Troubleshooting an HTTP 500 internal server fault is similar solving a mystery.

You don't know what exactly happened or why it happened — all y'all know is that something's wrong and you need to set it.

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To guide you through the hassle of troubleshooting the dreaded HTTP 500 internal server error, permit'due south get over what it exactly means and its well-nigh common causes and solutions.

Here are some examples of what a 500 fault page might wait like in your browser:

screenshot of an http 500 internal server error message example

HTTP error 500 example: Dribble

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HTTP error 500 example: Google

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Other Mutual Mistake Codes

HTTP codes show y'all how your web browser and website communicate. These are another mutual fault codes you lot might see on your website:

HTTP 200

This is a standard status code for websites that are performing well.

HTTP 301

This is the code for permanent redirects. For example, say y'all have two site pages about widgets with duplicate data and 1 gets more than traffic than the other. It makes sense to redirect the depression-traffic folio to the loftier-traffic page to improve SEO for your site.

HTTP 302

This lawmaking is for temporary redirects. This is for situations where you want to transport users to an alternate page for a short amount of fourth dimension.

HTTP 304

This code shows upwards when the website you're requesting hasn't seen an update since your last visit.

HTTP 403

This lawmaking comes from the server when you're trying to access a restricted URL.

HTTP 404

A 404 code tells your users that your server can't find that page they requested with their browser. 404 errors are mutual, and some sites utilise this to their advantage.

HTTP 405

This is an HTTP response status lawmaking fault. It tells y'all that a spider web browser wants to admission your spider web folio and your server has rejected that specific HTTP method. This ways that the browser can't admission the requested spider web folio.

HTTP 410

This is a permanent code that tells site visitors that the page they're looking for doesn't exist.

HTTP 413

This code appears when a user tries to upload a file that exceeds the server'southward file size limit.

HTTP 429

This fault is a server response to stop sending requests because of overloaded resources. This code might evidence up if your site needs to make too many API calls to run into a request.

HTTP 503

This code tells users that the server is temporarily unable to load the folio they're looking for.

Check out this post for a comprehensive overview of error codes.

Potential Causes of a 500 Internal Server Error

A 500 internal server error is, as the name implies, a general trouble with the website'south server. More than likely, this means there's an issue or temporary glitch with the website'due south programming.

Some potential causes of a 500 internal server error include:

Corrupted or Broken .Htaccess File

A .htaccess file is a text file with of import server instructions. These instructions tell your software to enable or disable specific functions. They might assistance you lot protect passwords in a directory or restrict user access.

There are many ways to decadent a .htaccess file. Information technology tin happen during plugin installation, file configuration, or while you are working on your server.

A Permissions Error

Permission errors come with file protection. Permissions errors might be bugs, user mistakes, or networking problems. Ordinarily, this fault means that the user isn't allowed to perform the action they're trying.

Faulty Third-Party Plugins or Themes

To increase user features and functionality, you might add a 3rd-political party theme or plugin to your website. These plugins can be great for your site, just they can as well impact site security, bugs, and performance.

These plugins and themes are frequently created by individuals or small groups. This can be challenging because they may need more time to address bug fixes and vulnerabilities.

Exceeding the PHP Memory Limit

PHP is a server-side scripting linguistic communication embedded in HTML. PHP is for managing content, databases, session tracking, and more. Each PHP process uses retentivity, and your hosting business relationship has a limit for each one of these processes.

If a website needs more than this memory limit, you may see an HTTP 500 error.

HTTP Error 500 Browser Compatibility

Near businesses design their websites for maximum browser compatibility. This means that your website is piece of cake to access and apply on any browser or operating system. But your site may work perfectly in one browser and accept issues or errors in others.

Considering HTTP 500 is a catch-all mistake, you can see this error on any browser and in any operating organization.

How an HTTP 500 Fault Might Appear

This error tin come upwards on any site you lot effort to visit on a browser. Because it's such a common fault, there are many means to communicate this code.

  • Internal server fault
  • The page isn't working
  • 500 Internal Server Error
  • 500 Server Error
  • 500. That's an fault.
  • HTTP 500.0 - Internal Server Mistake
  • Fault 500
  • Fault lawmaking: 500
  • The server returned a 500 Internal Server Error
  • Temporary Error (500)

How to Prepare a 500 Internal Server Fault

Unlike other server-side errors like a 502 code, a 500 internal server error is it doesn't immediately tell you what the problem is, nor does it tell you how to set it. If the fault persists for too long on your site, information technology could even negatively affect your SEO.

Then, permit's dive into some solutions and then you lot can try to prepare the issue.

