The dreaded 500 internal server error. It always seems to come up at the most inopportune time and you're of a sudden left scrambling to figure out how to become your WordPress site back online. Trust us, we've all been there. Other errors that behave similarly that y'all might have too 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 it just looks bad for your make.

Today we're going to swoop into the 500 internal server error and walk you lot through some ways to get your site back online apace. Read more beneath virtually what causes this error and what you lot can do to forestall information technology in the futurity.

  • What is a 500 internal server mistake?
  • How to fix 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 Strength (IETF) defines the 500 Internal Server Mistake every bit:

The 500 (Internal Server Mistake) 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 it, and sends back the requested resources (PHP, HTML, CSS, etc.) along with an HTTP header. The HTTP also includes what they call an HTTP status code. A status code is a mode to notify yous almost the status of the request. It could be a 200 status code which means "Everything is OK" or a 500 status lawmaking which means something has gone incorrect.

At that place are a lot of dissimilar types of 500 status error codes (500, 501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) and they all mean something dissimilar. In this case, a 500 internal server error indicates that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented information technology from fulfilling the request(RFC 7231, section 6.6.one).

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

500 Internal Server Mistake Variations

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

    • "500 Internal Server Mistake"
    • "HTTP 500"
    • "Internal Server Error"
    • "HTTP 500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Fault"
    • "HTTP Error 500"
    • "500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Internal Server Error. Sorry something went incorrect."
    • "500. That'south an fault. There was an error. Please try once again subsequently. That'due south all we know."
    • "The website cannot brandish the page – HTTP 500."
    • "Is currently unable to handle this request. HTTP Mistake 500."

You might also see this bulletin accompanying it:

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

Internal Server Error
Internal Server Error

Other times, you lot might only see a blank white screen. When dealing with 500 internal server errors, this is actually quite common in browsers similar Firefox and Safari.

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

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

Airbnb 500 internal server error
Airbnb 500 internal server error

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

readme 500 internal server error
readme 500 internal server error

Fifty-fifty the mighty YouTube isn't safety 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 higher server, they accept additional HTTP condition codes to more closely betoken the crusade of the 500 mistake:

  • 500.0 – Module or ISAPI fault occurred.
  • 500.11 – Application is shutting down on the web server.
  • 500.12 – Application is busy restarting on the web server.
  • 500.13 – Web server is also busy.
  • 500.15 – Direct requests for global.asax are not allowed.
  • 500.19 – Configuration data is invalid.
  • 500.21 – Module not recognized.
  • 500.22 – An ASP.NET httpModules configuration does not apply in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.23 – An ASP.Internet httpHandlers configuration does non apply in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.24 – An ASP.Cyberspace impersonation configuration does not apply in Managed Pipeline fashion.
  • 500.50 – A rewrite mistake occurred during RQ_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A configuration or inbound rule execution error occurred.
  • 500.51 – A rewrite fault occurred during GL_PRE_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. A global configuration or global rule execution error occurred.
  • 500.52 – A rewrite fault 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 mistake occurred. The rule is configured to be executed before 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 manner and tell Google to check back at a later time, a 500 error tin can take a negative impact on SEO if not fixed right away. If your site is only down for say ten minutes and information technology's being crawled consistently a lot of times the crawler will merely get the page delivered from cache. Or Google might not even accept a take chances to re-clamber it before information technology's support. In this scenario, you're completely fine.

Yet, if the site is down for an extended menses of fourth dimension, say half dozen+ hours, then Google might encounter the 500 error as a site level result that needs to be addressed. This could impact your rankings. If you're worried well-nigh repeat 500 errors you should figure out why they are happening to begin with. Some of the solutions below tin help.

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Fault

Where should you start troubleshooting when you see a 500 internal server mistake on your WordPress site? Sometimes y'all might non even know where to begin. Typically 500 errors are on the server itself, but from our experience, these errors originate from two things, the first isuser fault (customer-side consequence), and the second is that there is a problem with the server. So we'll dive into a fiddling of both.

Check out these mutual causes and ways to prepare the 500 internal server mistake and get back up and running in no time.

1. Try Reloading the Page

This might seem a little obvious to some, but one of the easiest and first things you should endeavour when encountering a 500 internal server error is to simply wait a infinitesimal or and so and reload the folio (F5 or Ctrl + F5). Information technology could be that the host or server is simply overloaded and the site will come right back. While you're waiting, yous could likewise quickly try a different browser to rule that out as an issue.

