{"id":15722,"date":"2026-06-15T19:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T19:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:20:12","slug":"how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#How_to_Fix_a_500_Internal_Server_Error_on_Your_Hosting\" >How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#What_Is_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\" >What Is a 500 Internal Server Error?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Common_Causes_of_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\" >Common Causes of a 500 Internal Server Error<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Corrupted_or_Incorrect_htaccess_File\" >Corrupted or Incorrect .htaccess File<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#PHP_Memory_Limit_Exhausted\" >PHP Memory Limit Exhausted<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Incorrect_File_Permissions\" >Incorrect File Permissions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Faulty_Plugins_or_Themes\" >Faulty Plugins or Themes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Timeout_Issues\" >Timeout Issues<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#How_to_Fix_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\" >How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_1_Check_the_Error_Logs\" >Step 1: Check the Error Logs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_2_Rename_or_Reset_Your_htaccess_File\" >Step 2: Rename or Reset Your .htaccess File<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_3_Increase_the_PHP_Memory_Limit\" >Step 3: Increase the PHP Memory Limit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_4_Fix_File_and_Folder_Permissions\" >Step 4: Fix File and Folder Permissions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_5_Deactivate_Plugins_and_Themes\" >Step 5: Deactivate Plugins and Themes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_6_Re-upload_Core_Files\" >Step 6: Re-upload Core Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Step_7_Contact_Your_Hosting_Provider\" >Step 7: Contact Your Hosting Provider<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Preventing_500_Internal_Server_Errors_in_the_Future\" >Preventing 500 Internal Server Errors in the Future<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-a-500-internal-server-error-on-your-hosting\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><html><br \/>\n<head><br \/>\n<title>How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting<\/title><br \/>\n<\/head><br \/>\n<body><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Fix_a_500_Internal_Server_Error_on_Your_Hosting\"><\/span>How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>If you have ever visited a website only to be greeted by a blank page or a cryptic message saying something went wrong, there is a good chance you encountered a <strong>500 internal server error<\/strong>. This is one of the most common and frustrating issues that website owners and developers face. The good news is that, in most cases, it can be fixed without needing to contact your hosting provider \u2014 if you know where to look.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, we will walk you through exactly what a 500 internal server error is, what causes it, and the step-by-step methods you can use to resolve it on your hosting account.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\"><\/span>What Is a 500 Internal Server Error?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A 500 internal server error is an HTTP status code that indicates something has gone wrong on the web server, but the server cannot be more specific about what the actual problem is. It is essentially the server&#8217;s way of saying, &#8220;Something went wrong, but I am not sure what.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Unlike a 404 error, which tells you a page cannot be found, a 500 error points to a problem on the server side rather than the client side. This means the issue lies within your hosting environment, your website&#8217;s files, or its configuration \u2014 not with the visitor&#8217;s browser or internet connection.<\/p>\n<p>You may see this error displayed in various ways, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>500 Internal Server Error<\/li>\n<li>HTTP 500<\/li>\n<li>Internal Server Error<\/li>\n<li>HTTP Error 500<\/li>\n<li>500 Error<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Causes_of_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\"><\/span>Common Causes of a 500 Internal Server Error<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before you can fix the problem, it helps to understand what might be causing it. There are several common culprits behind a 500 internal server error.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Corrupted_or_Incorrect_htaccess_File\"><\/span>Corrupted or Incorrect .htaccess File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <code>.htaccess<\/code> file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If this file contains incorrect syntax or has been corrupted, it can trigger a 500 error almost immediately. This is one of the most frequent causes, particularly on WordPress websites.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PHP_Memory_Limit_Exhausted\"><\/span>PHP Memory Limit Exhausted<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your website&#8217;s scripts require more memory than your hosting plan allows, the server will fail to process the request and return a 500 error. This is particularly common on resource-heavy websites or those running multiple plugins.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Incorrect_File_Permissions\"><\/span>Incorrect File Permissions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Every file and folder on your server has a set of permissions that control who can read, write, or execute them. If these permissions are set incorrectly, the server may refuse to process certain files, resulting in a 500 error.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Faulty_Plugins_or_Themes\"><\/span>Faulty Plugins or Themes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On content management systems such as WordPress, a poorly coded plugin or theme can conflict with the server&#8217;s PHP version or other scripts, causing the server to throw a 500 error.