How To Fix the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress

Category: Blog

What Is the 500 Internal Server Error?

Understanding the Error Code

The 500 Internal Server Error is a generic HTTP status code that indicates a problem on the web server preventing it from completing your request. Unlike other error codes that provide specific information (like 404 for “page not found”), the 500 error is vague and does not give much detail about the root cause. It simply means “something went wrong” on the server side, but the exact problem isn’t clear. This can make diagnosing the issue tricky.

When visiting a website that returns this error, the visitor usually sees a message such as “500 Internal Server Error” or just a blank white screen. This error affects the entire website or specific pages, causing them to become inaccessible until fixed.

Why It Happens in WordPress

WordPress is a complex content management system that relies on many components working together: PHP code, the database, plugins, themes, server configurations, and hosting environment. Any disruption or conflict among these can cause the 500 error.

Some common causes include:

  • Corrupted .htaccess File: The .htaccess file controls how URLs are handled on your server. If it contains incorrect rules or is corrupted, it can cause the server to throw a 500 error.

  • PHP Memory Exhaustion: WordPress and its plugins need a certain amount of PHP memory to operate. If your site runs out of allocated memory, it can crash with a 500 error.

  • Faulty Plugins or Themes: A poorly coded plugin or theme can cause conflicts or errors that result in the server failing to process requests.

  • Server Issues: Problems with the hosting server, such as misconfigured server settings, outdated PHP versions, or database connection failures, can also lead to this error.

  • File Permissions Errors: Incorrect permissions on WordPress files or folders can restrict the server’s ability to read or execute files, causing errors.

How to Identify the 500 Internal Server Error

Symptoms on Your Website

When your WordPress site experiences a 500 Internal Server Error, you will typically encounter the following:

  • Blank White Screen (White Screen of Death): Sometimes no message appears, just a white screen with no content.

  • Error Message Displayed: You might see messages like:

    • “500 Internal Server Error”

    • “HTTP 500 - Internal Server Error”

    • “The website cannot display the page due to an internal server error.”

    • “500 Error”

  • Error Occurs on Specific Actions or Pages: Sometimes the error only appears when you try to access certain pages, the admin dashboard, or perform specific actions like uploading media or activating plugins.

  • Site Completely Down: In severe cases, the entire website becomes inaccessible for all visitors.

Common Error Messages

The exact wording of the 500 error depends on your web server and hosting setup. Here are some common variants you might see:

  • Apache Server:
    “Internal Server Error” or “500 Internal Server Error”

  • Nginx Server:
    “500 Internal Server Error” with a simple error page

  • Custom Hosting Messages:
    Some hosts customize the error page, but the error code “500” will always be shown somewhere.

If you encounter these symptoms, it’s clear the server has a problem that needs troubleshooting.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Before diving into more complex troubleshooting, you can try some quick steps that often resolve temporary glitches.

Reload the Page

Sometimes the server experiences a momentary hiccup. Simply refreshing the browser page (pressing F5 or clicking reload) can resolve the issue if it was a temporary overload or timeout.

Clear Browser Cache

Browsers often cache error pages. Clearing your browser cache ensures you’re seeing the latest version of the site, not an old error saved in your browser. To clear cache:

  • On Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data > Cached images and files

  • On Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data

After clearing cache, reload your website to check if the error persists.

Check Server Status

If your site is hosted on a shared or managed server, the hosting provider might be experiencing outages or technical problems. Check their status page or social media channels for announcements. You can also contact their support to ask if there are any known server issues.

Troubleshooting Steps for WordPress

If quick fixes don’t work, it’s time to investigate the WordPress installation and server configuration in more detail.

Check .htaccess File for Errors

The .htaccess file is a hidden file in your WordPress root directory that controls permalink structure, redirects, and other server rules. If corrupted or misconfigured, it can cause 500 errors.

How to check and fix .htaccess:

  1. Connect to your website via FTP or file manager in your hosting control panel.

  2. Find the .htaccess file in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

  3. Rename it to something like .htaccess_backup to disable it temporarily.

  4. Visit your website. If the site loads without the error, the .htaccess was the problem.

  5. To generate a new .htaccess, log into your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks, and click Save Changes without altering anything. This will create a new .htaccess file with default rules.

Increase PHP Memory Limit

If your site runs out of PHP memory, it will stop executing scripts, causing errors.

