The display of an HTTP 500 error is not uncommon when surfing the Internet. Many error codes, such as the HTTP 404 error, signal a clear problem and are therefore easy to fix. However, it is somewhat less transparent when an HTTP error 500 is displayed. Here, users cannot always understand where the exact problem lies, as the error message is rather unspecific.
How does a 500 error occur?
The display of a 500 error often appears as messages such as “500 – Internal Server Error” or “HTTP Status 500 – Internal Server Error”. Other, similar messages can also be displayed in the browser. They all have one thing in common: You will not be able to find out the real reason for a failed connection attempt – helpful details are in short supply here.
The term “Internal Server Error” at least gives a hint as to where the problem is coming from: The server in question has detected a problem that cannot be localized and is prevented from loading the desired website correctly. In such a case, an error has usually crept into the web server configuration. Examples of this include:
Server overload: One or more processes are clogging the server and overloading the available memory. Alternatively, files could be so large that the server reaches its limits when loading the content.
Faulty .htaccess file: An error may have crept into the extremely complex .htacess file, resulting in less than optimal availability.
Incompatible plug-ins: Many content management systems (CMS) – WordPress in particular – increasingly work with functional plug-ins. A faulty update or sudden incompatibility could be the cause.
Incorrect permissions: The main files of the website or certain subfolders are normally assigned permissions. If an error occurs here, it has an impact on availability.
Damaged database: The database acts as the core of every website. If irregularities or damage occur there, it may result in an error message.
Connection error: If there is a connection error when trying to visit a website, this can lead to an HTTP error code being displayed.
How can such an error be resolved?
If a 500 error is displayed, there are three possible solutions for the user to solve the problem on the client side:
Check their browser for any compatibility issues. Update the browser to the latest version or alternatively try a different browser to narrow down the problem.
Clear the browser cache and reload the website.
Visit the desired website with a device outside your own network to check whether the error is also preventing access via the mobile Internet, for example.
As a webmaster, troubleshooting is more complicated, as the error must first be found. And time is of the essence, because faulty pages not only reduce customer satisfaction, but also have a negative impact on Google rankings.
If the Google crawler finds several unreachable pages, this will inevitably affect the ranking of your pages and wipe out any SEO positioning progress within a very short time.
Webmasters should first find out where the problem is coming from:
The first and most important step is to check your own server. Is it still running? If not, you should contact the hoster to get this issue resolved quickly.
If it is not due to the availability of the server, you should check the internal log files. In most cases, these will show where and why the error occurred.
Once the error has been identified, the solution differs only slightly from the classic procedure in the event of another HTTP error:
Damaged or overloaded database: It may happen that the database either needs to be repaired due to an error or that it has been overloaded by a data-hungry process. You can restore a backup of the database to rectify the error.
Faulty plug-ins: An incorrectly updated plug-in can either cause the problem on its own or lead to incompatibility with another add-on. Deactivate the existing plug-ins in the CMS backend one by one and check whether this can resolve the error.
Oversized files on the website: Check the logs to see whether an unnaturally large file has crept onto your website that is overloading the processes and blocking them.
Check the .htaccess file: In many cases, the stored .htaccess file is a complex but extremely elementary document. Errors can creep in, especially if you enter your 301 redirects there. A small typing or mental error can lead to far-reaching problems. As it usually takes a lot of time to check this file, it is always worth restoring a backup.
Incorrect file and folder permissions: Webmasters can actively prevent site visitors from viewing certain web content if they wish. There can be many reasons for this. However, if a 500 error code occurs, the authorization for a target resource could be set incorrectly.
Changing/updating the PHP version: In some cases, the current PHP version may cause problems. It is therefore best to try to use a new PHP version. Alternatively, you can also access an older version if this is the only one available.
Increasing the PHP memory limit: If you receive an HTTP 500 error, this could also be related to the allocated PHP memory. Various PHP scripts may be exceeding the available resources. Increase the memory limit accordingly.
Website backup: If you cannot find a solution for the 500 error code, you still have the option of restoring the entire website using a backup. This will restore all content to the day of the backup – i.e., a day on which the error may not yet have existed.
As with many other HTTP errors, the cause of the problem is not always immediately obvious. In some situations, the error is clear, but many situations require analysis to find the source of the problem. It cannot be ruled out that an HTTP 500 error can also arise for another reason, as mentioned above.
Here you will find only an excerpt of the classic error sources. If you are at a loss yourself, contact your hoster for further information or use the backup function to restore your website to a status prior to the error.
