Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress: Get the Solution Now

Going through the nightmare of HTTP error 500 in WordPress? There is nothing to panic about; you won’t lose any of your WordPress files, themes, or content. In today’s guide for solving 500 internal server error in WordPress, we have mentioned easy fixes that will help to get rid of the error, no matter if the error log has occurred due to some basic or complex server issue.

An error can appear on any website, including your web server. Multiple reasons, including missing theme codes, encrypted plugins, and heavy load on hosting errors, can cause the HTTP error 500 in WordPress. Depending on the cause, you can ensure a timeline to recover your website, as some would need a tweak of time, whereas others can take up to 3 working days and you might even need to hire WordPress developers, too.

Our guide lists multiple methods of solving WordPress 500 internal server errors and additional tips to avoid and safeguard your website from such errors. Moving on, let’s first understand what is 500 internal server error.

What is a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress?

The internal server error 500 is an application-side error that occurs on the server level. Let us familiarize you with how these scenarios work; whenever you visit a specific web URL, the server accepts and processes the content page to show.

Further, when a server fails to deliver the result due to incomplete web files, corrupted .htaccess files, PHP memory limit, or cache, it results in server error 500.

Here’s how the error may look in Google Chrome:

Here is the list of 500 error variants in which the website will convey this error message:

• 500 Internal Server Error
• HTTP 500
• Error 500
• HTTPS 500 error
• Temporary Error (500)
• HTTPS error 500
• HTTP Error 500 – Internal Server Error
• HTTP Status Code 500
• Request failed status code 500
• The website cannot display the page – HTTP 500

Now, let’s comprehend the cause of internal server error 500.

What Causes the 500 Internal Server Error on Your WordPress?

We’ve listed the common causes of 500 internal error and the easiest ways to fix it too. Undoubtedly, as the error’s root cause lies in the server, the fix also lies there. But who knows how lucky you can get and fetch the 500-internal server error solved just by browser cache cleaning.

Let’s look at some common reasons of 500 internal error:

Common Causes of the 500 Internal Server Error:

1. Browser Cache

Just like your web hosting plan, the browser also includes a storage unit for loading and managing the local web page files. Through this process, the server assures that you don’t have to wait for web pages to get loaded the next time you access them.

Fix a 500 Internal Server Error by Caching Your Browser

However, the possibilities are that the loaded web files of your browser and the updated ones on the website are clashing. You can clean your browser cache to get a way out of this.

To clear cache in Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click the More button in the top right corner. Delete all browsing data.
3. Select a time range, such as Last Hour or All Time.
4. Choose which type of information you want to remove.
5. Select Delete data.

2. Corrupted .htaccess File

Editing WordPress core files often results in syntax errors, resulting in a website breakdown and a reason to see the 500 internal server. If you are making any custom changes to the .htaccess file, you better take a backup by creating a duplicate and renaming it with something like ‘.htaccess-old’.

Creating this duplicate file, the server will deactivate its use on the website while considering the current ‘.htaccess’ file for loading content on the web. For your end, the backup file will benefit with consent if any error occurs in the new file.

Edit .htaccess File to Fix HTTP Response Code 500

If you didn’t take the backup, below is the standard .htaccess code snippet you can copy and paste. After that, remember to save your file to see the result immediately on the website.

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

3. Permissions Error

In WordPress, setting file permissions is the most vital factor for assuring your website’s security. These permissions work as a fence to prevent unauthorized access to your web files.

If your web hosting providers did the WordPress dashboard setup for you, then this might not be the cause of 500 internal error.

Solve HTTP Status 500 by Updating WordPress Permission

There are specific WordPress values this permission file must set;

• The directory on your server should be set at 755 or 750 and never on 777.
  
• Files (except for wp-config.php) should be 644 or 640.
  
• wp-config.php should be set at 440 or 400

If there is any misconfiguration in these values, then it can lead to 500 internal error.

4. Corrupted Third-party WordPress Themes & Plugins

Just because any third party offers a free theme/plugin doesn’t mean they are the most extraordinary personalities living in the world; saving the sarcasm – it is completely fine if you pick a free theme, but it should be from a trusted source.

But is that it!? You bet! We suggest you go through this roadmap with all the breakdowns to help you choose the best WordPress plugin. For themes, if your overall website budget is a little higher, a custom WordPress theme development is the best option, as it is specifically designed and built to reflect your business norms and theme guide.

Re-Upload WordPress Theme and plugin Files to Fix the Error Code 500

If the HTTP internal server error 500 is occurred after activating some theme/plugin then you can consider it as a corrupted file-tossing error on your WordPress site. For this, you can consider switching back to the default WordPress theme and then reactivating your third-party WordPress theme/plugin.

Note: To reinstall the WordPress theme, delete the previous theme files from Appearance → Themes. Once, all theme files and related plugin files are deleted then only reupload the theme.

If you can’t access your WordPress dashboard due to caused error – you can delete the WordPress theme from its file manager’s root file; “directory /wp-content/themes/”. You can consider the same steps for plugins navigating their root file from “directory /wp-content/plugins/”.