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Timeout_Issues\"><\/span>Timeout Issues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If a script takes too long to execute, the server may time out and return a 500 error rather than waiting indefinitely for the process to complete.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Fix_a_500_Internal_Server_Error\"><\/span>How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you understand the common causes, let us look at the practical steps you can take to diagnose and resolve the issue.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Check_the_Error_Logs\"><\/span>Step 1: Check the Error Logs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The very first thing you should do is check your server&#8217;s error logs. These logs record every error that occurs on your server and can give you a precise clue as to what went wrong. You can usually access error logs through your hosting control panel (such as cPanel) under the &#8220;Logs&#8221; or &#8220;Error Logs&#8221; section. Look for the most recent entries and note any specific file names or line numbers mentioned.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Rename_or_Reset_Your_htaccess_File\"><\/span>Step 2: Rename or Reset Your .htaccess File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you suspect the <code>.htaccess<\/code> file is the cause, connect to your server via FTP or your hosting file manager and rename the file to something like <code>.htaccess_old<\/code>. Then try loading your website again. If the error disappears, the <code>.htaccess<\/code> file was indeed the problem. You can then create a fresh one. For WordPress sites, simply go to Settings &gt; Permalinks and click Save Changes \u2014 this will regenerate the file automatically.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Increase_the_PHP_Memory_Limit\"><\/span>Step 3: Increase the PHP Memory Limit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To increase your PHP memory limit, you can edit your <code>php.ini<\/code> file or add the following line to your <code>.htaccess<\/code> file:<\/p>\n<p><code>php_value memory_limit 256M<\/code><\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can add <code>define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');<\/code> to your <code>wp-config.php<\/code> file if you are using WordPress. If you are unsure how to do this, your hosting provider should be able to assist.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Fix_File_and_Folder_Permissions\"><\/span>Step 4: Fix File and Folder Permissions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Correct file permissions for most web servers should be set to 644 for files and 755 for directories. You can update these permissions via FTP using a client like FileZilla, or through your hosting control panel&#8217;s file manager. Right-click on the file or folder, select &#8220;Change Permissions,&#8221; and enter the correct values.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Deactivate_Plugins_and_Themes\"><\/span>Step 5: Deactivate Plugins and Themes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you are running a WordPress site, try deactivating all your plugins at once by renaming the plugins folder via FTP (rename it to something like <code>plugins_old<\/code>). If the error clears, reactivate each plugin one by one to identify the problematic one. You should also switch to a default theme such as Twenty Twenty-Three to rule out theme-related issues.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Re-upload_Core_Files\"><\/span>Step 6: Re-upload Core Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, core website files can become corrupted. If none of the above steps have worked, try re-uploading a fresh copy of your CMS&#8217;s core files. For WordPress, download the latest version from WordPress.org and upload all files except the <code>wp-content<\/code> folder and <code>wp-config.php<\/code> to avoid overwriting your content and settings.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_7_Contact_Your_Hosting_Provider\"><\/span>Step 7: Contact Your Hosting Provider<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have tried all of the above and are still seeing a 500 internal server error, it may be time to contact your hosting provider. The issue could be on their end \u2014 such as a server misconfiguration, a hardware problem, or a conflict with a server-level setting that only they can resolve.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Preventing_500_Internal_Server_Errors_in_the_Future\"><\/span>Preventing 500 Internal Server Errors in the Future<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you have resolved the issue, it is worth taking steps to prevent it from happening again. Keep your plugins, themes, and CMS updated regularly. Always back up your website before making changes to configuration files. Use a staging environment to test new plugins or code before applying them to your live site. Monitoring tools can also alert you the moment your website goes down, so you can act quickly.<\/p>\n<p>For more expert guidance on managing your hosting environment and keeping your website running smoothly, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\" target=\"_blank\">DA Manager blog<\/a> for helpful resources and tutorials.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>500 internal server error<\/strong> can feel alarming, especially if your website is live and serving real visitors or customers. However, as you can see, the causes are usually identifiable and the fixes are well within reach for most website owners. By working through each step methodically \u2014 starting with the error logs and moving through file permissions, plugins, and core files \u2014 you can get your website back online quickly and confidently.<\/p>\n<p>The key is not to panic. Take a systematic approach, document any changes you make, and do not hesitate to reach out to your hosting support team if you need a helping hand.<\/p>\n<p><\/body><br \/>\n<\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting<\/p>\n<p>How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error on Your Hosting<\/p>\n<p>If you have ever visited a website only to be greeted by a blank page or a cryptic message saying something went wrong, there is a good chance you encountered a 500 internal server err<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-general"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15722\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}