Fix HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

HTTP 500 error indicates a server-side problem. This guide covers solutions from both visitor and administrator perspectives.

For Website Visitors:

1. Refresh the Page

Server might be temporarily overloaded:

• Press F5 or Ctrl+R to refresh
• Wait 5 minutes and try again
• Try during off-peak hours

2. Clear Browser Data

1. Open browser settings
2. Find "Clear browsing data"
3. Select "All time" time range
4. Check all boxes and clear

3. Check Website Status

Use third-party tools:

• isitdownrightnow.com
• downforeveryoneorjustme.com
• Website's social media for updates

For Website Owners/Admins:

1. Check Server Error Logs

Location varies by server:

• Apache: /var/log/apache2/error.log
• Nginx: /var/log/nginx/error.log
• IIS: Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application

2. Check File Permissions

# Correct permissions for web files
find /var/www/html -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
find /var/www/html -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

3. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Edit php.ini:

memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 300
upload_max_filesize = 64M

4. Check .htaccess File

Temporarily rename to diagnose:

mv .htaccess .htaccess_backup

5. Database Issues

For WordPress/MySQL errors:

# Repair MySQL tables
mysqlcheck -u username -p --auto-repair --optimize databasename

Common Causes & Solutions

Debugging Steps

1. Enable WordPress debug mode (for WordPress sites)
2. Check PHP error logs
3. Test with default theme
4. Disable all plugins
5. Check server resource usage (CPU, RAM)

Prevention

• Regular server maintenance
• Update software regularly
• Implement error monitoring
• Use staging environment for changes
• Regular backups