If You lot're Trying to Load a Page with a 500 Internal Server Error:

1. Refresh the page.

This might seem obvious, but if it's a temporary loading issue, you might find success if you refresh the page. Earlier trying anything else in this list, reload the page and run into what happens.

two. Come back afterwards.

Since the error is on the server side, I'm willing to bet the website owners are working as quickly equally possible to resolve the issue. Give information technology a few minutes or up to an 60 minutes or so, so reload the URL and see if the development team has stock-still the issue.

3. Delete your browser's cookies.

If clearing the browser history doesn't piece of work, y'all might try deleting your browser'due south cookies. If the cookies are associated with the error-prone webpage, deleting the cookies might assist reload the folio.

four. Paste your URL into the website "Down for Everyone or Just Me."

Caput to downforeveryoneorjustme.com and paste in the URL where you're seeing the internal server error. You'll either exist told that the website is simply downwardly for you, or that the website is down for everyone.

the homepage of downforeveryoneorjustme.com displaying the http 500 internal error status of youtube.comIf it's a problem with your server, this should aid assuage any concerns that it'southward an issue with your own computer.

If the 500 Internal Server Fault is on Your Own Website:

1. Conciliate a plugin or theme.

Newly activated software, add-ons, or third-party scripts might be conflicting with your current server configuration. To decide this, try (advisedly) deactivating or uninstalling your software add together-ons i at a time to place what exactly is causing the internal server fault.

If y'all run a WordPress website, this is like shooting fish in a barrel to exercise with plugins. From your dashboard, choose Plugins > Installed Plugins, so deactivate the first plugin. If the error resolves, you know this plugin is part of the issue. Reactivate the beginning plugin, then repeat this deactivate-reactivate process one at a fourth dimension for all plugins to make up one's mind which ones are causing your error.

list of active plugins on a wordpress site and a deactivate button to resolve an http 500 internal server errorYou might find that having fewer active plugins on your site helps things run more smoothly.

Alternatively, if you just upgraded your software, your current plugins or themes might not exist compatible with the new upgrade. Deactivating plugins or themes one at a fourth dimension until the error disappears is the best way to observe the root cause of your problem.

2. Use a plugin like WP Debugging to identify the upshot.

If your site is powered by WordPress and yous're comfortable with WordPress debugging processes, consider installing a plugin to aid you place the outcome with your server.

The debug plugin WP Debugging, for instance, helps you figure out exactly what'due south wrong with your site, which volition result in a speedier fix.

download page for the wp debugging plugin to help resolve the http 500 internal server error in wordpress

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three. Ensure your PHP setup is configured correctly.

If the event is related to a PHP timeout, consider creating timeout rules or mistake handling in your script to resolve the issue. Here's a total list of php.ini directives to configure your PHP setup.

Additionally, wrong permissions on a file or folder that has a script, like a PHP or CGI script, won't allow the script to run. Cheque your permissions and brand sure yous fix them correctly on your server.

four. Bank check the code for your site's .htaccess file.

Incorrect coding or improper structure with your .htaccess file could be the reason you're seeing the 500 internal error. The .htaccess file helps you manage how long resources should be stored in a browser'south enshroud. Try editing the file if you're seeing a 500 internal server fault.

To locate your .htaccess file, admission your website files through a file manager similar cPanel or via FTP/SFTP. The file volition probably be located in your public_html directory. There's a good chance your server volition hide this file from view by default and you'll demand to toggle hidden files on to run across it.

a server file directory highlighting the htaccess file to resolve the http 500 internal server error

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Coding errors in .htaccess and custom scripts can besides crusade an HTTP 500 internal server error.

5. Ensure your new software is installed correctly.

Finally, cheque to see if your recently installed or upgraded software actually failed to install or upgrade. To refresh your software, check the vendor's website for instructions.

How to fix a 500 internal server error

Concluding Resort: Ask a Server Administrator for Aid

If troubleshooting pop software problems or debugging server-side scripts doesn't prepare your HTTP 500 internal server fault, yous should read about the nearly common causes for this type of issue in your server's documentation — an HTTP 500 internal server error can occur in dissimilar operating systems for a multitude of reasons.

You lot can also ask your service provider to admission your error logs and observe evidence of the root cause of your trouble.

Internal server errors are irritating because they're unhelpful — it's basically the web server's way of maxim, "Eh, I'k not sure." Hopefully, i of the higher up steps will resolve the problem so y'all can get back to life as usual.

Editor's annotation: This post was originally published in Oct 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Sep 15, 2022 7:00:00 AM, updated September 15 2022