The dreaded 500 internal server error. It always seems to come 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 there. Other errors that behave similarly that you might have also 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 simply looks bad for your brand. Show
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 future.
500 Internal Server Error (Most Common Causes):500 Internal server error in WordPress can be caused by many things. If you’re experiencing one, there’s a high chance one (or more) of the following elements is causing the issue:
Support Check Out Our Ultimate Guide to Fixing the 500 Internal Server ErrorWhat is a 500 Internal Server Error?The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) defines the 500 Internal Server Error as:
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 way to notify you about the status of the request. It could be a 200 status code which means “Everything is OK” or a 500 status code which means something has gone wrong. View plans There are a lot of different 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 6.6.1). 500 internal server error in WordPress500 Internal Server Error VariationsDue to the various web servers, operating systems, and browsers, a 500 internal server error can present itself in a number of different ways. But they are all communicating the same thing. Below are just a couple of the many different variations you might see on the web:
You might also see this message accompanying it: Internal Server Error Other times, you might simply see a blank 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 FirefoxBigger brands might even have their own custom 500 internal server error messages, such as this one from Airbnb. Airbnb 500 internal server errorHere is another creative 500 server error example from the folks over at readme. readme 500 internal server errorEven the mighty YouTube isn’t safe from 500 internal server errors. 500 internal server error on YouTubeIf it’s an IIS 7.0 (Windows) or higher server, they have additional HTTP status codes to more closely indicate the cause of the 500 error:
500 Errors Impact on SEOUnlike 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 impact on SEO if not fixed right away. If your site is only down for say 10 minutes and it’s being crawled consistently a lot of times the crawler will simply get the page delivered from cache. Or Google might not even have a chance to re-crawl it before it’s back up. In this scenario, you’re completely fine. However, if the site is down for an extended period of time, say 6+ hours, then Google might see the 500 error as a site level issue that needs to be addressed. This could impact your rankings. If you’re worried about repeat 500 errors you should figure out why they are happening to begin with. Some of the solutions below can help. How to Fix the 500 Internal Server ErrorWhere should you start troubleshooting when you see a 500 internal server error on your WordPress site? Sometimes you might not 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 is user error (client-side issue), and the second is that there is a problem with the server. So we’ll dive into a little of both.
Check out these common causes and ways to fix the 500 internal server error and get back up and running in no time. 1. Try Reloading the PageThis might seem a little obvious to some, but one of the easiest and first things you should try when encountering a 500 internal server error is to simply wait a minute or so and reload the page (F5 or Ctrl + F5). It could be that the host or server is simply overloaded and the site will come right back. While you’re waiting, you could also quickly try a different browser to rule that out as an issue. Another thing you can do 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 status code that is returned from the server. If it’s anything other than a 200 “Everything is OK” then it will return a down indication. downforeveryoneorjustmeWe’ve also noticed that sometimes this can 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. However, things usually resolve themselves in a couple of seconds and therefore refreshing is all you need to do. 2. Clear Your Browser CacheClearing your browser cache 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:
3. Check Your Server LogsYou should also take advantage of your error logs. If you’re a Kinsta client, you can easily see errors in the log viewer in the MyKinsta dashboard. This can help you quickly narrow down the issue, especially if it’s resulting from a plugin on your site. Sign Up For the NewsletterWant to know how we increased our traffic over 1000%?Join 20,000+ others who get our weekly newsletter with insider WordPress tips! Subscribe NowCheck error logs for 500 internal server errorsIf your host doesn’t have a logging tool, you can also enable WordPress debugging mode by adding the following code to your wp-config.php file to enable logging:
The logs are typically located in the /wp-content directory. Others, like here at Kinsta might have a dedicated folder called “logs”. WordPress error logs folder (SFTP)You can also check the log files in Apache and Nginx, which are commonly located here:
If you’re a Kinsta client you can also take advantage of our analytics tool to get a breakdown of the total number of 500 errors and see how often and when they are occurring. This can help you troubleshoot if this is an ongoing issue, or perhaps something that has resolved itself. Response analysis 500 error breakdownEasily identify and resolve errors in the log viewer of your powerful, centralized MyKinsta dashboard. Try Kinsta for Free. If the 500 error is displaying because of a fatal PHP error, you can also try 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.
And you might need to also modify your php.ini file with the following:
4. Error Establishing a Database Connection500 internal server errors can also occur from a database connection error. Depending upon your browser you might see different errors. But both will generate a 500 HTTP status code regardless in your server logs. Below is an example of what an “error establishing a database connection” message looks like your browser. The entire page is blank because no data can be retrieved to render the page, as the connection is not working properly. Not only does this break the front-end of your site, but it will also prevent you from accessing your WordPress dashboard. Example of error establishing a database connectionSo why exactly does this happen? Well, here are a few common reasons below.
