Any problem on your WordPress website causes enormous issues for you. Sadly, the 500 Internal Server Error is no exception. In fact, due to its ambiguity, the internal server error may be one of the most irritating errors.

It provides no additional information regarding the mistake, making it nearly impossible to fix without a significant amount of time, patience, and, of course, troubleshooting.

As the 500 internal server error causes a lot of downtime for your site, you can find yourself ripping out your hair as your reputation suffers and you lose business.

What is HTTP 500 Internal Server Error?

The HTTP 500 internal server error indicates that your web server is having issues, but it cannot identify the precise error or its causes. When this happens, your website’s users will be directed to a general internal server error page.

The following are some possible causes:

• htaccess file is corrupted or broken.
• An issue with permissions
• Third-party plugins or themes that aren’t up to standard
• PHP’s memory limit has been reached.

Fixing the HTTP 500 Internal Server Error if you are loading any such page.

Fix 1: Refreshing the page or reconnecting the internet.

This may sound simple, but if the problem is a transient loading issue, refreshing the page may help. Furthermore, alternatively, you can also try to troubleshoot by reconnecting the internet connection. After both these trials, try reconnecting the webpage and see what the output is. This must be done before trying any other measure.

If the webpage is still showing the HTTP 500 error, try the other measures available.

Fix 2: Deleting cache and cookies from the browser.

Try deleting the cookies, cache, and history from your browser. If the cookies or any data are linked to an error-prone webpage, removing them may help the page refresh. Here is how you can do the same:

Step 1: Click on three dots from the browser’s top right corner, click on “Settings,” and then move to the “Privacy and Security” section.

Step 2: Click on “Clear Browsing Data” and then tick on all three checkboxes.

Step 3: Click on the “Clear Data” button.

Try to reload the website again and check if the error persists.

Fix 3: Check out whether the website is down for everyone or is it just you.

Next, you must check the website’s status by visiting our online ‘is it down’ tool. Type the Website URL and then click on “check” to check if the website is down for everyone or is it only for you. If the page is down for all, you must wait for some time for it to be fixed from the server side or by its developers.

Fixing the HTTP 500 Internal Server Error When it is Occurring on Your Website

Fix 1: Deactivating a plugin or theme.

Newly installed plugins or themes may cause conflicts with existing plugins or themes. Deactivate each one separately to pinpoint the plugins or themes that are generating the internal server issue.

If you’ve recently upgraded your software, your existing plugins or themes may not be compatible with the new version. The best way to uncover the core cause of your problem is to deactivate plugins or themes one at a time until the error goes away.

Fix 2: Checking .htaccess file.

When you install plugins or themes or make other changes to your WordPress website, your .htaccess file may become corrupted, resulting in an internal server error. Fortunately, using your FTP client, you can quickly resolve the issue.

To begin,

Step 1: Locate the .htaccess file and right-click it

Step 2: Pick View/Edit and rename it to .htaccess old. Just make sure you include the “.htaccess” element in whatever name you give the file, so you don’t end up with another issue on your site. Examine your website to determine if the internal server problem has disappeared. If that’s the case, you’ve discovered the issue.

Step 3: Go to Settings > Permalinks in the backend of your website and hit Save Changes.

This will re-generate your .htaccess file, ensuring that your site is up and functioning and free of the internal server issue.

Fix 3: Increasing the PHP memory limit.

If your website uses too much PHP memory (as determined by WordPress and your web host), you may need to raise it to avoid receiving a 500 internal server error. To increase your website’s PHP memory limit,

Step 1: Launch your FTP client and look for the wp-config.php file. Right-click it, pick View/Edit, and then select the default editor, which might be Notepad.

Step 2: Add this piece of code: Define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘64’);

Step 3: Save the file to your computer, locate it in your FTP client’s left-hand pane, right-click it, and select Upload. Ensure that the original file is overwritten.

Check what happens if you refresh your FTP client and your website. If the error has vanished, you’ve worked out that PHP memory exhaustion is a problem.

Fix 4: Contacting your web host.

If you’ve exhausted all of the troubleshooting options and your 500 internal server problem persists, it’s time to contact your hosting provider. If your web host has a qualified (and available) support team, they should be able to assist you in identifying and resolving the problem.

This is one of the many reasons why selecting a high-quality managed WordPress web host is crucial. If you want to minimize downtime and recoup any missed revenue, you’ll need WordPress specialists on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Conclusion

Internal server 500 issues are inconvenient, but as you now have a few more options for troubleshooting them, you can get your site back up and running quickly. Third-party plugins, fatal PHP errors, database connection issues, problems with your .htaccess file or PHP memory restrictions, and sometimes PHP timeouts are the most common causes of these types of errors. Still, you can now resolve any of them after following the provided steps.