How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error

What's happening

Your site loads to a page that just says "500 Internal Server Error" — or "HTTP 500," or "There has been a critical error on this website." It's your web server's way of saying something went wrong while building the page, but it can't tell you exactly what. Your content is almost always fine underneath; the server just couldn't finish the job.

Why it happens

The 500 is a catch-all, which is what makes it frustrating. The usual causes: a plugin or theme conflict, a corrupted core file, your hosting hitting a memory limit, or a small mistake in a behind-the-scenes settings file. Because the error is so generic, the message itself won't tell you which one it is — the answer is usually sitting in the server logs, which most people never see.

What you can safely try

• Check whether it's every page or just one — that quickly narrows things down.
• Think back to what changed last — a recent update, new plugin, or edit is the common trigger.
• Clear your browser cache so you know you're not looking at a saved copy.
• Don't edit server files by guesswork — one wrong character in a config file can take the whole site down.

When to call us

The real fix is reading the server logs, pinpointing the exact cause, and clearing it — without gambling on your live site. That's routine for us and usually quick. If your site's throwing a 500 and you'd rather not dig through server files, send it over and we'll get it back online.