You can also alter the theme by using the control panel’s phpMyAdmin to edit the MySQL database. Using the hPanel, do as follows:

Step 1: Open the hPanel and navigate to phpMyAdmin.

Step 2: Go to the wp_options table

Step 3: Find the template and stylesheet rows

Step 4: Select Edit to make modifications to the template and stylesheet value

Step 5: Click Go to apply the changes.

5. Exceeding PHP Memory Limit

By default, WordPress sets the memory limit at 32 MB by itself; websites with few pages, a selected number of plugins, and a limited amount of content can quickly shape themselves in this memory limit.

But as you start adding more functionalities with the help of plugins and interactive web elements, it will initially push you to reach that WordPress memory limit – WordPress still maximizes available memory to 40 MB.

Maximize PHP Limit to Fix HTTP WordPress Error 500 Service Unavailable Code

Once you reach the WordPress PHP Memory limit of 40 MB, you see a 500 internal server error message and won’t be able to add any other content further.

To fix the issue of HTTP status code 500, you can increase the PHP limit manually:

• Navigate to the wp-config.php file from the file manager
  
• Edit define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’32M’); to define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘128M’); 

Don’t forget to save it once you are done with editing.

What are the Best Ways To Fix the 500 Internal Server?

As we know, the cause of HTTP error 500 – now let’s check how to fix 500 internal server error on your WordPress website. As multiple fixes are mentioned below, we recommend you test them chronologically to get results as quickly as possible.

Re-Upload WordPress Core Files

We’ve been through the common cause and quick fixes to the HTTP 500 internal server error. Now that, if any of it didn’t work you better re-set up WordPress by reuploading its core files rather than draining your valuable time.

There are two methods you can consider to reupload core WordPress files; 1) Using Web Hosting File Manager and 2) Accessing FTP Servers with tools like Filezilla.

Download WordPress Core Files From WordPress.Org

Step 1: Visit WordPress.org.

Step 2: Under Download & Extend Dropdown, Select Get WordPress.

Step 3: Now download the latest version.

Step 4: Extract the Downloaded WordPress folder.

Step 5: There you go with all WordPress Core Files.

Steps of Re-uploading WordPress Core Files Using Web Hosting File Manager

Step 1: Navigate to Web Hosting cPanel → File Manager.

Step 2: public_html → wp-admin – There you’ll get to see current web files (WordPress 500 error corrupted). If you want to take a backup or any content better download those files first and then delete all files.

Step 3: Once your wp-admin folder gets empty, upload all content files extracted from the downloaded WordPress folder.

Steps of Re-uploading WordPress Core Files Using FileZilla

Step 1: Connect with the web’s FTP server by adding details.

Step 2: public_html → wp-admin – There you’ll get to see current web files (WordPress 500 error corrupted). Suppose you want to take a backup or any content better download those files first and then delete all files.

Step 3: Once your wp-admin folder gets empty, upload all content files extracted from the downloaded WordPress folder.

Enable Debug Logs in WordPress

It is an in-built WordPress tool that analyzes errors on your website. To activate it first you’ll need to install it – To get an overview you can visit the official WP Debugging Plugin page.

Once, you are done with its activating process, it will list out errors from the overall website helping you to focus work on a specified error at a time. In case, you don’t have access to your WordPress admin dashboard you can – you can add the below code snippet in the wp-config.php file.

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true);
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

To ensure that things go well, you can navigate to public_html → wp-admin → wp-content. You’ll get to see a new file named debuge.log – in which all errors and warnings occurring on the website will be listed.

Contact the Server Administrator

End of the day, all we can cheer up is a valuable result – no matter how long the task took. The same goes for the cause of 500 internal, even after all methods if the error persists better to get support from the web hosting team.

As web hosting providers hold access to each server’s logs, their WordPress experts locate the root cause of the error and help you understand the issue and available methods to fix it. Moreover, if you ask them to re-install with a third-party theme/ plugin then will assist you with that too.

How to Avoid WordPress Internal Server Error 500?

There are several practices you can conduct to secure your WordPress website from status code 500 error on your site.

• Include browser caching as a regular practice, If you think the error may have occurred temporarily then you can try to visit the same website from a private window too.
• The core files are the most sensitive case on WordPress, so you better hand over your WordPress project to a trusted source that has a team of experts that is familiar with handling such programming files.
• Let the web hosting support team/ a dedicated developer do the WordPress setup for you so that today or ever in the future you won’t see the error 500 on your server.
• Pick WordPress themes and plugins from trusted sources such as Themeforest or Envato marketplace – and review the comments so that you can the previous experiences of users.

Conclusion

Finally, the error is gone! Hope you ended with those fine tunes. Throughout the blog, we covered each common to complex practice that can cause 500 internal error and also quick fixes for recovering your WordPress site. 

Don’t forget to check the .htaccess file at the very first; so that much of your time can be saved and gain access to your WordPress admin dashboard quickly. If you are facing some other common WordPress errors, you can find their solution within this guide.

If you are looking for an efficient WordPress development and maintenance solution, then we are all here to assist you. To get a request quote, get in touch with us today!