How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error
By Elena Ruiz
· About Zone Desire
Quick answer
A 500 Internal Server Error means something broke on the website's server. Visitors can reload later; site owners should check server error logs, recently changed plugins or code, .htaccess and PHP memory limits.
What does “500 Internal Server Error” mean?
HTTP 500 is a generic server error: the server hit a problem it could not handle.
What causes it?
- Bug in site code or plugin
- Broken .htaccess file
- PHP memory limit reached
- Wrong file permissions
Steps to try
Stop when the issue is resolved.
- Visitors: reload after a few minutes or clear cache.
- Site owners: read the server error log first.
- Undo the last change (plugin, module, theme or code update).
- Rename .htaccess to test if it is the cause.
- Increase PHP memory_limit (for example 256M).
Need more support? Check the official help: MDN Web Docs: HTTP response status codes
FAQs
Can I fix a 500 error as a visitor?
Not really. It is the site's problem; try later or contact the site.
Where are the logs?
Usually in your hosting panel (error_log) or the CMS log, such as Drupal's Recent log messages.