{"id":1556,"date":"2021-05-20T08:45:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T05:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1556"},"modified":"2025-11-27T14:33:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T12:33:56","slug":"what-is-http-error-500-internal-server-error-and-how-to-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/what-is-http-error-500-internal-server-error-and-how-to-fix-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix HTTP 500 Internal Server Error Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>HTTP error codes provide information about the status of an online request to a server<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014if it was successful or not, and what the error is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes these error messages aren\u2019t always clear, as is the case with<\/span><b> a 500 server error. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While this 500 internal server error generally indicates a problem with the server, it could have more than one cause.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will discuss 500 internal server errors in detail\u2014<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what causes them and how you can fix them. Let\u2019s begin.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is an HTTP Error 500?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 500 internal server error is a catch-all message for errors when the server cannot fulfill a request. This means the HTTP error 500 can show up on any website hosted on any server.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Many variations of the HTTP error 500 exists,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but without a specific reason for it. You may also see 500 error status codes alongside different numbers (though this depends on if you use a Windows server).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are some examples:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>HTTP 500<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>500 Internal Server Error<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>500.100: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internal ASP error.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>500.21:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Module not recognized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>500.23:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An ASP.NET HTTP handlers configuration does not apply in Managed Pipeline mode.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>500.53: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A rewrite error occurred during RQ_RELEASE_REQUEST_STATE notification handling. An outbound rule execution error occurred. The rule is configured to be executed before the output user cache gets updated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, you might see a blank screen instead of a 500 error. This happens with browsers like Safari and Firefox. And if you\u2019re trying to access a bigger brand\u2019s website, you might even see a custom Error 500 message.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Causes an Internal Server Error?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike <\/span><b>400 error codes that indicate a problem from the client\u2019s side, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an internal server error message shows an error rooted in the server\u2019s configuration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the case of WordPress sites, it could be that a plugin or a theme that has malfunctioned. It might also be that your server has reached its PHP memory limit, or there is a corrupted .htaccess file.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the case, if the internal server error stays on for too long, <\/span><b>say five hours or more, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google might flag this as a site-level issue, and this might affect your SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>These are some reasons why you might be experiencing an internal server error.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Permissions error:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This means the primary files and folders&#8217; permissions are incorrectly set.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Incorrect .htaccess code:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This points to a .htaccess file&#8217;s configuration that may be incorrect.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PHP timeout:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Here, the script attempts to access an external resource and encounters a timeout.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PHP Memory limit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This happens when a process consumes so much memory and cannot be completed correctly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Syntax or code errors in CGI\/Perl scripts: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scripts may be inaccurate in some situations. Paths, in particular, may become misaligned.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you use a content management system<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you may get an internal server error if you install a defective or incompatible extension. Keep this in mind when installing plugins and themes from third-party providers, as it can break the entire website.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Ways to Troubleshoot the 500 Internal Server Error?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where should you start fixing a 500 internal server error, and how do you fix it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a webmaster who has been<\/span><b> receiving 500 Internal Server Error messages<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you can try to fix the problem by looking at your website\u2019s configuration. The first thing to do is check the server logs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most servers have a log file that records any errors that occur. If you see an error in the log file that matches the one that you see on your website, then you&#8217;ll know what the problem is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a simple configuration error could cause a 500 message.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if Apache is the web server you are using, you can try to find out if there is a problem with your .htaccess file. <\/span><b>If you have a .htaccess file and Apache cannot find it<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, then you might get a 500 Internal Server Error.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Reload the Page<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you experience an internal server error as a website visitor, there&#8217;s not much you can do. The website you\u2019re trying to access is hosted on a web server that has been configured incorrectly or simply overloaded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This means your computer&#8217;s or network connection&#8217;s settings are okay<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As a result, reloading the page later is the simplest option for you as an internet user.