The dreaded 500 internal server mistake. It always seems to come at the nigh inopportune time and you're suddenly left scrambling to figure out how to get your WordPress site back online. Trust united states, nosotros've all been at that place. Other errors that behave similarly that yous might have besides seen include the frightening error establishing a database connection and the dreaded white screen of death. Merely from the moment your site goes down, y'all're losing visitors and customers. Not to mention it simply looks bad for your brand.

Today nosotros're going to dive into the 500 internal server error and walk you through some ways to get your site dorsum online apace. Read more below well-nigh what causes this fault and what yous tin can do to prevent information technology in the hereafter.

  • What is a 500 internal server fault?
  • How to ready the 500 internal server fault

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

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) condition lawmaking indicates that the server encountered an unexpected status that prevented information technology 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 y'all about the status of the request. It could be a 200 status lawmaking which ways "Everything is OK" or a 500 status code which means something has gone wrong.

There are a lot of unlike types of 500 status error codes (500, 501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) and they all mean something different. 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 half-dozen.6.1).

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

500 Internal Server Error Variations

Due to the various web servers, operating systems, and browsers, a 500 internal server error can present itself in a number of different ways. Just they are all communicating the same thing. Beneath are just a couple of the many different variations you might see on the web:

    • "500 Internal Server Error"
    • "HTTP 500"
    • "Internal Server Error"
    • "HTTP 500 – Internal Server Error"
    • "500 Error"
    • "HTTP Error 500"
    • "500 – Internal Server Mistake"
    • "500 Internal Server Fault. Sad something went wrong."
    • "500. That's an error. There was an error. Please effort again later. That'south all we know."
    • "The website cannot display the folio – HTTP 500."
    • "Is currently unable to handle this request. HTTP ERROR 500."

Y'all might also meet this message accompanying it:

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 time the fault occurred, and anything yous might take done that may accept caused the fault. More information about this mistake may be available in the server fault log.

Internal Server Error
Internal Server Mistake

Other times, y'all might only see a bare white screen. When dealing with 500 internal server errors, this is actually quite common in browsers like Firefox and Safari.

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

Bigger brands might fifty-fifty accept their own custom 500 internal server error letters, such as this one from Airbnb.

Airbnb 500 internal server error
Airbnb 500 internal server error

Hither is some other 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 safe from 500 internal server errors.

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

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

  • 500.0 – Module or ISAPI error occurred.
  • 500.11 – Application is shutting downwardly on the spider web server.
  • 500.12 – Application is decorated restarting on the spider web server.
  • 500.13 – Web server is too decorated.
  • 500.xv – 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 employ in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.23 – An ASP.Internet httpHandlers configuration does not utilize in Managed Pipeline fashion.
  • 500.24 – An ASP.NET impersonation configuration does non employ in Managed Pipeline mode.
  • 500.50 – A rewrite error 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 treatment. A global configuration or global rule execution error 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 error.

500 Errors Impact on SEO

Unlike 503 errors, which are used for WordPress maintenance mode and tell Google to check back at a later time, a 500 error can have a negative touch on SEO if not fixed right abroad. If your site is only down for say ten minutes and information technology'due south existence crawled consistently a lot of times the crawler will just get the page delivered from cache. Or Google might not even have a take chances to re-crawl it before it's back upwards. In this scenario, you lot're completely fine.

However, if the site is downwardly for an extended menses of time, say 6+ hours, then Google might run across the 500 error every bit a site level issue that needs to be addressed. This could impact your rankings. If y'all're worried about repeat 500 errors you lot should effigy out why they are happening to begin with. Some of the solutions below can help.

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Fault

Where should you start troubleshooting when you run across a 500 internal server error on your WordPress site? Sometimes you 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 beginning isuser error (client-side consequence), and the second is that in that location is a problem with the server. So we'll dive into a little of both.

Cheque out these common causes and means to set up the 500 internal server error and go back upwards and running in no time.

i. Try Reloading the Page

This might seem a petty obvious to some, merely one of the easiest and commencement things y'all should endeavour when encountering a 500 internal server error is to just look a infinitesimal or so and reload the page (F5 or Ctrl + F5). It could be that the host or server is simply overloaded and the site volition come right dorsum. While you're waiting, you lot could also quickly try a unlike browser to rule that out as an issue.

