A 500 Internal Server Error is one of the most frustrating problems you can encounter as a WordPress user because it is often not clear what exactly is causing the problem. This type of error can occur when something is wrong on the server, but it can also be caused by a problem in your WordPress installation itself. Here is a clear guide to tackling this problem systematically.

Make A Backup

Before you start troubleshooting, it is important to make a backup of your website. This ensures that you won’t lose important data if something goes wrong while troubleshooting. Don’t know how to backup safely? Click here for the article on how to backup safely.

Check for Problems with the .htaccess file

A corrupt .htaccess file can often lead to a 500 Internal Server Error. Here is a roadmap on how to check and fix this:

1. Access your .htaccess file: Connect to your website via FTP or the File Manager in your hosting control panel and navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation. (Don’t know what FTP is? Click here for the article on FTP)
2. Rename the .htaccess file: Find the .htaccess file and change the name, for example, to “.htaccess_old.”
3. Test your Web site: Visit your site to see if the problem is fixed.
4. Reset the .htaccess file: If renaming the file solves the problem, go to the WordPress Admin, navigate to Settings > Permalinks, and click ‘Save Changes’ to generate a new .htaccess file.

Deactivate All Plugins

Conflicting plugins are a common cause of the 500 Internal Server Error. To test if this is the case:

1. Deactivate all plugins: Via FTP or the File Manager, navigate to the /wp-content/ directory and rename the ‘plugins’ folder to something like ‘plugins_old’.
2. Check your site: If your site loads correctly after deactivating the plugins, then the problem was caused by one of the plugins.
3. Activate plugins one by one: Change the name of the ‘plugins_old’ folder back to ‘plugins’ and activate each plugin one by one in your WordPress dashboard to identify the culprit.

Increase the PHP Memory Limit

A shortage of PHP memory can also cause a 500 error, especially on websites with many plugins or complex themes.

1. Modify the wp-config.php file: Add the following line to your wp-config.php file: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M'); This increases the PHP memory limit.
2. Check the site: After adding this rule, reload your site to see if the problem is fixed.

Check for PHP version compatibility or Server issues

If none of the above steps work, the problem may be with the PHP version or a server configuration issue.

1. PHP version: Check if your current PHP version is compatible with your WordPress version. You can update the PHP version through your hosting control panel.
2. Server problems: Contact your hosting provider to find out if there are any server-related problems that could be causing the 500 error.

Following these steps should help you resolve the 500 Internal Server Error on your WordPress website. Always remember to make backups before making changes and be careful when modifying files and settings.

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