HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

What 500 means

A generic server-side failure. The real cause is in the server or application logs.

Common causes

• An unhandled exception in application code.
• A misconfigured server or .htaccess file.
• A failed database connection.

How to fix it

1. Check application and server error logs.
2. Roll back the most recent deployment if the error started after it.
3. Verify database and environment variables.

SEO impact

Persistent 500s cause search engines to crawl less and eventually drop pages. Fix them quickly and monitor uptime.

How to check a status code

Enter a URL in the HTTP Status Checker to see its status code, every redirect hop, and response time. For redirect-heavy pages, the Website Speed Test shows how much time redirects add.

FAQ

What does HTTP 500 mean?

500 Internal Server Error is a 5xx server error status code. The server hit an unexpected error and could not complete the request.

What causes a 500 error?

An unhandled exception in application code. A misconfigured server or .htaccess file. A failed database connection.

How do I fix HTTP 500?

Check application and server error logs. Roll back the most recent deployment if the error started after it. Verify database and environment variables.