How to Fix WordPress 500 Internal Server Error (9 Guaranteed Solutions)

Key Takeaways

• The 500 error is a generic server-side problem, so fixes require you to work directly on your server’s files, not in the WordPress dashboard.
• To troubleshoot, you must perform fixes and diagnostics at the file level using an FTP client since your site will be completely inaccessible.
• Enabling debug logs via FTP is the fastest way to find the exact details you need to find the root cause.

Let me guess, you’re here because you’re going crazy trying to fix the WordPress 500 internal server error.

Among all the common WordPress errors, the 500 internal server error may appear out of nowhere, blocking access to your website for everyone, even for you when you try to log in to your admin dashboard.

Just like every website on the internet, WordPress sites are also vulnerable to issues with hosting servers, PHP configuration, or conflicting plugins.
But don’t worry!

This guide provides easy fixes for website owners who want to know how to fix 500 internal server error WordPress quickly and safely.
Let’s get started…

What Is the WordPress 500 Internal Server Error?

The 500 Internal Server Error is a generic HTTP status code that indicates something went wrong on the server response side but it doesn’t specify what exactly caused the issue. Unlike a “404 Not Found” error, which points to a missing page, the 500 error simply signals that your hosting server encountered a problem it couldn’t handle.

In practice, this means your WordPress site goes temporarily offline for all visitors, including you when trying to log into the admin dashboard.
Common causes include:

• Misconfigured server settings
• Conflicts between WordPress plugins or themes
• Exhausted server resources (memory or CPU limits)

Not only does this error frustrate users, but it can also hurt your SEO rankings if left unresolved. That’s why every site owner should know what does 500 internal server error mean in WordPress and how to address it.

Here’s how the error might appear:

• On Chrome: a generic “500 Internal Server Error” message.

• On WordPress dashboard: a modern “critical error” page, thanks to WordPress’s fatal error protection, which replaces the generic message with a more descriptive one.

This critical error page you see above is WordPress’s modern interface for the 500 Internal Server Error. While the server still sends a 500 HTTP status code to your browser, WordPress’s fatal error protection feature overrides the generic error message to provide a more descriptive screen instead.

Variations of the 500 Internal Server Error

Depending on your browser, server, or even the WordPress dashboard, you may see the 500 error displayed in slightly different ways. These are just HTTP error variations of the same underlying issue:

• 500 Internal Server Error
• HTTP 500 – Internal Server Error
• 500 Error
• HTTP Error 500
• “Sorry, something went wrong.”
• “500. That’s an error. Please try again later.”
• “The website cannot display the page – HTTP 500”
• “Currently unable to handle this request. HTTP ERROR 500”

While the wording may differ, these are simply different forms of WordPress 500 internal server error.

🔎 Other 5xx errors exist (e.g., 501, 502, 503), but they point to separate issues with the server.

What Are the Common Causes of the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress?

Understanding what causes 500 internal server error can save you time when troubleshooting. The error usually stems from a misconfiguration or conflict between your WordPress site, PHP, plugins, themes, or hosting environment. Common reasons include:

Cause	Description	Quick Fix
Corrupt .htaccess file	A broken .htaccess can disrupt how the server processes requests.	Rename/delete .htaccess and regenerate via WordPress permalinks.
Plugin conflicts	Incompatible or poorly coded plugins can crash your site.	Disable all plugins → reactivate one by one.
Theme issues	Outdated or faulty themes may break compatibility.	Switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
PHP memory limit exceeded	Heavy plugins or traffic overload the allowed memory.	Increase PHP memory limit in wp-config.php or via hosting panel.
Server misconfiguration	Problems with your hosting setup or server logs errors.	Contact your hosting support to check logs and resolve config issues.

Above are the most common triggers when it comes to what causes HTTP 500 internal server error in WordPress.

See Performance Optimization Applied Live

On Mar 10–11, 20+ experts walk through real WordPress sites and explain each optimization decision as they make it.

Free & Live Performance Bootcamp on Mar 10-11.

View Sessions

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error on Your WordPress Site?

The WordPress 500 internal server error can happen for multiple reasons, so it requires a structured troubleshooting approach. Follow the steps below in order for the best chance of a quick fix.

But before we begin, backup your site.