Another thing you tin exercise is to paste the website into downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This website will tell you if the site is down or if it's a problem on your side. A tool like this checks the HTTP condition code that is returned from the server. If it'due south anything other than a 200 "Everything is OK" then it will return a downwardly 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 up properly. What happens is they experience a temporary timeout right afterward. Yet, things usually resolve themselves in a couple of seconds and therefore refreshing is all y'all demand to do.

two. Clear Your Browser Cache

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

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

3. Check Your Server Logs

You should also take advantage of your error logs. If you're a Kinsta customer, y'all tin can hands see errors in the log viewer in the MyKinsta dashboard. This tin can help y'all speedily narrow down the upshot, particularly if information technology's resulting from a plugin on your site.

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

If your host doesn't have a logging tool, you can as well enable WordPress debugging way by adding the following code to your wp-config.php file to enable logging:

          define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); ascertain( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true ); define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', faux );

The logs are typically located in the /wp-content directory. Others, like here at Kinsta might accept a dedicated binder called "logs".

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

You lot can likewise cheque the log files in Apache and Nginx, which are commonly located hither:

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

If you're a Kinsta customer you lot tin can also accept advantage of our analytics tool to get a breakdown of the full number of 500 errors and see 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 fault breakdown

If the 500 fault is displaying because of a fatal PHP error, you tin can besides try enabling PHP error reporting. Simply add the following code to the file throwing the error. Typically yous can narrow downwardly 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 yous might demand to as well modify your php.ini file with the following:

          display_errors = on

four. Error Establishing a Database Connexion

500 internal server errors can likewise occur from a database connection fault. Depending upon your browser you might run across different errors. But both will generate a 500 HTTP condition lawmaking regardless in your server logs.

Beneath is an case of what an "error establishing a database connection" bulletin looks like your browser. The entire page is blank because no data tin be retrieved to render the page, as the connection is not working properly. Not only does this intermission the front-stop of your site, but it will also prevent you from accessing your WordPress dashboard.

Example of error establishing a database connection
Example of fault establishing a database connexion

And so why exactly does this happen? Well, here are a few common reasons below.

  • The most common issue is that yourdatabase login credentials are incorrect. Your WordPress site uses split up 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 be due to a missing or individually corrupted tabular array, or perhaps 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 be incorrect on the web hosts cease, such as the database beingness overloaded from a traffic fasten or unresponsive from too many concurrent connections. This is really quite common with shared hosts every bit they are utilizing the aforementioned resources for a lot of users on the same servers.

Check out our in-depth mail on how to fix the error establishing a database connexion in WordPress.

5. Check Your Plugins and Themes

Third-political party plugins and themes can hands 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 run across the fault immediately subsequently installing something new or running an update. This is 1 reason why nosotros e'er recommend utilizing a staging surround for updates or at least running updates one by one. Otherwise, if you encounter a 500 internal server mistake you're suddenly scrambling to figure out which ane caused it.

A few means yous tin troubleshoot this is by deactivating all your plugins. Remember, you won't lose whatsoever information if you only deactivate a plugin. If y'all tin nevertheless admission your admin, a quick style to do this is to browse to "Plugins" and select "Deactivate" from the bulk actions card. This will disable all of your plugins.

Deactivate all plugins
Deactivate all plugins

If this fixes the issue you'll need to find the culprit. Get-go activating them one by i, reloading the site after each activation. When you see the 500 internal server error return, you lot've found the misbehaving plugin. You can then achieve out to the plugin developer for help or postal service a support ticket in the WordPress repository.

If y'all can't login to WordPress admin you tin FTP into your server and rename your plugins binder to something like plugins_old. Then bank check your site once again. If it works, then yous volition need to test each plugin i by one. Rename your plugin folder back to "plugins" then rename each plugin folder within of if it, one by 1, until you lot find information technology. You could also endeavor to replicate this on a staging site start.

Rename plugin folder
Rename plugin folder

Always makes sure your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are upwardly to date. And check to ensure you lot are running a supported version of PHP. If information technology turns out to be a conflict with bad code in a plugin, you lot might demand to bring in a WordPress developer to fix the event.

six. Reinstall WordPress Core

Sometimes WordPress core files can get corrupted, especially on older sites. Information technology'due south actually quite piece of cake to re-upload only the core of WordPress without impacting your plugins or themes. We take an in-depth guide with 5 different ways to reinstall WordPress. And of course, make certain to take a backup earlier proceeding. Skip to one 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 error with a file or binder on your server tin also cause a 500 internal server mistake to occur. Here are some typical recommendations for permissions when it comes to file and binder 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 be given 777, fifty-fifty upload directories.
  • Hardening: wp-config.php could likewise be set up to 440 or 400 to prevent other users on the server from reading it.

