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Critical IssueServer Errors

500 Internal Server Error

The most common website crash causing a 500 internal server error. When you see this critical error, your server encountered an unexpected condition and couldn't complete the request. This 500 error fix guide covers WordPress 500 errors, PHP fatal errors, and all internal server error causes.

What You're Seeing

  • Blank white page with "500 Internal Server Error" message displayed
  • Entire website is down and inaccessible with website 500 error
  • Internal server error appears on all pages or specific pages only

Why This Happens

  • 1
    PHP fatal errors in WordPress code or plugins causing 500 errors
  • 2
    Corrupted .htaccess file triggering internal server error
  • 3
    PHP memory limit exceeded leading to 500 error
  • 4
    File permission issues causing server errors

How We Fix It

Our senior engineers follow this systematic approach to resolve the issue quickly and permanently.

Diagnosis: Check your server error logs to identify the exact cause of the 500 internal server error.

Common 500 Error Fixes:

  1. Disable all WordPress plugins via FTP (rename plugins folder). If this fixes the 500 error, you have a plugin conflict.
  2. Check .htaccess file for corruption causing the internal server error - rename it to .htaccess.old and test
  3. Increase PHP memory limit in wp-config.php to fix WordPress 500 errors caused by memory exhaustion
  4. Fix file permissions (folders: 755, files: 644) to resolve permission-based 500 errors
  5. Review recent code changes that triggered the server error

For WordPress 500 Errors Specifically: Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php to see the exact PHP error causing your internal server error. Most WordPress 500 errors are caused by plugin conflicts or exhausted memory limits.

Preventing This Issue

To prevent 500 internal server errors: enable error logging, maintain regular backups, always test plugin and theme updates in a staging environment before production, monitor server resource usage to catch memory issues early. Implement proper error handling in custom code to avoid fatal PHP errors that cause website 500 errors.

Related Guides

If you're experiencing this issue, you may also want to check these related problems:

  • Error Establishing Database Connection - The "error establishing database connection" message appears when your WordPress website can't connect to its database. This critical database connection error takes your entire site offline instantly. Understanding how to fix database connection errors in WordPress requires checking credentials, server status, and database health. This database error is one of the most common WordPress issues.
  • White Screen of Death - The WordPress white screen of death (WSOD) is a blank white page with no error message displayed. This WordPress blank page issue occurs when a PHP fatal error happens with error display disabled. The white screen of death WordPress problem can affect your entire site or just the admin area. Understanding how to fix white screen of death errors requires enabling debugging to identify the underlying PHP issue.
  • WordPress Memory Limit Exceeded - PHP running out of allocated memory, causing crashes or failed operations.

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