Quick Fix Checklist

1. Refresh the page
2. Backup WordPress site (UpdraftPlus / Cloudways SafeUpdates)
3. Disable all plugins and re-enable one by one
4. Check error logs via cPanel, File Manager, or hosting panel
5. Increase PHP memory in wp-config.php
6. Regenerate the .htaccess file
7. Clear WordPress cache

1. Refresh Your Page

Sometimes, even reloading the page can knock the internal server error away, so why not try the simplest solution first?

A server can get overloaded and go down for some time, and the issue is often fixed with a mere refresh. So, start with a page refresh in your quest to fix the 500 error.

Think of this as a WordPress 500 error temporary fix and if it doesn’t help, continue with the next steps.

2. Backup Your WordPress Site

Backing up your WordPress site is super important. Even if you have implemented extensive security precautions, like using a secure hosting service or regularly updating WordPress core and plugins, your website data could still be compromised.

Whether you use WordPress backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, Duplicator, or All-in-One WP Migration, or manually, the goal is the same: always backup WordPress site before fixing 500 error to stay safe.

With Cloudways’ WordPress hosting, it’s easy to maintain regular backups. We offer automated and on-demand server-level backups.

On-demand server level backup

Automated server level backup

And for application-level backups, we provide a one-click, on-demand backup option as well.

3. Clear the Browser Cache (If the Error is Only for You)

If you’ve confirmed that your website is down only for you (and not for everyone else), the issue might be with your browser’s cached files. These files can sometimes get corrupted, preventing you from accessing the site correctly.

This method works best if you need to clear browser cache for WordPress 500 error that only appears on your own device.

Here’s how to clear your cache:

• The method to clear cache and cookies is different for each browser. You can typically find this option in your browser’s settings or history menu.
• For Chrome users, the shortcut key combination of Ctrl+Shift+Delete will open the “Clear Browse data” menu directly.

• After clearing your browser data, reload the page to check if the problem is gone.

If the error is still there, you can be sure it’s a server-side issue.

4. Check Your .htaccess File

A .htaccess file is a key file in all PHP-based applications that controls your website’s configuration (Note that this file is not used on servers running Nginx).

If your .htaccess file is corrupted, it can lead to a 500 internal server error. This file is usually affected by a module or a broken theme installation.

If you suspect this, follow these steps to fix 500 internal server error htaccess WordPress:

• If you are a Cloudways user, log in to the Cloudways platform.
• Click servers and select your server.
• Copy your Master Credentials from Server Management, and paste them into the FTP client.

• Click Quickconnect.
• Click applications > public_html
• You’ll see a file named .htaccess in the root directory.

• Now that you have located your .htaccess file, you can download it from the live server to a local location on your PC.
• Open this file in any text editor like Sublime Text 3, Notepad++, Dreamweaver, etc.
• Go to .htaccess on WordPress.org.
• Copy and paste the version of the code that fits best for your website
• Save the .htaccess file and upload it to your web server.

The code differs for different WordPress configurations and installations. If you have used WordPress Multisite in WordPress 3.5 or later, then you need to use the following code:

# BEGIN WordPress Multisite

# Using subfolder network type: https://wordpress.org/support/article/htaccess/#multisite

RewriteEngine On

RewriteBase /

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

# add a trailing slash to /wp-admin

RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?wp-admin$ $1wp-admin/ [R=301,L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d

RewriteRule ^ - [L]

RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) $2 [L]

RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(.*\.php)$ $2 [L]

RewriteRule . index.php [L]

# END WordPress Multisite

• Reload your site to see if the 500 Internal Server Error is fixed or not. If not, move to the next step.

5. Conduct a Plugin Audit

Outdated or faulty plugins are a very common cause of the 500 Internal Server Error. They can create conflicts that bring your site down completely. While we offer addons like SafeUpdates to automate plugin maintenance with our managed hosting, you may need to perform a manual audit if an error has already occurred.

This helps you confirm whether the 500 internal server error was caused by a plugin. If so, re-enable them one by one to find the culprit.

Since the error prevents you from accessing your WordPress dashboard, you’ll need to conduct the audit at the server level.

Deactivating All Plugins via FTP

This is the fastest way to check if a plugin is the source of the problem. If you want to learn more ways to deactivate your plugin, you can check out our separate detailed guide for that.

• Use an FTP client like FileZilla or your hosting provider’s File Manager to access your website’s files.

