Why Your Website Is Returning 500 Internal Server Error and How to Fix It

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Why Your Website Is Returning 500 Internal Server Error and How to Fix It. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

A 500 Internal Server Error is a generic message indicating that something has gone wrong on the web server, but the server cannot specify exactly what the problem is. For small business owners, this means your website is live but unreachable, which can impact customer trust and sales. This guide will help you identify common causes and take steps to restore your site.

Quick Fix Steps

If your website is suddenly showing a 500 error, try these immediate actions before diving into deeper troubleshooting.

1. Refresh your browser page to ensure the error is persistent and not a temporary glitch.
2. Clear your browser cache or try accessing the site in an incognito window.
3. Check your social media or business pages to see if other customers are reporting the same issue.
4. Wait a few minutes and refresh again; some server-side processes may resolve automatically.

Detailed Instructions

Check and Rename the .htaccess File

A corrupted .htaccess file is one of the most common causes of a 500 error. This file controls how your server handles requests.

1. Log into your hosting control panel and open the File Manager.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your website (usually public_html or www).
3. Locate the file named .htaccess. If you do not see it, ensure "Show Hidden Files" is enabled in your settings.
4. Right-click the file and select Rename. Change the name to .htaccess_old.
5. Refresh your website in the browser. If the site loads, the .htaccess file was the cause.
6. Generate a new .htaccess file through your CMS settings (e.g., WordPress Permalinks) or contact your developer.

Increase PHP Memory Limit

If your website exceeds its allocated memory, the server may return a 500 error. This often happens after installing a new plugin or uploading large media files.

1. Access your site files via File Manager or an FTP client.
2. Locate the wp-config.php file (for WordPress) or your php.ini file.
3. Add or edit the following line to increase the memory limit: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
4. Save the file and refresh your website.

Disable Conflicting Plugins or Themes

A faulty plugin or theme update can trigger a server error. If you can access your admin dashboard, deactivate plugins one by one. If you cannot access the dashboard, use the file manager.

1. Open the File Manager and navigate to your content folder (e.g., /wp-content/plugins/).
2. Rename the plugin folder to something like plugins_disabled.
3. Refresh your site. If it works, rename the folder back and activate plugins individually to find the culprit.

Troubleshooting

Analyze Server Error Logs

Server logs provide the specific reason for the 500 error, such as a syntax error in a script or a permission issue.

1. Log into your hosting control panel.
2. Look for a section labelled Metrics or Logs.
3. Open Errors or Error Log.
4. Look for entries that match the time you encountered the 500 error. Common entries include "Premature end of script headers" or "PHP Fatal error".
5. Use the error message to search for a specific fix or provide it to your developer.

Check File and Folder Permissions

Incorrect permissions can prevent the server from reading essential files.

• Folders should typically be set to 755.
• Files should typically be set to 644.
• The wp-config.php file should be more restrictive, usually 600 or 640.

If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted.

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