What Is a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress?

A 500 Internal Server Error is a general server-side error that occurs when the server fails to complete a request due to a misconfiguration or problem that prevents it from displaying the requested page. In WordPress, this error is commonly caused by corrupted .htaccess files, PHP memory limits, bad plugins or themes, or server issues.

Unlike specific error codes (like 404 or 403), the 500 error doesn’t provide details—it just tells you something went wrong on the server. This makes it frustrating but fixable with systematic troubleshooting.

How to Fix Internal Server Error 500 in WordPress

1. Check the .htaccess File

Access your site via FTP or File Manager.

Locate and rename the ..htaccess file to something like .htaccess backup

Go to your WordPress dashboard > Settings > Permalinks, then click Save Changes to regenerate a clean .htaccess file.

2. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Edit the  wp-config.php file in your root directory.

Add this code before the line that says

php
define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);

Save and upload the file.

3. Deactivate All Plugins

Via dashboard: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, deactivate all.

If dashboard is inaccessible:

Use FTP or File manager and rename the folder to plugins_old.

If the site loads, rename it back and reactivate plugins one by one to find the faulty one.

4. Switch to a Default Theme

Change your theme to a default one like Twenty Twenty-Four.

You can do this from the dashboard under Appearance > Themes, or manually via FTP by renaming the current theme folder.

5. Enable WordPress Debugging

Add the following to wp-config.php:

php

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

This creates a debug log in wp-content/debug.log that may reveal the source of the error.

6. Check File Permissions

Correct permissions:

Folders: 755

Files: 644

Improper permissions can lead to 500 errors.

7. Check Server Error Logs

Use your hosting provider’s control panel (like cPanel) to view error logs.

Logs may show which script or file caused the error.

8. Re-upload Core WordPress Files

Download the latest WordPress from wordpress

Re-upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders via FTP, overwriting the old ones.

This won’t affect your content.

9. Contact Your Hosting Provider

If none of the above steps work, the issue may be server-level (e.g., PHP version, configuration, or temporary outage).

Ask them to review the server logs and investigate further.