What does 500 Internal Server Error mean?

It means the web server hit an unexpected condition and could not complete your request. It is a generic server-side error: the server knows something failed but does not tell the visitor what. The details are in the server or application error log.

Is a 500 error caused by my browser or by the website?

By the website’s server. The 500 range of HTTP codes means a server error, so reloading, clearing cookies or switching browsers rarely helps. If you are a visitor, wait a few minutes or contact the site owner. If you own the site, check the error log.

How do I find the cause of a 500 error?

Read the error log. In a hosting panel it sits under “Errors” or “Logs”; on a server it is typically the Apache or nginx error log plus the PHP log. In Laravel it is storage/logs/laravel.log, in WordPress wp-content/debug.log once WP_DEBUG_LOG is on.

Can a broken .htaccess file cause a 500 error?

Yes, and it is one of the most common causes on Apache and LiteSpeed hosting. A syntax error or an unsupported directive makes the server fail on every request. Renaming the file for a moment tells you quickly whether it is the culprit.

Why do I get a 500 error after updating a WordPress plugin?

Usually because the new plugin version clashes with your PHP version, your theme or another plugin and triggers a fatal PHP error. Renaming the plugin’s folder switches it off and often brings the site back, after which the log shows the real conflict.

Will a 500 error hurt my Google rankings?

A short outage usually does no lasting harm, because search engines retry later. If the 500 stays for days, Google crawls less and may drop affected pages from its index, so it is worth fixing quickly.

Can you fix a 500 error without losing data?

In most cases, yes. We make a full backup of files and database before every change, so each step can be undone. We tell you before starting if a fix carries any risk to data.

HTTP error 500

500 Internal Server Error: what it means and how to fix it

The short answer

Your server tried to build the page, failed, and gave only a vague error. The detail sits in the error log, and that is where a fix starts.

Get it fixed

Backup before every change
Fixed price before we start
Remote, anywhere in the world
Free first diagnosis

The 500 is the server’s catch-all for “something went wrong in here”. That is why one error can have a dozen different causes, and why guessing wastes time. Reading the log line behind it turns the guess into a specific cause, usually a file name and a line number.

Sound familiar?

How to recognise a 500 Internal Server Error

Your whole site shows “500 Internal Server Error” or “HTTP ERROR 500”
A white page with no message at all (a PHP error that is hidden from visitors)
Only some pages, the admin area or the checkout fail while the rest loads
It started right after a plugin, theme, PHP version or code update
Apache’s wording: “The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration”

Causes

What causes a 500 Internal Server Error?

A broken .htaccess file

This small config file in your site folder (Apache and LiteSpeed servers) holds redirects and rules. One wrong line, often added by a plugin or a copy-paste, and the server refuses to load anything.

A PHP fatal error or memory limit

Code that crashes, or a script that needs more memory than PHP allows (“Allowed memory size exhausted”), ends in a 500 and a line in the log.

A faulty plugin, theme or release

An update that clashes with your PHP version or another plugin is the classic trigger, especially if the 500 appeared minutes after the update.

Wrong file permissions or ownership

If the server may not read or write the files it needs, it fails. Some hosts also refuse files set too open. Typical safe values are 755 for folders and 644 for files.

Server resources exhausted

A full disk, no free memory or too many processes at once can make a server throw 500 errors, usually at busy moments.

A corrupt configuration or database problem

A missing or wrong settings file (wp-config.php, or .env in Laravel), wrong database credentials or a damaged table also surface as a plain 500.

Try it yourself

Fixing a 500 Internal Server Error yourself: safe first steps

Do these in order, and write down what you change so you can undo it.

1 Reload once, wait a minute and try again. A single 500 during a traffic spike can pass by itself. Also clear your caching plugin or CDN cache.
2 Open the error log. In your hosting panel look under “Errors” or “Logs”, or find the error_log file in your site folder. The last lines usually name the file and line that failed.
3 Rename .htaccess to .htaccess-old (via the file manager) and reload. If the site loads, that file was the cause. In WordPress, saving Settings > Permalinks creates a clean one. This only applies to Apache and LiteSpeed; nginx has no .htaccess.
4 On WordPress, rename the folder wp-content/plugins to plugins-off. If the site loads, rename it back and switch plugins on one by one until the 500 returns.
5 If the log says “Allowed memory size exhausted”, raise the limit, for example define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); in wp-config.php. If the 500 started after a PHP upgrade, try the previous PHP version in your hosting panel.
6 On Laravel, read storage/logs/laravel.log, check that .env exists and that storage and bootstrap/cache are writable. Do not leave APP_DEBUG on for a live site; it can reveal passwords on screen.

Our approach

How we fix a 500 Internal Server Error

1

We read the log, we don’t guess

Most 500 errors name their own cause in the server or application log. We look there first, so you do not pay for trial and error.
2

Backup before any change

A full copy of files and database comes first, so every step we take can be undone.
3

Cause, fixed price, your OK

The diagnosis is free. You get the cause in plain language, a fixed price and a time estimate. Nothing starts without your yes.
4

Fix, test and report

We fix it, check the pages that matter (home, forms, login, checkout) and send a short report of what was wrong and what we changed.

What we need

What we need from you

Access to the error logs, through your hosting panel or SSH
SFTP/SSH or file manager access to your site files
An admin login for your CMS (WordPress, Laravel, other), if there is one
What you changed or updated just before the error appeared

We ask for the least access that does the job, use a separate key per client, and you can revoke it the moment we are done.

What we cannot fix

We cannot fix a 500 that comes from a fault inside your hosting provider’s own infrastructure, or from third-party software we have no access to or cannot change. If that is the cause, we say so after the free diagnosis, with the evidence you need for your host.

Price

Price and what happens next

1

Free diagnosis

We find the cause and tell you what is wrong.
2

Fixed price

You get a price and a time estimate. Nothing starts without your yes.
3

Fixed and reported

We repair it, test it and send a short report.

From €295 excl. VAT

Fixed price, agreed before we start

Is it urgent? Say so in the form or in the chat. We start as soon as we can and give you a realistic time estimate with the quote. If priority work costs extra, you see that in the quote before you agree.

Get it fixed

Questions?

500 Internal Server Error: frequently asked questions

Also see

Tell us what is wrong

Answer a few short questions. You get a fixed price before we do anything.

On which platform are you experiencing the problem?

Website App Software

500 Internal Server Error: what it means and how to fix it

How to recognise a 500 Internal Server Error

What causes a 500 Internal Server Error?

A broken .htaccess file

A PHP fatal error or memory limit

A faulty plugin, theme or release

Wrong file permissions or ownership

Server resources exhausted

A corrupt configuration or database problem

Fixing a 500 Internal Server Error yourself: safe first steps

How we fix a 500 Internal Server Error

We read the log, we don’t guess

Backup before any change

Cause, fixed price, your OK

Fix, test and report

What we need from you

What we cannot fix

Price and what happens next

Free diagnosis

Fixed price

Fixed and reported

500 Internal Server Error: frequently asked questions

Related problems

Broken after an update

WordPress critical error

HTTP error 502

Tell us what is wrong