How to increase PHP memory:

  1. Edit the wp-config.php file in your WordPress root folder.

  2. Add this line near the top, before the line that says “That’s all, stop editing”:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

  1. Save the file and check your site again.

If you don’t have access to wp-config.php or if this doesn’t work, contact your hosting provider to increase the PHP memory limit.

Deactivate All Plugins

Plugins are the most common cause of 500 errors in WordPress. One plugin may conflict with others or contain buggy code.

How to deactivate plugins without accessing WordPress admin:

  1. Connect via FTP or file manager.

  2. Navigate to wp-content folder.

  3. Rename the plugins folder to something like plugins_disabled. This disables all plugins.

  4. Check if your website loads. If yes, one of the plugins caused the issue.

  5. Rename the folder back to plugins, then deactivate plugins one by one from the admin dashboard to identify the problematic plugin.

Switch to Default WordPress Theme

Sometimes themes cause errors, especially if they are outdated or incompatible with WordPress or PHP versions.

How to switch themes without admin access:

  1. Via FTP, go to wp-content/themes.

  2. Rename the folder of your active theme.

  3. WordPress will revert to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Three if installed.

  4. Check if the site loads correctly. If yes, your theme was the cause.

If you have admin access, just go to Appearance > Themes and activate a default theme.

How to Enable Debugging Mode in WordPress

When your WordPress site shows a 500 Internal Server Error, enabling debugging mode can help you find the exact cause by showing detailed error messages.

Editing wp-config.php

The wp-config.php file controls important WordPress settings and sits in your website’s root folder. To enable debugging:

  1. Access your website files via FTP or your hosting control panel’s file manager.

  2. Find and open the wp-config.php file.

  3. Look for the line that says:

    define('WP_DEBUG', false);

  4. Change it to:

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

    This turns on debugging, saves errors to a log file, and hides errors from visitors (which is safer).

  5. Save the file and reload your site.

Viewing Error Logs

Once debugging is enabled, WordPress creates an error log file inside the wp-content folder called debug.log. To check it:

  • Use FTP or file manager to open wp-content/debug.log.

  • Read the logged errors to identify what is causing the 500 error.

  • Look for PHP errors, plugin conflicts, or theme issues.

Debugging mode is very useful but remember to turn it off (WP_DEBUG to false) once the problem is fixed to prevent exposing sensitive info.

Fixing File and Folder Permissions

Incorrect file and folder permissions can cause your server to deny access to essential WordPress files, resulting in a 500 error.

Correct Permission Settings for WordPress Files

Here are the recommended permissions for WordPress:

  • Files: 644 (Owner can read/write, others can read)

  • Folders: 755 (Owner can read/write/execute, others can read/execute)

  • wp-config.php: 440 or 400 for extra security (readable only by owner or server)

How to Change Permissions via FTP or cPanel

You can fix permissions easily:

  • FTP Clients (like FileZilla):

    1. Connect to your site.

    2. Right-click on files/folders and select “File Permissions” or “Permissions.”

    3. Enter the correct numeric value (e.g., 644 for files).

    4. Apply changes, optionally recurse into subfolders.

  • cPanel File Manager:

    1. Navigate to the file or folder.

    2. Select it and click “Permissions” or “Change Permissions.”

    3. Set the correct permission numbers.

    4. Save the changes.

Re-upload Core WordPress Files

Sometimes core WordPress files get corrupted or accidentally deleted, causing errors.

Downloading Fresh WordPress Files

  1. Visit wordpress.org and download the latest WordPress zip file.

  2. Extract the zip file on your computer.

Uploading via FTP

  1. Using FTP, open your WordPress installation folder on your server.

  2. Upload the extracted wp-admin and wp-includes folders, overwriting existing files.

  3. Also upload all files in the root WordPress folder except wp-config.php and the wp-content folder (which contains your themes, plugins, and uploads).

  4. This process replaces corrupted files without affecting your content.

Check for PHP Version Compatibility

Using an outdated or incompatible PHP version can cause server errors.

Recommended PHP Versions for WordPress in 2025

WordPress works best with PHP 8.0 or higher. Older versions like PHP 7.4 are still supported but nearing end-of-life. Using the latest stable PHP version improves security, speed, and compatibility.

How to Update PHP Version on Your Host

Most hosting providers allow you to change PHP versions via their control panel:

  • Log in to your hosting control panel (like cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard).

  • Find the “PHP Selector” or “PHP Version” option.

