TechMe

Website shows "500 Internal Server Error"

Your site shows "500 Internal Server Error" or "HTTP ERROR 500". What the error means, the usual causes on shared hosting, and the safe first checks.

You might be seeing

  • 500 Internal Server Error
  • HTTP ERROR 500
  • This page isn't working. example.com is currently unable to handle this request.

What it means

The server that hosts your site received the request but crashed while preparing the page. “500” is a general “something went wrong on the server” code. It does not say what went wrong, which is why it is frustrating. The real reason is written in the server’s error log.

What usually causes it

  • A broken configuration file, most often .htaccess on Apache hosting, after a plugin or a manual edit changed it.
  • A crashing plugin, theme or script, especially right after an update.
  • A PHP version change by your host that old code does not support.
  • Wrong file permissions after uploading files or restoring a backup.
  • Resource limits such as memory or execution time on busy pages.

What you can check yourself

  1. Is it the whole site or one page? If only one page fails (for example checkout), note which one. That narrows it down a lot.
  2. Try another browser or your phone on mobile data. If it works there, it may be a caching issue rather than a server crash.
  3. Look for the error log in your hosting panel (often called “Error log”, “Logs” or “PHP errors”). Copy the last few lines that match the time you saw the error.
  4. Remember recent changes: updates, new plugins, a hosting plan change, or anyone editing files.

When to ask for help

  • The error log is empty or you cannot find it.
  • The error appeared after your host changed something.
  • It happens only sometimes, for example under load or on one form.

Paste the last lines of the error log if you have them. If not, the address of the failing page and the time it happened are enough to start.

Updated