key.

Debugging with New Relic
Debugging with New Relic

9. Problem With Your .htaccess File

Kinsta but uses Nginx, but if you'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 beneath to recreate a new one from scratch.

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

Rename .htaccess file
Rename .htaccess file

Commonly to recreate this file you can simply re-save your permalinks in WordPress. However, if you're in the middle of a 500 internal server mistake you near likely can't access your WordPress admin, then this isn't an pick. Therefore you can create a new .htaccess file and input the following contents. And then upload it to your server.

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

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

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

500 errors being caused past errors in CGI and Perl is a lot less common than it used to exist. Although it'due south still worth mentioning, especially for those using cPanel where there are a lot of one-click CGI scripts still being used. As AEM on Stack Overflow says:

CGI has been replaced by a vast multifariousness of spider web programming technologies, including PHP, various Apache extensions like mod_perl, Coffee of various flavors and frameworks including Java EE, Struts, Jump, etc, Python-based frameworks similar Django, Ruby on Track and many other Ruby frameworks, and diverse Microsoft technologies.

Hither are a few tips when working with CGI scripts:

  • When editing, ever used a patently text editor, such as Atom, Sublime, or Notepad++. This ensures they remain in ASCII format.
  • Ensure right permissions of chmod 755 are used on CGI scripts and directories.
  • Upload your CGI scripts in ASCII mode (which you lot tin select in your FTP editor) into the cgi-bin directory on your server.
  • Ostend that the Perl modules y'all require for your script are installed and supported.

11. Server Issue (Bank check With Your Host)

Finally, because 500 internal server errors can likewise occur from PHP timing out or fatal PHP errors with third-party plugins, you can e'er cheque with your WordPress host. Sometimes these errors can be hard to troubleshoot without an skilful. Here are just a few common examples of some errors that trigger 500 HTTP condition codes on the server that might accept yous scratching your head.

          PHP message: PHP Fatal mistake: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function mysql_error()...        
          PHP bulletin: PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Cannot apply object of type WP_Error as assortment in /www/folder/web/shared/content/plugins/plugin/functions.php:525

We monitor all client'due south sites here at Kinsta and are automatically notified when these types of errors occur. This allows u.s. to be pro-active and get-go fixing the result correct abroad. We also utilize LXD managed hosts and orchestrated LXC software containers for each site. This means that every WordPress site is housed in its own isolated container, which has all of the software resources required to run it (Linux, Nginx, PHP, MySQL). The resources are 100% individual and are not shared with anyone else or even your own sites.

PHP timeouts could too occur from the lack of PHP workers, although typically these cause 504 errors, not 500 errors. These determine how many simultaneous requests your site can handle at a given fourth dimension. To put it merely, each uncached request for your website is handled by a PHP Worker.

When PHP workers are already decorated on a site, they start to build upward a queue. Once you've reached your limit of PHP workers, the queue starts to button out older requests which could result in 500 errors or incomplete requests. Read our in-depth article about PHP workers.

Monitor Your Site

If y'all're worried about these types of errors happening on your site in the future, you tin besides utilize a tool like updown.io to monitor and notify you immediately if they occur. It periodically sends an HTTP Caput request to the URL of your pick. Y'all can simply utilize your homepage. The tool allows you lot to set check frequencies of:

  • 15 seconds
  • 30 seconds
  • 1 minute
  • 2 minutes
  • five minutes
  • ten minutes

It will send you an email if and when your site goes down. Here is an case beneath.

Email notification of 500 error
Email notification of 500 error

This can be especially useful if you'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 often your site might really be doing down (fifty-fifty during the eye of the night). That's why we e'er recommend going with a managed WordPress host. Make sure to check out our post that explores the height 9 reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting.

Summary

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

Was there anything we missed? Perhaps you accept another tip on troubleshooting 500 internal server errors. If so, permit us know below in the comments.

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