Check out our in-depth post on how to fix the error establishing a database connection in WordPress. 5. Check Your Plugins and ThemesThird-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 see 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 one. Otherwise, if you encounter a 500 internal server error you’re suddenly scrambling to figure out which one caused it. A few ways you can troubleshoot this is by deactivating all your plugins. Remember, you won’t lose any data if you simply deactivate a plugin. If you can still access your admin, a quick way to do this is to browse to “Plugins” and select “Deactivate” from the bulk actions menu. This will disable all of your plugins. Deactivate all pluginsIf this fixes the issue you’ll need to find the culprit. Start activating them one by 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 reach 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 can FTP into your server and rename your plugins folder to something like plugins_old. Then check your site again. If it works, then you will need to test each plugin one by one. Rename your plugin folder back to “plugins” and then rename each plugin folder inside of if it, one by one, until you find it. You could also try to replicate this on a staging site first. Rename plugin folderAlways 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 it turns out to be a conflict with bad code in a plugin, you might need to bring in a WordPress developer to fix the issue. 6. Reinstall WordPress CoreSometimes WordPress core files can get corrupted, especially on older sites. It’s actually quite easy to re-upload just 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 course, make sure to take a backup before proceeding. Skip to one of the sections below:
7. Permissions ErrorA permissions error with a file or folder on your server can also 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:
See the WordPress Codex article on changing file permissions for a more in-depth explanation. You can easily see your file permissions with an FTP client (as seen below). 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 SFTP8. PHP Memory LimitA 500 internal server error could also be caused by exhausting the PHP memory limit on your server. You could try increasing the limit. Follow the instructions below on how to change this limit in cPanel, Apache, your php.ini file, and 1 file.Increase PHP Memory Limit in cPanelIf you’re running on a host that uses cPanel, you can easily change this from the UI. Under Software click on “Select PHP Version.” Select PHP versionClick on “Switch to PHP Options.” Switch to PHP optionsYou can then click on the 2 attribute and change its value. Then click on “Save.”Increase PHP memory limit in cPanelIncrease PHP Memory Limit in ApacheThe 3 file is a special hidden file that contains various settings you can use 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 there is a 3 file there..htaccess fileIf there is you can edit that file to add the necessary code for increasing the PHP memory limit. Most likely it is set at 64M or below, you can try increasing this value.
Increase PHP Memory Limit in php.ini FileIf the above doesn’t work for you might try editing your 5 file. Log in to your site via FTP or SSH, go to your site’s root directory and open or create a 5 file.php.ini fileIf the file was already there, search for the three settings and modify them if necessary. If you just created the file, or the settings are nowhere to be found you can paste the code below. You can modify of course the values to meet your needs.
Some shared hosts might also require that you add the suPHP directive in your 3 file for the above 5 file settings to work. To do this, edit your 3 file, also located at the root of your site, and add the following code towards the top of the file:
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 0 files. To edit your 0 file, login to your site via FTP or SSH, go to your site’s root directory and open or create a 0 file. You can then paste in the following code:
Increase PHP Memory Limit in wp-config.phpThe last option is not one we are fans of, but if all else fails you can give it 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 fileAdd the following code to the top of your 1 file:
You can also ask your host if you’re running into memory limit issues. We 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. You can also use your own custom New Relic key from your own license. Debugging with New Relic9. Problem With Your .htaccess FileKinsta only uses Nginx, but if you’re using a WordPress host that is running Apache, it could very well be that your 3 file has a problem or has become corrupted. Follow the steps below to recreate a new one from scratch.First, log in to your site via FTP or SSH, and rename your 3 file to 6.Normally 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 error you most likely can’t access your WordPress admin, so this isn’t an option. Therefore you can create a new 3 file and input the following contents. Then upload it to your server.
See the WordPress Codex for more examples, such as a default 3 file for multisite.10. Coding or Syntax Errors in Your CGI/Perl Script500 errors being caused by errors in CGI and Perl is a lot less common 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 still being used. As AEM on Stack Overflow says:
Here are a few tips when working with CGI scripts:
Easily identify and resolve errors in the log viewer of your powerful, centralized MyKinsta dashboard. Try Kinsta for Free. 11. Server Issue (Check With Your Host)Finally, because 500 internal server errors can also occur from PHP timing out or fatal PHP errors with third-party plugins, you can always check with your WordPress host. Sometimes these errors can be difficult to troubleshoot without an expert. Here are just a few common examples of some errors that trigger 500 HTTP status codes on the server that might have you scratching your head.
0We 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 start fixing the issue right away. 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% 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 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’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 SiteIf 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 request to the URL of your choice. You can simply use your homepage. The tool allows you to set check frequencies of:
It will send you an email if and when your site goes down. Here is an example below. Email notification of 500 errorThis 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 actually be doing down (even during the middle of the night). That’s why we always recommend going with an application, database, and managed WordPress host (like Kinsta). Make sure to check out our post that explores the top 9 reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting. Summary500 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 there anything we missed? Perhaps you have another tip on troubleshooting 500 internal server errors. If so, let us know below in the comments. Get all your applications, databases and WordPress sites online and under one roof. Our feature-packed, high-performance cloud platform includes:
Test it yourself with $20 off your first month of Application Hosting or Database Hosting. Explore our plans or talk to sales to find your best fit. How do I fix error code 500?How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error. Refresh the page. This might seem obvious, but if it's a temporary loading issue, you might find success if you refresh the page. ... . Come back later. ... . Delete your browser's cookies. ... . Paste your URL into the website "Down for Everyone or Just Me.". Is a 500 error my fault?If you try to visit a website and see a “500 Internal Server Error” message, it means something has gone wrong with the website. This isn't a problem with your browser, your computer, or your internet connection. It's a problem with the site you're trying to visit.
How do I fix 500 internal server error in Chrome?How to Fix a 500 Error. Reload the web page. ... . Clear your browser's cache. ... . Delete your browser's cookies. ... . Troubleshoot as a 504 Gateway Timeout error instead. ... . Contacting the website is another option. ... . Come back later.. Are 500 errors server side?A 500 error is a server-side error that indicates that something went wrong on the website's server, but the server is unable to provide specific details about the problem. It's is a generic message displayed when no other message is suitable for the situation.
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