Troubleshoot HTTP Error 500 in WordPress

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Clearing Cookies and Cache
3. Deactivating Plugins via WordPress Dashboard
4. Deactivating Plugins via File Manager
5. Changing WordPress Theme
6. Creating a New .htaccess File
7. Increasing PHP Memory Limit
8. Investigating Further
9. Restoring Website Backups
10. Conclusion

How to Troubleshoot the HTTP Error 500 on Your WordPress Site

If You're a WordPress webmaster, you may have encountered the HTTP error 500. This error can be caused by a variety of issues, and identifying the underlying reason for your website's HTTP 500 internal server error might take some time. In this article, we'll go over each of the common causes along with the steps to troubleshoot this error.

Clearing Cookies and Cache

If the actual data on the website doesn't match the stored cookies and cache, it might cause the 500 internal server error. As a website owner, you can try checking if the problem actually lies in your browser by clearing the cookies and cache. Here's how to do it on Google Chrome:

1. Click on the three dotted menu button on the top right corner of your browser.
2. Choose "Settings".
3. Click on "Privacy and Security" from the menu on the left side of the screen.
4. Select "Clear browsing data".
5. Take the cookies and cache on the pop-up menu.
6. Hit the "Clear data" button to finish the process.

If the problem persists even after clearing the cookies and cache, it's time to move on to other possible causes and check if the issue lies in your website's back-end.

Deactivating Plugins via WordPress Dashboard

The most common cause of the HTTP error 500 on WordPress websites is a new plugin activation. If you encounter this error right after installing or updating a plugin, try deactivating the plugin to see if that's the culprit. There are two simple ways to do this troubleshooting method. The first is via the WordPress dashboard:

1. Access the WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to the "Plugins" menu, then choose "Installed Plugins".
3. Here you will see a list of your website's installed plugins.
4. Take the "Plugin" option on top of the list.
5. Next, choose "Deactivate" from the bulk action drop-down menu.
6. Hit the "Apply" button.
7. Don't worry, you won't lose any data just by deactivating plugins.
8. Now refresh your website and see if the error is no longer there.

If the error still persists, reactivate all your plugins and move on to other shooting methods. If the issue is solved, now you need to find out which plugin caused the error. Reactivate your plugins one by one and refresh the site after each activation. If your website loads properly after reactivating a plugin, then you can leave that one enabled. If you are still seeing the error message, you can finally know which plugin is the source of the problem. Delete the plugin from your WordPress dashboard and find another plugin with a similar function to replace it.

Deactivating Plugins via File Manager

An alternative method is to disable or remove plugins through the file manager directory on your hosting control panel. Here are the steps using Hostinger's hPanel:

1. Log in to hPanel and navigate to "File Manager".
2. Click on the "public_html" folder, then open "wp-content" directory.
3. Now locate the "plugins" folder to find the plugin files.
4. Right-click on the plugin file, then choose "Rename".
5. Add an underscore and Type the word "disabled" after the plugin name to deactivate.
6. Hit the "Rename" button, then refresh your website to see if the error is resolved.
7. If it's still showing the HTTP error 500 message, repeat the process until all plugins are deactivated or until you find the website is working again.
8. Once you find out which plugin caused the error 500, delete the file. You can try to reinstall it or find another plugin with similar functionality to replace it.

Changing WordPress Theme

Similar to plugins, a new or updated theme can also cause the HTTP 500 internal server error. To fix this, you can simply change the website's existing theme. First, let's try to fix it via the WordPress dashboard:

1. From the WordPress admin area, go to the "Appearance" menu, then choose "Themes".
2. Click the "Activate" button on any other theme except for the Current one.
3. Refresh your website to check if the problem persists.

If yes, move on to other methods. Alternatively, you can change the WordPress Theme by editing mySQL database via phpMyAdmin. Here's how to do it from each panel:

1. Log in to your hPanel.
2. Go to "File Manager" and open the "public_html" directory.
3. Open the "wp-config.php" file to find the name of the database for your website, which will be shown in the "DB_name" line. We will use this information to enter phpMyAdmin.
4. While still opening the file manager, go to the "wp-content" directory and open the "themes" folder to check all the available themes you currently have.
5. Let's navigate to "Databases" menu on the Edge panel. Choose phpMyAdmin and enter the phpMyAdmin of your website's database.
6. After that, head to "wp_options" table. Find the "template" and "stylesheet" rows, which are usually located on the Second page.
7. Next, double-click on each row to edit the theme name and change it to any of the themes installed other than the current one. Make sure to type it identically to the theme's folder name.
8. Once it's done, go back to your website and reload it.

