How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress: A Complete Guide

Encountering a 500 Internal Server Error on your WordPress website can be a frustrating experience. It’s one of the most common yet elusive issues users face. In most cases, the error message offers no direct solution, leaving you scrambling for answers. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the exact steps to troubleshoot and we will Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress. With our step-by-step instructions, you’ll have your website back online in no time.

What Is the 500 Internal Server Error?

The 500 Internal Server Error is a general HTTP error code indicating that the server encountered an unexpected issue that prevented it from fulfilling the request. It is a common error not specific to WordPress, affecting any website.

When this error appears, the server fails to provide a more specific error message, which makes diagnosing the problem more challenging. The error page might look different depending on the web server (Apache vs. Nginx) and browser you’re using.

Common Causes of the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress

Several factors can trigger the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress. Some of the most common culprits include:

• Corrupt .htaccess file
• Conflicting plugins
• Issues with the active WordPress theme
• Exceeding PHP memory limits
• Corrupt WordPress core files

we will walk you through to fix this problems, In some cases, the error may only occur when accessing the WordPress admin dashboard, while the rest of the site remains functional.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress

Before you begin troubleshooting, make sure to create a complete backup of your WordPress website. This will allow you to restore your site if something goes wrong during the troubleshooting process.

1. Clear WordPress and Browser Cache Or Visit Your Website in Incognito Tab (Private Tab in Firefox)

Cached pages can sometimes cause issues, displaying outdated error messages. Start by clearing your browser cache to ensure you’re not seeing a cached copy of the error page.

If you have access to the WordPress admin area, you can also clear the WordPress cache by navigating to your caching plugin’s settings page like litespeed or wp rocket or …. .

2. Check for a Corrupt .htaccess File

The .htaccess file controls many of your WordPress site’s configuration settings, including URL redirection. If this file becomes corrupt, it can cause a 500 error. also it’s a good way for fixing too_many_redirects error in wordpress.

To fix this:

1. If you have access to admin area, Go to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Without making any changes, click Save Changes. This will regenerate the .htaccess file.
3. If you dont have access to amdin area or the error persists, manually replace the .htaccess file via FTP or the File Manager in your hosting control panel:
   • Rename the .htaccess file to .htaccess_old. or edit it.
   • Create a new .htaccess file and add the default WordPress rewrite rules:
     # BEGIN WordPress
     
     RewriteEngine On
     RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
     RewriteBase /
     RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
     RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
     
     # END WordPress

3. Increase the PHP Memory Limit

If your site is running out of PHP memory, it can cause internal server errors. To increase the PHP memory limit:

1. Access your site via FTP or the File Manager in your hosting control panel.
2. Locate and edit the wp-config.php file.
3. Add the following line just before the /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ line:
   define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );


If 512MB doesn’t solve the problem, you can try increasing it to 1024MB.

4. Deactivate All WordPress Plugins

A faulty plugin can often be the cause of the 500 Internal Server Error. If you can access the WordPress admin area, simply deactivate all plugins:

• Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and deactivate them.
• If you can’t access the admin area, use FTP to rename the plugins folder (located in wp-content) to plugins.deactivated. This will deactivate all plugins.

Once deactivated, check if the error persists. If the site works fine, reactivate each plugin one by one to identify the culprit.

5. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme

A theme conflict could also cause a 500 Internal Server Error. To determine if your theme is the issue, switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Three):

• If you can access the admin area, go to Appearance > Themes and activate a default theme.
• If you can’t access the admin area, use FTP to delete your current theme and upload a default theme.

6. Re-upload WordPress Core Files

If the above steps didn’t fix the error, your WordPress core files might be corrupted. Re-uploading fresh copies of the core files could resolve the issue:

1. Download the latest version of WordPress from WordPress.org.
2. Extract the downloaded zip file and delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders and upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders via FTP, overwriting the existing files.

Very Important Note: Just Upload The “wp-admin” and “wp-includes” folders via FTP, Do Not Upload Other Files And Folders. and always make sure you created a full backup of your website before the process. 

This process won’t affect your content but will replace any corrupted core files.

7. Scan For Viruses

in some cases, if you installed plugins form illegal nulled plugin websites, or your admin area is poorly secured, hackers may enter your admin area or inject malware to your website using files, or plugin editors, if you have admin area access you can use plugins like WordFence to scan and replace the corrupted files, We Have a complete article about How to Fix Hacked WordPress Site incase you don’t have admin area access.

8. Check All Folders For Hacked htaccess

In some cases, if your WordPress site is hacked or malware is injected into your website, the malware may start planting .htaccess files in all your folders. First, re-upload the WordPress core files as discussed in step 7 of this article. Then, use FTP to search for .htaccess files in the wp-content folder (your website’s file manager might not display .htaccess files directly, so using FTP is recommended).

Open all subfolders in wp-content, such as themes, plugins, and others, and delete any .htaccess files you find.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, search through all subfolders, including theme and plugin folders, until no .htaccess files remain in your wp-content folder.

Very Important Note: DO NOT REMOVE MAIN HTACCESS FILE IN PUBLIC_HTML FOLDER. We are discussing about wp-content htaccess files not the main one. 

you can also read our “Remove Malware From WordPress” article to learn more about malwares and how to fix them.

9. Enable Debug Logs in WordPress

Turning on debug logs can help you identify the exact cause of the 500 Internal Server Error:

1. Add the following lines to your wp-config.php file to enable debugging:
   define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

   define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

2. Check the wp-content/debug.log file for any errors or warnings that could point to the source of the issue.

10. Contact Your Hosting Provider

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it may be related to server configuration. Contact your hosting provider and ask them to check the server logs for errors. They may be able to provide more specific insights into what’s causing the 500 Internal Server Error.

Final Thoughts on Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress

Dealing with a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress can be frustrating, but with the right approach, it’s usually solvable. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined above, you should be able to resolve the issue and get your site back online. If you’re still experiencing problems, don’t hesitate to seek expert help from your hosting provider or a professional WordPress developer.