• Navigate to the wp-content folder in your site’s root directory.

• Find the plugins folder and simply rename it to something else, like disabled_plugins.

• Now, try to refresh your website. If your site loads normally (with all plugins deactivated), you have found the culprit. The error was being caused by one of your plugins.

• Now, rename the folder back to its original name, plugins. This will cause the 500 error to reappear. Stay in the plugins folder and begin renaming the individual plugin folders inside it one by one.

• The moment you rename a plugin’s folder and then refresh your website, and the 500 error disappears, you have found the problematic plugin. That last plugin you renamed is the source of the problem.

• You can now delete or replace that specific plugin and rename all the other folders back to their original names.

If you still get the error even after checking all your plugins, move on to the next step.

6. Perform a Theme Audit

Sometimes a WordPress theme can lead to a 500 internal server error, even if you are using the best WordPress themes. The quickest way to check if your theme is the problem is to activate a default WordPress theme.

If the error disappears, you know the issue was a WordPress theme causing 500 error, and you can reinstall or replace it.

How to Switch Themes via FTP

Since the 500 error prevents you from accessing your dashboard, you must switch themes using an FTP client or your hosting provider’s file manager.

• Use an FTP client to access your site’s files.

• Navigate to the wp-content folder.

• Go into the themes folder. Inside, you’ll see a folder for each of your installed themes.

• Rename your active theme’s folder to something else, like yourtheme_old. This will deactivate it, and WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).

• Refresh your WordPress site to see if the error is gone.

If the error is gone, it means your theme was the cause. You can then delete the faulty theme or reinstall a fresh copy. If the error is still present, your theme is likely not the issue, so you can move on to the next solution.

7. Increase PHP Memory Limit

When your WordPress site exceeds its allocated PHP memory limit, it can result in a 500 Internal Server Error. This often happens with resource-intensive plugins or themes. While your hosting provider sets this limit, you can safely increase it within your WordPress configuration files.

The most common and recommended way to increase the PHP memory limit is by editing your wp-config.php file.

Tweak the wp-config.php File (Advanced)

• Log in to your FTP client.

• Go to your site’s root directory and download the wp-config.php file.

• Open the file in a text editor.

• Add the following code just above the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */:

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

• The number you can set for WP_MEMORY_LIMIT is dependent on your hosting plan and the server-side configuration.

• You can increase the value to 512M or even 1024M, but this will not work if your hosting provider has set a lower hard limit in their PHP configuration. The WP_MEMORY_LIMIT setting in WordPress can only increase memory up to, but not beyond, the maximum value your server allows.

• Save the file and upload it back to your server, overwriting the old file.

Reload your site to see if the 500 Internal Server Error is fixed. If not, head over to the next method.

Cloudways users can access and edit the wp-config.php file directly from the SSH terminal.

• From your Cloudways dashboard, go to Server Management and find your Master Credentials to launch the SSH terminal.

• Use the cd command to enter your public_html folder.

• Use a command-line text editor like nano to open the file with the command nano wp-config.php.

• Add “define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ );” above the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */:

• Press Ctrl+O to save your changes, then Enter to confirm, and finally Ctrl+X to exit the editor.

• Check your WordPress site to ensure the changes were successful and the error is gone.

Or if you want an even easier solution, without tweaking the wp-config.php via FTP or SSH, Cloudways users can increase the PHP memory limit directly from the platform by heading to Settings & Packages > Memory Limit.

This is the go-to method when dealing with a WordPress 500 error increase PHP memory scenario.

8. Enable Debug Logs in WordPress

When a 500 error occurs, enabling WordPress’s built-in debugging feature can provide the exact error message that caused the site to go down. This is the fastest way to find the source of the problem.

By default, WordPress doesn’t display or log PHP errors because debugging is disabled. To enable error logging, you can manually define debugging constants in the wp-config.php file.

⚠️ Warning: Do not leave debugging enabled on a live site for an extended period, as it can expose sensitive information.

How to Manually Enable Debugging

• Use an FTP client or File Manager to access your site’s files.

• Locate the wp-config.php file in your root directory and open it for editing.

• Find the following line and change the value to true:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

• Change it to:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

• Add the following code directly below that line to enable logging to a file:

define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

• Save the file and upload it back to your server.

