Fix the ‘500 Internal Server Error’ error

Definitions

The ‘500 Internal Server Error’ or ‘HTTP ERROR 500’ is a catch-all error that can stem from various issues, preventing your website from loading properly. Here are some visual examples of the 500 Internal Server Error:

Before you start

🚨 Typically, the 500 internal server error is due to a bad plugin, theme, or WordPress version update.

ℹ️ Follow each step by step fix below in order, moving to the next only if the previous one doesn’t work.

Step by step

Check for a plugin error

Sometimes, a plugin can cause the 500 Internal Server Error on your website.

1. Open this guide: Check your website error log and apply common fixes

2. In that guide, follow all the steps under ‘Check your website error log

3. Once in your error log, use that same guide to ‘Identify a plugin error

4. If you find a plugin error, complete the ‘Fix a plugin error‘ steps

Check for a theme error

Sometimes, a theme can cause the 500 Internal Server Error on your website.

1. Open this guide: Check your website error log and apply common fixes

2. In that guide, follow all the steps under ‘Check your website error log

3. Once in your error log, use that same guide to ‘Identify a theme error

4. If you find a theme error, complete the ‘Fix a theme error‘ steps

Increase your PHP memory threshold

Sometimes the 500 Internal Server Error is caused by a PHP memory threshold limit.

1. Log in to your hosting control panel

2. Click on the Select PHP version button

3. Look for the memory_limit dropdown

4. On the dropdown, select the highest threshold value available

5. Wait a few moments and then load your website

Load your website from an incognito or private window

Sometimes the ‘500 Internal Server Error’ can be triggered by a web browser cache. To bypass the cache, load your website from an incognito or private web browser window.

Try loading your website from an incognito window:

Restore your website from backups

Restoring from backups is the quickest way to get your website operational again.

Always start by restoring your website files, and if the issue persists, proceed to restore your database.