Fix 500 and 502 errors on your website

Both errors mean something went wrong on the server side, not in your visitor's browser. They look alike but have different usual causes.

500 Internal Server Error

This is a general error. The server hit a problem and could not say more. Common causes:

• A syntax mistake in your code or a recent edit.
• A broken rule in a server config file such as .htaccess.
• A plugin or theme conflict in WordPress.
• A PHP error, or a script that ran out of memory.
• Wrong file permissions.

502 Bad Gateway

A 502 means one server got a bad answer from another. Typical causes:

• Your app or PHP process crashed or is not running.
• A reverse proxy cannot reach your app because the port is wrong.
• Your app is overloaded or restarting.

How to troubleshoot

1. Undo your last change. Most errors start right after an edit or update.
2. Check the logs. Look in the Console tab or error log files in the Files tab for the exact message.
3. Rename .htaccess temporarily to .htaccess-old. If the site returns, the problem was a rule in that file.
4. In WordPress, rename the plugins folder to turn all plugins off, then re-enable them one at a time.
5. Check that your app is actually running and listening on the port it is expected to use.
6. Look for low memory. If the process keeps dying, it may need more RAM.
7. Make sure file and folder permissions are normal. Folders are commonly 755 and files 644, but check your software's guidance.

Before you panic

Reload the page after a minute. A short 502 can appear while an app restarts.

Prevent repeats

Test changes on a copy of your site, keep backups, and update software gradually.

If nothing works, send us the exact error text and the time it happened through our Discord, and we can look at it with you.