If the problem persists, let's try to find other possible causes.

Creating a New .htaccess File

Another way to solve HTTP error 500 is to make sure your current .htaccess file is not corrupted. Otherwise, you will need to Create a new one. Open File Manager and navigate to the "public_html" directory. After that, locate the .htaccess file. Right-click on it and choose to rename. Create a new name for the file. Here, I'm simply adding underscore "disable" to the existing name and then press the rename button. After that, select "New File" then name it ".htaccess". You will see a blank page like this. If it doesn't automatically open, right-click on the file then select "Edit". Copy the default WordPress .htaccess code from the official WordPress site. Paste the code in the new .htaccess file. Hit the "Save" button, and now you have a brand new .htaccess file running on your WordPress website. If your website still shows the HTTP error 500 after reloading, let's move on to another way to fix it.

Increasing PHP Memory Limit

Memory limits or an insufficient PHP value can be a reason causing the HTTP error 500. This is due to the fact that the scripts and plugins require a certain amount of memory to work. To fix this issue, you can increase the PHP memory limit by editing the .htaccess file manually. Go to your hPanel, open File Manager, and navigate to the "public_html" directory. Double-click on the .htaccess file, then paste the code lines to increase the PHP limit. You can find them in the description box of this video. Click "Save", and after that, refresh your website. If the error 500 is related to insufficient PHP values, your website should load just fine. If not, let's try another option.

Investigating Further

Finding the cause behind the HTTP error 500 is arguably the toughest part of fixing it. If none of the previous methods fixes the issue, you will need to investigate further as there might be other unknown errors occurring on your website's backend. There are several ways to find out.

First, you can try to fix the unknown error by enabling the error display through your hosting account's PHP configuration section on hPanel. Access it by navigating to the "Advanced" menu, then choosing "PHP Configuration". Switch to the "PHP Options" tab and click the "Log errors" option. After that, scroll down and hit the "Save" button. If your site encounters a PHP error, the system will automatically generate the error log file. You can find it by going to the "File Manager", then heading to the "logs" directory. Find the error log file. This contains error log messages including the date it occurred, the type of error, and the details of the file and the code line to correct.

Another option to try is restoring your website back to the version where it was functional. You can do this manually via File Manager or use a WordPress plugin. If you conduct regular website backups, this can be easily done by navigating to "Files 10 Backups" on each panel. We have a complete video tutorial on how to do this, so you can follow the steps there by finding the link in the description box below.

Conclusion

And that's it! A few methods on how you can troubleshoot the HTTP error 500 on your WordPress site. If the problem persists even after trying all of the methods presented in this article, contact your hosting provider for some technical assistance. If you are able to successfully troubleshoot the error, don't forget to give this article a thumbs up and share it with anyone you think needs to see this guide. If you have further questions, leave them in the comments below, and I'll be more than happy to help. Hit the subscribe button for more articles about web hosting, websites, and WordPress development. See you in the next one.

Highlights

• HTTP error 500 is a common issue among WordPress webmasters.
• Clearing cookies and cache can help troubleshoot the error.
• Deactivating plugins and changing WordPress themes can also fix the error.
• Creating a new .htaccess file and increasing PHP memory limit are other options.
• Investigating further may be necessary if none of the previous methods work.
• Restoring website backups can also be a solution.

FAQ

Q: What is the HTTP error 500? A: The HTTP error 500 is an internal server error that occurs when the server encounters an unexpected condition that prevents it from fulfilling the request.

Q: What causes the HTTP error 500? A: The HTTP error 500 can be caused by a variety of issues, including plugin activation, theme updates, corrupted .htaccess file, insufficient PHP values, and unknown errors.

Q: How can I troubleshoot the HTTP error 500? A: You can troubleshoot the HTTP error 500 by clearing cookies and cache, deactivating plugins, changing WordPress themes, creating a new .htaccess file, increasing PHP memory limit, investigating further, and restoring website backups.

Q: What should I do if none of the troubleshooting methods work? A: If none of the troubleshooting methods work, contact your hosting provider for technical assistance.