If you have been using the internet for a while, you might come across the HTTP 500 Internal Server Error. It is enough to panic the beginners in WordPress as any other problems. Before being tensed a lot, take a deep breath and listen to the solution. It is not that much of a big problem to deal with. It is a simple server error as 503 error and other kind of errors occurs frequently. To solve the problem, read the following paragraphs and follow the steps carefully as instructed.
What is Internal Server Error?
An internal server error is an error that the server returns when it cannot fulfill the request. Typically, this will return an error that says “Internal Server Error” followed by a description, as you can see below.
This is one of the most common ways most servers display the error. Some of them might also display it differently based on the type of server and internal configuration. As the error already suggests, more information regarding the error is usually logged into the server logs.
| Internal Server Error | Description |
|---|---|
| Definition | An HTTP status code (500) that indicates a server-side issue occurred while processing a request to the server |
| Common Causes | Software or code-related errors, database issues, server overload or resource limitations, file and directory permissions, and server configuration problems. |
| Error Message | “500 Internal Server Error” |
| Specific Details | Typically, the error message itself will not provide any specific details about the underlying issue unless configured otherwise. |
| Troubleshooting | The first step is to check the server error logs. It will provide specifics about the underlying issue. Then, review and correct the code / adjust server configurations / optimize resource allocation. If you are not a technical user, it is better to contact your hosting support or a professional developer. |
How Internal Server Error Occurs?
There are many ways to happen an Internal Server Error. A server overload may be the cause, A corrupted file may be the problem, A misconfiguration may be the problem, and many things may have a role in the error. Most probably, it is happening due to the theme or plugin problems which cause the server to overload and become unresponsive. So, we can take a look at the methods to fix the Internal server error.
Methods to Fix Internal Server Error in WordPress
Follow the methods given below to fix internal server error in WordPress
Increase PHP memory limit
Sometimes, WordPress may overuse the memory limit that has been allowed for it. Some poorly coded themes or plugins may cause memory-exhausting problems in WordPress. This may be causing the server overload in WordPress. You can typically fix this by increasing the WordPress and PHP memory limit on your server. To increase WordPress or PHP memory limit, you could either follow the steps given in the link or follow the steps given below.
- Create a blank text file namely php.ini
- Paste memory=64MB there.
- Save the file.
- Upload it into your /wp-admin/ folder using FTP.
Many of our users confirmed it as working and may help you too for fixing the internal server error in WordPress. If it didn’t help you, continue to other methods.
Check Corrupted .htaccess file
.htaccess is one of the most important files on your server. Any corruptions or misconfigurations in .htaccess may cause serious problems. So, fixing it may fix the Internal server error in WordPress. To troubleshoot the .htaccess problem, rename your .htaccess file to something else like .htaccess_old. Check if the problem is fixed or not. You can also check inside the file for errors by accessing the .htaccess. Be sure to save the permalink structure by going to Settings > Permalinks, and check again.
Deactivate and Re-Activate Plugins
Some plugins may cause server overload resulting in the internal server error in WordPress. Disabling them and again enabling them may help you find out the conflicting plugins and remove them. First of all, disable all plugins in bulk and check if the problem is fixed or not. If the problem is fixed, re-activate the plugins one by one and find out the problem by checking the website after the activation of each plugin.
Re-install / Re-upload core files
WordPress core files are very much important to make your WordPress and website work normally. Any errors or corruptions to the core files may cause an internal server error in WordPress. To fix the problem, upload a fresh copy of the WordPress installation files (wp-admin and wp-includes folder in fresh WordPress install) by replacing the old files. This will not affect your data or other user files. It will only replace the core WordPress files to run it smoothly.
We hope any of the above methods helped you to fix the internal server error in WordPress. If so, don’t forget to thank us through your comments. We are always happy to see your finger marks there.