500 Internal Server Error

500 Internal Server Error on a WordPress site: causes and what to check

Updated 2026-10-30

# Common log entries
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

The web server returns a 500 error when it cannot complete a request and has no more specific error to report. On WordPress sites the common sources are .htaccess rules, PHP fatal errors, and file permissions.

Which of these matches what you see?

Every page returns 500Including wp-adminOnly some pages or actions return 500Others load500 started after a file upload or migrationFiles were copied or restored

The error is usually in .htaccess or in server configuration that applies to the whole site. Check whether .htaccess was changed by a plugin, a migration, or a direct edit.

A PHP fatal error in code that runs only on those pages is a common source. The server error log records the file and line.

File permissions or ownership can block the server from reading the files. Note how the files were copied.

Common causes

Corrupted .htaccessA rule the server cannot parse, often left by a plugin or a partial edit.

PHP fatal errorWith error display turned off, a fatal error can appear as a 500 error.

File permissionsFolders or files have permissions the server does not accept.

Memory limit reachedA request stops when it reaches the PHP memory limit.

What the system does

A corrupted .htaccess is handled automatically: the system rebuilds the rewrite rules.

Initial assessmentEnter the site URL
Copy to the recovery stationWork runs on the copy
Find the causeItem-by-item checks
Recover and re-checkHome and inner pages
Write back or deliverOnly after re-checks pass

Use WP119 when you prefer not to edit .htaccess, file permissions, or server files yourself.

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