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also use an HTTP status checker tool as an alternative. This website\u2014www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com will inform you if the site is down globally, or if it\u2019s just on your end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1557\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image1-12.png\" alt=\"Fix HTTP 500 Internal Server Error Fast, Reload the Page\" width=\"870\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image1-12.png 870w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image1-12-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image1-12-768x197.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 361px) 660px, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 910px, 1140px\" \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tool examines the HTTP status code returned by the server to determine if everything is okay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Clear your Browser\u2019s Cache\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the internal server error message still shows after refreshing the tab, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/how-to-clear-the-local-dns-cache-in-window-7-8-and-10\/\"><b>clear your browser&#8217;s cache<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The browser may not directly reload the website but rely on its internal memory instead. Then, try to access the website once more after clearing the cache.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it persists, you might have to wait for the website operator to fix it from their end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Check Server Logs<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like we said earlier, if you\u2019re a webmaster, checking your server logs should be the first thing to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>You can find the list of error messages for Linux servers at:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0\/var\/log\/httpd\/error log.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To replicate the HTTP error 500 code and see how the log file is made, we recommend reloading your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will assist you in quickly identifying the source of the mistake. Take into account any modifications that you made recently. Incompatible plugins or incorrect codes often cause internal server error messages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check the .htaccess file as well: even a minor syntax error will result in an internal server error.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The incorrect formatting of the .htaccess file<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also a standard error, not in Unicode but ASCII or ANSI format. Make sure you edit the .htaccess file with a text editor like Notepad, Notepad++, or Sublime Text.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can easily check whether the problem is with the .htaccess file. Simply rename the original one (to something like <em>.htaccess1)<\/em> and try to reload the website. If the problem is with the original file, Apache will create a new one and will work as expected. You can then proceed to make the necessary edits to the .htaccess file to make sure it fits your website&#8217;s requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a WordPress, you can enable its debugging mode by adding this code below to the wp-config.php file.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>define( &#8216;WP_DEBUG&#8217;, true )<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>define( &#8216;WP_DEBUG_LOG&#8217;, true )<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>define( &#8216;WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY&#8217;, false )<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>You may also look at the log files for Apache and Nginx, which are usually found here:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>\/var\/log\/apache2\/error.log (Apache)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>\/var\/log\/nginx\/error.log (Nginx)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should enable PHP error reporting if a fatal PHP error causes the 500 error message. Add the code below to the file that is causing the error. In most cases, you can narrow down the file in Google Chrome DevTools&#8217; console tab.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>ini_set(&#8216;display_errors&#8217;, 1)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>ini_set(&#8216;display_startup_errors&#8217;, 1)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>error_reporting(E_ALL)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>You can also modify the php.ini file with this code:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>display_errors = on<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fix PHP Memory Limit<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The memory limit specifies the maximum amount of memory that a process can use. If more RAM is required than is usable, an internal server error can occur. As a workaround, you can temporarily raise the cap. To do so, add the following command to your php.ini file:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>memory_limit = 512M<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This fix is only a temporary one. If this occurs often, you should consider getting a more powerful hosting package.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Server Timeout<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>If your PHP scripts access resources from external servers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, then an internal server error can occur. It isn&#8217;t your web server error in this case, but rather a broken external link.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, not making your site reliant on external resources is one way to avoid the cause of this error. If this isn&#8217;t feasible<\/span><b>, you should extend your script&#8217;s time limit.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It&#8217;s also a good idea to incorporate efficient error handling so that the system can detect PHP script errors precisely.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>In Summary<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no one reason for an internal server error.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It could be anything from an overloaded website to a broken external link. If you\u2019re on the user side, you can always contact the webmaster if their site has been down for too long.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you run your website on our servers, you should <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/contact-us.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us via email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to look into it.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HTTP error codes provide information about the status of an online request to a server\u2014if it was successful or not, and what the error is. Sometimes these error messages aren\u2019t always clear, as is the case with a 500 server error. While this 500 internal server error generally indicates a problem with the server, it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Fix HTTP 500 Internal Server Error Fast | ScalaHosting KB","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-hosting"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1556"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5892,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1556\/revisions\/5892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}