Accessing the Debug Logs

After refreshing your website, you should still see the error, but WordPress will now be logging the details.

To access the debug logs, use your FTP client to go to the wp-content folder.

You will find a file named debug.log. You can open this file in a text editor to view a list of all errors and warnings that are occurring on your website.

This way, you’ll be able to identify exactly what’s causing the 500 internal server error. Check out our detailed guide on WordPress logs to get a better understanding of how to analyze and debug WordPress error logs.

Note: The debug.log file will only appear after a PHP error has occurred. If you’re not seeing it, here are a few things to check:

The Error Isn’t a PHP Error

The 500 error can be caused by problems that aren’t related to PHP code, such as a corrupt .htaccess file or incorrect server permissions. If that’s the case, no PHP error will be logged.

Incorrect Folder Permissions

Your wp-content folder may not have the necessary permissions for WordPress to create a log file inside it. Check the permissions of the wp-content folder and ensure they are set to 755 (or 775 on some servers) so that WordPress can write to it.

You Haven’t Triggered an Error

The log file is created only when a PHP error is triggered. After adding the code to wp-config.php, you must visit your website’s URL in a browser to make the error happen and have it logged.

9. Replace Core WordPress Files

A typical WordPress website consists of third-party themes and plugins, and auditing its source code is not easy.

If none of the above solutions work, you can try this as a last resort. Since this involves making significant changes to your website’s files, the best practice is to back up your website first.

The goal is to replace your core WordPress files to fix 500 error with new ones without affecting your themes, plugins, or media.

• Download a fresh copy of WordPress: Head over to the WordPress.org website, and download the latest version as a .zip file.

• Extract the file: Unzip the downloaded file on your computer.

• Connect via FTP: Use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your WordPress website’s server.

• Replace the core folders: In the extracted WordPress folder, you will see three main folders: wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes. Select only the wp-admin and wp-includes folders and upload them to your website’s root directory via your FTP client.

• Overwrite the files: When prompted by the FTP client, confirm that you want to overwrite the existing files. Do not replace the wp-content folder.

Verify the fix: Once the process finishes, all your older WordPress core files will have been replaced by new ones. In case any of your WordPress core files were causing the 500 error, this process will fix the error.

10. Contact Your Hosting Provider

When the issue is server-side, it’s time to get expert help. Your host can check server logs, configurations, and resource limits.

Contact your WordPress hosting provider for WordPress 500 error if the problem persists even after trying the abovementioned solutions. You can place a request to the technical experts, who can resolve your issue by going over your server settings.

If you are a Cloudways user, then the process is quite easy. Contact our 24/7 support team, and get instant guidance on resolving any issues, be it the WordPress 500 internal server error.

Prevent 500 Errors With Cloudways

Cloudways automatically handles server configurations, PHP updates, and security patches to keep your site running smoothly.

Try Free!

Clear Your WordPress Cache (After the Fix)

After you’ve fixed the underlying cause of the 500 Internal Server Error, your site should be back online. However, it’s possible that your WordPress cache is still serving an outdated version of your site, which can make it seem like the error is still present. Use caching plugins like Breeze or clear your CDN cache.

Doing this ensures that visitors don’t see a broken page and is the final step to clear WordPress cache after fixing 500 error.

There are multiple methods for clearing your WordPress cache. Here’s how to do it if you’re

using the Breeze WordPress Cache Plugin:

• Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.

• Install and activate the Breeze plugin.

• Navigate to the Breeze plugin’s Settings section.

• In the Settings section, select the desired options by marking them.

• With the cache cleared, your visitors will see the restored, working version of your site. If you need other methods for clearing your WordPress cache, you can refer to our detailed guide on how to clear WordPress cache.

Wrapping Up!

There you have it—a complete guide to troubleshooting and fixing the dreaded WordPress 500 Internal Server Error.

This error may be generic and frustrating, but by following the steps covered in this guide, you can systematically debug the error. Remember to start with the simplest solutions first, like checking your .htaccess file, and then move on to more advanced fixes like enabling debug logs.

If you’ve tried everything and the error persists, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider. They can dig into your server logs and help you resolve the error.

Or consider switching to Cloudways that helps you avoid these errors in the first place. We offer automated backups, scalable resources, and expert support to ensure you have everything you need to keep your WordPress site running smoothly and free of irritating errors.