  • Choose PHP 8.0 or newer from the dropdown.

  • Save or apply changes.

  • Test your website to ensure everything works correctly.

If you don’t find this option, contact your hosting support and ask them to upgrade your PHP version.

Contacting Your Hosting Provider

If the error persists, your hosting provider may have additional tools and access to help.

What Information to Provide

When contacting support, provide clear details such as:

  • Your website URL

  • The exact error message you see (e.g., “500 Internal Server Error”)

  • When the error started happening

  • Any recent changes you made (plugin/theme updates, new installs)

  • Steps you’ve already tried (disabling plugins, checking .htaccess, etc.)

How They Can Help

Hosting support can:

  • Check server logs for deeper errors

  • Reset server configurations

  • Increase PHP limits or resources

  • Fix permission problems at the server level

  • Detect server-wide issues affecting your site

They may also offer temporary fixes or suggest migration if your current server environment is causing problems.

Preventing 500 Internal Server Errors in the Future

Once your website is back online, take these steps to avoid future errors.

Regular Updates and Maintenance

  • Always keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated to their latest versions.

  • Remove unused or outdated plugins/themes.

  • Test new plugins/themes in a staging environment before live installation.

Choosing Reliable Hosting

  • Pick hosting providers known for good WordPress support, stable servers, and security.

  • Avoid cheap shared hosting with poor resources.

  • Consider managed WordPress hosting if you want less technical hassle.

Using Error Monitoring Tools

  • Use monitoring plugins or services (e.g., New Relic, WP Health, or Jetpack) that alert you about site errors in real time.

  • Regularly review server error logs.

  • Perform backups frequently to recover quickly from errors.

How to Enable Debugging Mode in WordPress

When your WordPress website shows a 500 Internal Server Error, it usually means something in your site’s code or server configuration is broken but the exact cause is hidden. WordPress has a built-in debugging mode that helps uncover detailed error messages and pinpoint the root cause.

What Is Debugging Mode?

Debugging mode tells WordPress to display or log errors and warnings generated by PHP, plugins, or themes. This detailed information is essential to troubleshoot problems.

How to Enable Debugging Mode Step-by-Step

  1. Access your website files:
    Use an FTP client like FileZilla or your hosting control panel’s File Manager to connect to your website’s root directory (where WordPress is installed).

  2. Open the wp-config.php file:
    This critical file contains site configuration settings. Download and open it in a text editor (Notepad++ or VSCode work well).

  3. Locate the line that says:

    define('WP_DEBUG', false);

  4. Change it to enable debugging:
    Replace it with:

    define('WP_DEBUG', true); // Turns debugging ON define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); // Saves errors to debug.log file define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); // Hides errors from site visitors

  5. Save and upload:
    Save the changes and upload the updated file back to your server, overwriting the old one.

  6. Check the debug log:
    WordPress now writes error details into a file located at /wp-content/debug.log. Use FTP or File Manager to open this file and inspect errors. It will list PHP errors, warnings, and notices that help you find the faulty plugin, theme, or code.

Important: Turn Off Debugging After Fixing

Once you identify and fix the issue, change WP_DEBUG back to false. Leaving debugging on can expose sensitive info to visitors and slow your site.

Fixing File and Folder Permissions

File permissions tell the server who can read, write, or execute files and folders. If permissions are too restrictive or too open, the server may block access and cause errors like the 500 Internal Server Error.

Recommended Permissions for WordPress Files and Folders

Type Permission Code Description
Files 644 Owner can read/write; others read only
Folders 755 Owner can read/write/execute; others can read/execute
wp-config.php 440 or 400 Restricts read access to owner/server only

How to Check and Change Permissions Using FTP

  1. Connect to your website using an FTP client (FileZilla recommended).

  2. Navigate to your WordPress root folder.

  3. Right-click a file (like index.php) and select File permissions or Permissions.

  4. Set the value to 644 for files and click OK.

  5. Right-click a folder (like wp-content) and set permissions to 755.

  6. For critical files like wp-config.php, set permissions to 440 or 400 for extra security.

Using cPanel File Manager

  1. Login to your hosting cPanel and open File Manager.

  2. Navigate to your WordPress directory.

  3. Select a file or folder, then click Permissions or Change Permissions.

  4. Enter the appropriate numeric permissions (644 for files, 755 for folders).

  5. Save changes.

Why Correct Permissions Matter

  • Too permissive permissions (like 777) create security risks.