Another thing y'all can do is to paste the website into downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This website volition tell you if the site is downward or if it's a problem on your side. A tool like this checks the HTTP status lawmaking that is returned from the server. If it'south anything other than a 200 "Everything is OK" and then information technology volition return a down indication.

downforeveryoneorjustme
downforeveryoneorjustme

We've as well 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 set up up properly. What happens is they feel a temporary timeout right afterward. However, things usually resolve themselves in a couple of seconds and therefore refreshing is all you need to do.

2. Articulate Your Browser Cache

Clearing your browser cache is e'er another good troubleshooting pace before diving into deeper debugging on your site. Below are instructions on how to articulate cache in the various browsers:

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

iii. Check Your Server Logs

Y'all should also take advantage of your error logs. If you lot're a Kinsta customer, y'all can easily see errors in the log viewer in the MyKinsta dashboard. This tin assistance you quickly narrow downwards the issue, especially if it'south resulting from a plugin on your site.

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

If your host doesn't accept a logging tool, you lot tin can besides enable WordPress debugging mode by adding the post-obit lawmaking to your wp-config.php file to enable logging:

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

The logs are typically located in the /wp-content directory. Others, like here at Kinsta might have a defended folder called "logs".

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

You can also cheque the log files in Apache and Nginx, which are commonly located here:

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

If you're a Kinsta client you lot can also take advantage of our analytics tool to get a breakdown of the total number of 500 errors and see how frequently 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 breakdown

If the 500 error is displaying because of a fatal PHP error, y'all tin can besides try enabling PHP mistake reporting. Simply add the post-obit lawmaking to the file throwing the mistake. Typically you can narrow down the file in the panel tab of Google Chrome DevTools.

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

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

          display_errors = on

four. Error Establishing a Database Connection

500 internal server errors can too occur from a database connexion error. Depending upon your browser you might encounter different errors. But both will generate a 500 HTTP status lawmaking regardless in your server logs.

Below is an example of what an "error establishing a database connection" message looks similar your browser. The unabridged page is bare because no data can be retrieved to return the page, every bit the connection is non working properly. Not only does this break the front-finish of your site, but it volition likewise preclude you from accessing your WordPress dashboard.

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

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 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 tin be due to a missing or individually corrupted table, or peradventure some information was deleted by accident.
  • You may have corrupt files in your WordPress installation. This can even happen sometimes due to hackers.
  • Issues with your database server. A number of things could be wrong on the web hosts terminate, such as the database existence overloaded from a traffic spike or unresponsive from too many concurrent connections. This is actually quite common with shared hosts every bit they are utilizing the same resource for a lot of users on the same servers.

Bank check out our in-depth mail on how to fix the error establishing a database connectedness in WordPress.

5. Bank check Your Plugins and Themes

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

A few means you tin can troubleshoot this is by deactivating all your plugins. Remember, you won't lose whatever data if you simply conciliate a plugin. If you can still access your admin, a quick way to practise this is to browse to "Plugins" and select "Deactivate" from the bulk actions menu. This volition disable all of your plugins.

Deactivate all plugins
Deactivate all plugins

If this fixes the issue you'll need to find the culprit. Start activating them i by one, reloading the site afterward each activation. When you see the 500 internal server error return, y'all've found the misbehaving plugin. You can then reach out to the plugin programmer for aid or post a back up ticket in the WordPress repository.

If you can't login to WordPress admin you can FTP into your server and rename your plugins folder to something like plugins_old. Then check your site again. If information technology works, then you lot will demand to test each plugin one by 1. Rename your plugin binder back to "plugins" and then rename each plugin folder inside of if it, one past one, until you find it. You could also try to replicate this on a staging site kickoff.

Rename plugin folder
Rename plugin binder

Always makes sure your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are up to engagement. And check to ensure yous are running a supported version of PHP. If it turns out to be a conflict with bad code in a plugin, you lot might need to bring in a WordPress programmer to fix the event.

6. Reinstall WordPress Core

Sometimes WordPress cadre files can become corrupted, especially on older sites. It's actually quite easy to re-upload merely the core of WordPress without impacting your plugins or themes. We have an in-depth guide with 5 different ways to reinstall WordPress. And of form, make sure to take a fill-in 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 folder on your server tin too cause a 500 internal server error to occur. Here 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-10) or 750.
  • No directories should ever be given 777, fifty-fifty upload directories.
  • Hardening: wp-config.php could also be set to 440 or 400 to prevent other users on the server from reading it.

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

You tin can easily see your file permissions with an FTP customer (as seen beneath). You could also reach out to your WordPress host support 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 Retention Limit

A 500 internal server error could also be caused by exhausting the PHP memory limit on your server. Yous could endeavor increasing the limit. Follow the instructions below on how to modify 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, you can easily alter this from the UI. Under 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 so click on the memory_limit attribute and change its value. Then click on "Save."

