Getting a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress after changing the site URL? Or suddenly, a site that was functioning perfectly well just seconds ago is now getting an Internal server error. This is a common WordPress error you will encounter as a WordPress publisher, site owner, and developer. And the most common causes of this error are a corrupted .htaccess file or your server’s PHP memory limit being exceeded. If you are the site owner, web developer, or WordPress publisher, here are 5 solutions to fix the 500 Internal Server Error so you can get your WordPress site working again as quickly as possible.
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Fix “Internal Server Error” In WordPress
A 500 Internal Server Error (HTTP 500) is a generic server-side error, indicating that the web server encountered an unexpected condition and cannot complete the request. The problem lies within the website’s environment—not the user’s browser, device, or internet connection.
The error occurs when the server fails to process a request properly, potentially due to software bugs, hardware issues, misconfigurations, or script errors.
This error typically appears when the server cannot process a request properly, often due to:
- Server misconfigurations
- Software conflicts
- Corrupt or incompatible code
- Faulty plugins, themes, or scripts
- Resource exhaustion or memory issues
Because the source of the error is not directly exposed, diagnosing it requires checking several layers of your WordPress installation and hosting environment.
Note: The following solutions involve making changes to your site’s root directory and system files. It is highly recommended to back up your site—including both files and the database—before proceeding. This ensures you can restore your site safely if anything goes wrong.
Create a new .htaccess file
This file controls URL rewriting, redirects, and various server instructions. A corrupted or improperly modified .htaccess file is the most common cause of the 500 Internal Server Error. All you need to do is create a new .htaccess file in the WordPress root directory.
- If you have CPanel access and open the WordPress root directory from the file manager tool.
- Also, you can use third-party software, Filezilla, to access the WordPress root directory.
Rename .htaccess file.as “.htaccess_old”.
- Let’s access File Manager right from the cPanel dashboard
- Look for the .htaccess file in the root of your site.
- Right-click it, and choose Rename
- Rename it to something like “.htaccess_old”.
Now, all you need to do is create a new .htaccess file to replace it.
Generate a new .htaccess file.
To force WordPress to generate a new .htaccess file, go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Then, navigate to Settings → Permalinks.
- You do not need to change any settings. Just click the Save Changes button.
- And WordPress will automatically generate a new, clean .htaccess file with standard rewrite rules.
- That’s it! Hopefully, your site is working again.
Check if any faulty WP plugin is causing the issue
Plugin conflicts, compatibility issues, or broken plugin updates frequently trigger 500 errors. If the error appeared immediately after installing, updating, or modifying a plugin, this method helps.
If you have access to the WordPress Dashboard, go to the plugin management area and use the checkbox to deactivate all of your plugins at once. And then reactivate them one by one and open a web page after each. Hopefully, find the problematic plugin.
Deactivate WordPress plugins if you can’t access your dashboard:
If due to this 500 internal server error, you can’t access your dashboard, here are the steps to deactivate plugins from the file manager.
- Connect to your site via FTP or File Manager
- Navigate to the /wp-content/ folder.
- Rename the plugins folder to something like plugins_old.
Now try opening your WordPress dashboard, and if you are able to access it means the issue is one of the plugins.
- Go to the Plugins section of your WordPress, and it will show the error “the plugin has been deactivated due to an error; plugin file does not exist.”Don’t worry.
- Move to the file manager, and rename the plugin folder from plugins_old to plugins.
- Now, from the WordPress dashboard, activate each plugin one by one.
- After activating a plugin, browse 3-4 pages on your blog.
- Repeat this step until you find a plugin whose activation causes the internal server error.
Switch to a Default WordPress Theme
If deactivating your plugins didn’t solve the issue, it’s likely your theme is the culprit. You can verify this easily by switching to a default WordPress theme. I recommend using Twenty Twenty-Five, which is the latest default theme. If switching to the Default WordPress Theme solves the problem, you can re-enable all plugins and get to work finding the issue in your theme’s code.
- If your site dashboard is not accessible, access via FTP, and /wp-content/themes/
- Find your active theme and rename it, e.g.: mytheme → mytheme_old
- WordPress will automatically fall back to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Five.
If your theme’s from either the official theme repository or an independent theme shop, you should let the author know as soon as possible. If, on the other hand, it’s your own theme, you’ll need to get a developer to help you out, because these bugs can often be very difficult to find — even for seasoned coders.
Increase the PHP Memory Limit
Another potential issue is that your WordPress site is hitting its PHP memory limit. By default, WordPress tries to allocate 40MB of memory for single-site installs (as long as your host allows it). But if you’re experiencing difficulties, you can manually increase this limit (again, as long as your host allows it).
This typically happens on content-heavy sites, WooCommerce stores, or sites with resource-intensive plugins.
Access WordPress root directory via FTP or cPanel’s File Manager:
Look for the wp-config.php file right click and select edit
Add the following line of code right before the /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ message:
define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’128M’ );
Then save the changes by hitting the save button. Or you can reach out to your host for support on this. Now check if this fixes the 500 internal server error.
Reinstall WordPress Core Files
If core WordPress files become corrupted due to failed updates, malware, or file loss, the application cannot run correctly, leading to server processing failures. Replacing core directories ensures your installation has clean, intact files, without modifying your site’s content, plugins, or media.
Go to WordPress.org and download the latest version of WordPress.
Once the download finishes, extract the ZIP file and delete the:
- Entire wp-content folder.
- wp-config-sample.php file.
Then, upload all of the remaining files to your WordPress site via FTP. Your FTP program will show you a prompt about duplicate files. When this happens, make sure to choose the option to Overwrite duplicate files.
Hope one of these solutions has helped you fix the internal server error message on your WordPress site. If not, we recommend ask your host’s support team to go through the error logs with you to pinpoint the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress?
It’s a server-side error indicating WordPress cannot process a request due to an unexpected problem on the server.
2. What causes the 500 Internal Server Error?
Common causes include a corrupted .htaccess file, low PHP memory, faulty plugins, bad themes, or corrupted core files.
3. Does a 500 error affect SEO?
Yes. If your site stays down for long, search rankings may drop temporarily.
4. How do I find which plugin caused the error?
Disable all plugins via FTP, then reactivate them one by one to find the faulty one.
5. What if increasing PHP memory doesn’t work?
Try resetting .htaccess, disabling plugins, switching themes, or reinstalling core files.
6. How can I prevent this error in the future?
Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated, use reliable hosting, and maintain regular backups.