  • Too restrictive permissions block the server from reading essential files.

  • Proper permissions allow WordPress and the webserver to run smoothly without errors.

Re-upload Core WordPress Files

Corrupted or missing core WordPress files can cause 500 errors, especially if your site update was interrupted or a plugin/theme conflicted with core code.

Steps to Re-upload Core WordPress Files Safely

Download Fresh WordPress Files

  1. Visit the official WordPress website: wordpress.org/download.

  2. Download the latest stable WordPress zip file.

  3. Extract the contents on your local computer.

Upload Files via FTP

  1. Connect to your website using FTP.

  2. Locate your WordPress root folder on the server.

  3. Upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders from the fresh WordPress package, replacing the existing folders on your server.

  4. Upload all the files in the root folder except wp-config.php and the wp-content folder (to avoid overwriting your settings, themes, and plugins).

  5. If asked to overwrite files, confirm to replace old files with fresh ones.

Why This Helps

Re-uploading core files refreshes any corrupted or broken WordPress files without affecting your content, themes, or plugins. It’s a safe way to repair your installation.

Check for PHP Version Compatibility

Your WordPress site depends on PHP, the programming language that runs the backend. Using an outdated or incompatible PHP version can lead to server errors or slow performance.

Recommended PHP Versions for WordPress in 2025

  • The official recommendation is PHP 8.0 or higher.

  • PHP 7.4 is still supported but nearing end-of-life and less secure.

  • Using the latest stable PHP improves security, speed, and compatibility with themes/plugins.

How to Check Your Current PHP Version

  • Use a plugin like Display PHP Version or Site Health inside WordPress.

  • Or ask your hosting provider or check your hosting control panel.

How to Upgrade PHP Version

  1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel, Plesk).

  2. Find the PHP Selector or PHP Version Manager tool.

  3. Select PHP 8.0 or higher from the dropdown menu.

  4. Save or apply the changes.

  5. Test your website carefully after upgrading — some plugins or themes may need updates for compatibility.

If You Cannot Change PHP Yourself

Contact your hosting provider’s support team and request a PHP version upgrade. They can assist or do it for you.

Contacting Your Hosting Provider for Help

Sometimes, the cause of a 500 Internal Server Error is on the server side — such as misconfigurations, resource limits, or temporary issues. Your hosting provider’s support team can offer valuable help.

What Details to Provide When Contacting Support

When opening a support ticket or calling, be ready to give:

  • Your website URL where the error happens.

  • A clear description of the problem (mention it’s a 500 Internal Server Error).

  • When the issue started and any recent changes made.

  • What troubleshooting steps you already tried (like disabling plugins, changing .htaccess).

  • Any error messages or logs you found.

How Hosting Support Can Assist

  • Check server error logs to pinpoint the issue.

  • Look for resource usage spikes or crashes.

  • Fix file permission or configuration issues on the server.

  • Increase PHP memory limits or other server resources if needed.

  • Identify if your site is hitting limits on CPU, RAM, or I/O.

  • Help fix corrupted server files or restart services.

When to Consider Moving Hosts

If your current hosting provider cannot resolve the problem or if issues keep recurring, it might be time to consider switching to a more reliable WordPress-optimized host.

Preventing 500 Internal Server Errors in the Future

After resolving the immediate error, taking proactive steps will help you avoid similar issues going forward.

1. Regular Updates and Maintenance

  • Always keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated to the latest versions.

  • Remove unused or outdated plugins and themes — they can cause conflicts or security holes.

  • Use a staging site or local development to test major updates before applying them live.

2. Choose a Reliable Hosting Provider

  • Opt for hosting companies specialized in WordPress with strong uptime, performance, and support.

  • Avoid low-cost shared hosting with limited resources that can cause errors under load.

  • Consider managed WordPress hosting for automatic updates and server optimization.

3. Use Error Monitoring and Backup Tools

  • Install error monitoring plugins like Query Monitor or services like New Relic to get real-time alerts.

  • Set up regular backups with plugins like UpdraftPlus or hosting backups.

  • Maintain logs and audit reports to catch issues early.

4. Follow Best Practices in Development

  • Use well-coded, reputable plugins and themes from trusted sources only.

  • Avoid editing core WordPress files directly; use child themes or custom plugins instead.

  • Optimize your site to reduce server load and avoid hitting resource limits.

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