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

Y'all tin can easily see your file permissions with an FTP client (equally seen beneath). Yous could too reach 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

8. PHP Retentiveness Limit

A 500 internal server error could too be acquired past exhausting the PHP memory limit on your server. You could endeavor 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 Retention Limit in cPanel

If you're running on a host that uses cPanel, you lot can easily 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 can then click on the memory_limit attribute and alter its value. And then click on "Salve."

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

Increase PHP Memory Limit in Apache

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

.htaccess file
.htaccess file

If in that location is you tin can edit that file to add together the necessary lawmaking for increasing the PHP retentivity limit. Most likely information technology is set at 64M or beneath, you lot 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 attempt editing your php.ini file. Log in to your site via FTP or SSH, go 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 just created the file, or the settings are nowhere to be found you tin can paste the code beneath. You can alter of course the values to encounter your needs.

          memory_limit = 128M

Some shared hosts might also require that you lot add together the suPHP directive in your .htaccess file for the above php.ini file settings to work. To do this, edit your .htaccess file, besides located at the root of your site, and add together the following code towards the top of the file:

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

If the to a higher place didn't work for you, it could be that your host has the global settings locked down and instead have information technology 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. Y'all can then paste in the following code:

          memory_limit = 128M

Increase PHP Memory Limit in wp-config.php

The concluding pick is not ane we are fans of, but if all else fails you tin give information technology a go. First, 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 post-obit code to the top of your wp-config.php file:

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

Yous can besides enquire your host if you're running into retentivity limit issues. We utilize the Kinsta APM tool and other troubleshooting methods here at Kinsta to aid clients narrow down what plugin, query, or script might be exhausting the limit. You can likewise use your own custom New Relic key from your own license.

Debugging with New Relic
Debugging with New Relic

ix. Trouble With Your .htaccess File

Kinsta only 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 trouble or has go 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

Normally to recreate this file you lot tin can simply re-save your permalinks in WordPress. All the same, if you're in the middle of a 500 internal server error you most likely tin can't access your WordPress admin, so this isn't an option. Therefore you can create a new .htaccess file and input the following contents. So upload it to your server.

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

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

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

500 errors being acquired by errors in CGI and Perl is a lot less mutual than it used to be. Although it's still worth mentioning, especially for those using cPanel where there are a lot of one-click CGI scripts notwithstanding existence 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 diverse flavors and frameworks including Java EE, Struts, Leap, etc, Python-based frameworks like Django, Reddish on Track and many other Ruby frameworks, and various Microsoft technologies.

Here are a few tips when working with CGI scripts:

  • When editing, always used a plainly text editor, such as Cantlet, 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 can select in your FTP editor) into the cgi-bin directory on your server.
  • Confirm that the Perl modules you require for your script are installed and supported.

xi. Server Event (Check With Your Host)

Finally, because 500 internal server errors tin also occur from PHP timing out or fatal PHP errors with third-party plugins, you tin always check with your WordPress host. Sometimes these errors tin be difficult to troubleshoot without an expert. Hither are just a few common examples of some errors that trigger 500 HTTP status codes on the server that might have you lot scratching your head.

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

We monitor all customer's sites here at Kinsta and are automatically notified when these types of errors occur. This allows united states of america to be pro-agile and start fixing the consequence right away. We besides 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% private and are not shared with anyone else or even your own sites.

PHP timeouts could also occur from the lack of PHP workers, although typically these cause 504 errors, not 500 errors. These determine how many simultaneous requests your site tin 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 start to build up a queue. Once you lot'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 about PHP workers.

Monitor Your Site

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

  • 15 seconds
  • xxx seconds
  • 1 infinitesimal
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes

It will send yous an e-mail if and when your site goes down. Here is an example below.

Email notification of 500 error
Email notification of 500 error

This tin be peculiarly useful if you're trying to debug a faulty plugin or are on a shared host, who tend to overcrowd their servers. This tin can give y'all proof of how often your site might actually be doing down (even during the middle of the night). That'southward why nosotros e'er recommend going with a managed WordPress host. Make sure to check out our post that explores the pinnacle 9 reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting.

Summary

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

Was there annihilation we missed? Peradventure you have another tip on troubleshooting 500 internal server errors. If so, allow united states of america know below in the comments.

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