You have probably encountered a 500 Internal server error while trying to access a website at some point. While you can ignore the error as a visitor, it is something that website administrators cannot afford to ignore.
The website's frontend and the WordPress administrator dashboard may not be accessible. We will discuss the causes of this error, how to prevent it, and why it's important to invest in reliable web hosting servers to reduce website downtime.
500 errors in an internal server can cause damage to your reputation and lead to customers losing faith in you. It will not only affect your reputation but also impact your search engine rankings. It is best to avoid making this mistake and to fully understand the problem and how to fix it.
Sometimes the issue could be in the website configuration. Other times it might be related to issues at the server that are beyond your control.
What is an internal server error 500?
http 500 internal server error
We have previously covered the types of errors that website users may encounter in one of our articles on HTTP Status codes. A 3-digit error code beginning with "5" and looking like 5XX is a sign that there are no problems with the request by the user agent.
However, there are other reasons why the server cannot process your request. This could be due to an incorrect website configuration or a problem within the server.
500 is a specific indication that the webserver has an internal issue. This means that the request was not processed at the moment. This error can sometimes be temporary and last for only a few seconds or a few minutes.
If the problem continues, it is likely that the website is the problem. It is also common for the problem to arise from incorrect website configuration, which can be fixed at your end.
If this happens frequently, you can discuss the problem with webserver tech support to help you resolve the issue. Other 5XX errors that are popular include 502 Bad Gateway error and 504 Gateway timeout error
You will need to investigate the error code with tools such as MS IIS to find out if it is a specific issue. These are some of the most common codes:
500 Internal Server Errors Code List
Code Explanation
500.11 When a request from a user agent is made to the webserver, the application crashes on the webserver.
500.12 The restart of the application is underway on the webserver.
500.13 Other requests are too heavy for the web server. It is overwhelmed with requests that exceed its capacity.
500.14 Invalid configuration of the server. An error occurred in the WordPress website installation.
500.15 No direct requests for GLOBAL.ASA are allowed.
500.16 UNC authorization credentials do not work.
500.17 URL authorization store could not be found.
500.18 URL authorization store can't be opened.
500.19 data for this file was not correctly configured in the Metabase
500.2 URL authorization scope could not be found.
500.21 Module not recognised
500.5 A rewrite error occurred during RQ_BEGIN_REQUEST notification handling. An error occurred in the execution of an inbound or configuration rule.
How to fix 500 internal server errors in WordPress
Users will be unable to access their WordPress website pages if there is an internal server error 500. This indicates that there may be a problem in the root directory. These are the most common reasons why your WordPress website experiences an HTTP 500 Internal Server error.
Corrupted.htaccess file
PHP Memory Limit Exceeded
Faulty plugin or theme issue
Corrupted Core Files
Verify File Permissions
Unsupported PHP Version
Incorrect DNS entries
Server is having problems
#1 - Corrupted.htaccess File
A corrupted.htaccess (found in root directory) is one of the most common causes for WordPress 500 errors. This could be caused by a plugin update or theme update or even during a migration from one server. You can fix this error by replacing the current htaccess with a new one.
Sometimes, you may not be able see the.htaccess files. In such cases, check the hidden files within the root directory. Make sure the file's name is correct. You can find everything you need to know about htaccess files in WordPress here.
#2 - Exceeding PHP Memory Capacity Limit
It could be due to plugins or themes consuming too much processing memory or plugins being used in excess. You might reach your memory limit if your WordPress website takes a lot of memory in order to process a request.
To solve this problem, you can increase your memory limit. You can do this by changing the wp.config or php.ini files.
This code should be added to the wpconfig file
image4 1 What is an HTTP 500 Internal Server Error and How Can You Fix It?
You can increase your memory limit by increasing 64M to 128M or 256M, respectively.
Alternativly, you can increase your memory limit via php.ini. You can edit your php.ini to find the line of code that sets the memory limit. It will look something like this:
memory_limit = 32M ;
It can be increased to 64M or 128M or 256M, depending on your needs.
Another issue is the Maximum Execution Time. The user agent may request more time than the requested website process. The wp.config,.htaccess, and php.ini files can be used to increase the maximum execution time limit.
You can define the Max Execution Time with wp-config by adding the following code, or increasing the value if it already exists.
set_time_limit(300);
The following code can be added or edited to increase the time limit with the.htaccess file:
php_value max_execution_time 300
To increase execution time, you can also edit PHP.ini:
max_execution_time = 300
#3 - Faulty plugin or theme issue
You might want to look into the issue if you recently updated or installed a plugin. You can access the admin dashboard to deactivate all plugins and then refresh your website to verify that it is working.
If the issue persists, reactivate each plugin one by one and then check that you have done this after activating each plugin. This will allow you to pinpoint the plugin that is causing the problem. If the website still doesn't work after you have deactivated the plugins, it is likely that the problem is not related to the plugins.
You can rename each plugin's directory to gain access to the admin backend. Once you have done this, you can then check the website to see if there is any problem. It is recommended that all plugins are kept current.
You can try changing the theme on your WordPress website to see if it fixes the internal server error. An internal server error can sometimes be caused by corrupt or outdated scripts or codes in the theme files. This error can be caused by a theme upgrade. Report it to the theme developer and they will restore it to an earlier version.
It is recommended that you regularly back up your website before installing themes, plugins or core updates. You might also be able to view Error logs from some hosting providers that can help you pinpoint the root cause.
WPOven hosting providers provide a console inside your hosting console that allows you to manage your website and make updates to plugins, themes and core files. This will allow you to improve performance and control your website, as well as regular backup and restore options.
#4 - Corrupted Core files
To troubleshoot an internal error on your WordPress website, you can upload the files to an FTP server. Upload the files to WordPress.com, and then upload them to the server via FTP software such as FileZilla.
#5 - Verify File Permissions
It is important to ensure that all directory and file permissions are correctly configured in WordPress. These are the recommended file permission settings:
755 for all folders or sub-folders
644 for all files
Incorrect permission settings can result in the blockage of certain plugins, themes and scripts from working.
WPOven allows you to use the "Fix Permissions” tool to fix file permissions in Sites->Tools.
Rapid Hosting
#6 - Unsupported PHP Version
Some PHP versions are no longer supported by the most recent WordPress version. Highly recommended are versions 7.0, 7.4, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4. For more information, please refer to our article PHP Versions.
You can also find the latest PHP 8 version right here. WPOVen Managed WordPress Hosting comes with the most recent PHP Updates.
#7 Incorrect DNS entries
Visitors will not be able access your DNS if it points to another server than your hosting server. You must ensure that your DNS entries are correct.
#8 - Server Problem
You should contact your web hosting provider's tech support team immediately if none of these options work. It could be the software or hardware of the server. You should switch to another company if there are frequent outage notifications at the server end.