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

Increment PHP Retention Limit in Apache

The .htaccess file is a special hidden file that contains various settings you lot can use to modify the server behavior, right down to a directory specific level. Beginning login to your site via FTP or SSH, accept a look at your root directory and run across if there is a .htaccess file there.

.htaccess file
.htaccess file

If there is y'all can edit that file to add together the necessary lawmaking for increasing the PHP retention limit. Nearly likely it is ready at 64M or below, yous can endeavor increasing this value.

          php_value memory_limit 128M

Increment PHP Retention Limit in php.ini File

If the above doesn't work for you lot might try 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 change them if necessary. If yous just created the file, or the settings are nowhere to be found you lot can paste the code below. You can modify of class the values to meet your needs.

          memory_limit = 128M

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

          <IfModule mod_suphp.c>  suPHP_ConfigPath /abode/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 accept information technology configured to utilize .user.ini files. To edit your .user.ini file, login to your site via FTP or SSH, go to your site's root directory and open up or create a .user.ini file. Yous can then paste in the following code:

          memory_limit = 128M

Increase PHP Retentivity Limit in wp-config.php

The last option is not i we are fans of, but if all else fails y'all can requite it a go. Commencement, 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 code to the superlative of your wp-config.php file:

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

You lot can too ask your host if you're running into retentiveness limit bug. Nosotros utilize the Kinsta APM tool and other troubleshooting methods here at Kinsta to help clients narrow down what plugin, query, or script might be exhausting the limit. Y'all can also use your ain custom New Relic fundamental 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'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 ane from scratch.

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

Rename .htaccess file
Rename .htaccess file

Usually to recreate this file you tin only re-save your permalinks in WordPress. However, if you're in the middle of a 500 internal server error y'all most likely tin can't admission your WordPress admin, then this isn't an option. Therefore yous can create a new .htaccess file and input the post-obit contents. Then upload information technology to your server.

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

See 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 beingness acquired by errors in CGI and Perl is a lot less common than information technology used to be. Although it's notwithstanding 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 diversity 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, Ruby on Track and many other Ruddy 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 way (which y'all tin select in your FTP editor) into the cgi-bin directory on your server.
  • Confirm that the Perl modules y'all require for your script are installed and supported.

11. Server Issue (Check With Your Host)

Finally, because 500 internal server errors can besides occur from PHP timing out or fatal PHP errors with tertiary-political party plugins, y'all can e'er cheque with your WordPress host. Sometimes these errors tin exist 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 Fault: Call to undefined office mysql_error()...        
          PHP message: PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Cannot use object of type WP_Error as array in /www/folder/web/shared/content/plugins/plugin/functions.php:525

We monitor all client'south sites hither at Kinsta and are automatically notified when these types of errors occur. This allows us to be pro-active and start fixing the upshot right away. Nosotros also employ LXD managed hosts and orchestrated LXC software containers for each site. This ways that every WordPress site is housed in its ain isolated container, which has all of the software resources required to run it (Linux, Nginx, PHP, MySQL). The resource are 100% private and are not shared with anyone else or even your own sites.

PHP timeouts could besides 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 fourth dimension. To put it but, each uncached asking 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. One time you've reached your limit of PHP workers, the queue starts to push out older requests which could outcome 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 future, you can also utilize a tool like updown.io to monitor and notify you immediately if they occur. It periodically sends an HTTP HEAD asking to the URL of your choice. You can but employ your homepage. The tool allows you lot to set up check frequencies of:

  • 15 seconds
  • thirty seconds
  • 1 minute
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • x minutes

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

Email notification of 500 error
Electronic mail notification of 500 error

This can be especially useful if you lot're trying to debug a faulty plugin or are on a shared host, who tend to overcrowd their servers. This tin give you proof of how oft your site might actually be doing down (even during the heart of the nighttime). That'southward why nosotros always recommend going with a managed WordPress host. Brand sure to check out our post that explores the top 9 reasons to cull managed WordPress hosting.

Summary

500 internal server errors are always frustrating, but hopefully, now you lot know a few additional ways to troubleshoot them to speedily get your site back up and running. Recall, typically these types of errors are acquired past 3rd-party plugins, fatal PHP errors, database connection issues, problems with your .htaccess file or PHP retentivity limits, and sometimes PHP timeouts.

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

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