Resolving a 500 Internal Server Error

A 500 error means the server encountered an unexpected problem. This is one of the most common WordPress errors and is usually fixable without contacting support.

Common Causes

• A faulty or incompatible plugin
• A corrupt theme
• A corrupted .htaccess file
• PHP memory limit exceeded
• A corrupted WordPress core file

Step 1: Deactivate All Plugins

1. Log in to cPanel ? File Manager
2. Navigate to public_html/wp-content/plugins
3. Rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled
4. Try accessing your site
5. If it works, rename the folder back to plugins, then reactivate plugins one by one to find the culprit

Step 2: Reset Your .htaccess File

1. In File Manager, navigate to public_html
2. Find the .htaccess file (enable Show Hidden Files in Settings)
3. Rename it to .htaccess_old
4. Go to WordPress Admin ? Settings ? Permalinks ? Save Changes (this regenerates .htaccess)

Step 3: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Add this line to your wp-config.php file:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

Step 4: Check Error Logs

In cPanel ? Metrics ? Error Logs, look for the specific error causing the 500 status.

Still Getting the Error?

Open a support ticket with the error log information and we will resolve it for you.