500 Internal Server Error in WordPress

Critical Frequency: Common

Error message: Internal Server Error

The 500 Internal Server Error is a generic HTTP error that means something went wrong on the server, but the server can’t be more specific about what. In WordPress, this is commonly caused by a corrupted .htaccess file, a PHP fatal error, or exhausted resources.

Unlike the White Screen of Death, the 500 error is generated by the web server (Apache/nginx) rather than PHP, which means the issue might be at the server configuration level rather than in WordPress code.

Common Causes

Corrupted .htaccess file (most common cause)
PHP memory limit exceeded
Plugin or theme PHP fatal error
Incorrect file permissions (should be 644 for files, 755 for directories)
Exhausted PHP workers (on high-traffic sites)

How to Fix It

Rename .htaccess: Use FTP to rename .htaccess to .htaccess.bak. If the site loads, go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save to regenerate it
Increase PHP memory: Add define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); to wp-config.php
Check file permissions: Files should be 644, directories 755, wp-config.php 440 or 400
Disable plugins: Rename wp-content/plugins/ folder via FTP/SSH
Check server error logs: The 500 error details are always in the server log (Apache: error.log, nginx: error.log)

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a 500 error and the White Screen of Death?

A 500 error is generated by the web server and shows an 'Internal Server Error' page. The WSOD is generated by PHP and shows a blank white page. Both usually indicate a PHP fatal error, but the 500 error can also be caused by server configuration issues.

How do I fix a 500 error in WordPress?

Start by renaming .htaccess via FTP u2014 this is the most common cause. If that doesn't work, disable plugins by renaming the plugins folder, then check your server error logs for the specific error.