A 500 error, often shown as “500 Internal Server Error”, means the website has encountered a problem and the server was unable to complete the request.
This is a general error message. It does not always explain the exact cause on screen, but it usually means something has gone wrong with the website files, code, configuration, or application.
Common causes of a 500 error
A 500 error can be caused by several different issues, including:
- A problem with website code
- A plugin or theme error, especially on WordPress websites
- A PHP error
- Incorrect file or folder permissions
- A problem with the .htaccess file
- An incompatible PHP version
- A failed website update
- A corrupt or incomplete file upload
- Resource limits being reached on the hosting account
- A temporary issue with the website application
WordPress websites
If your website uses WordPress, a 500 error is often linked to a plugin, theme, PHP compatibility issue, or recent update.
If the issue started after installing or updating a plugin or theme, that change may be related to the problem.
If you can still access the WordPress admin area, you may be able to disable recently updated plugins or temporarily switch theme to help identify the cause.
If you cannot access the WordPress admin area, the issue may need to be investigated through cPanel, the website files, or the error logs.
Check the website error logs
For websites hosted on our cPanel platform, the error logs can often provide more information about what caused the 500 error.
Useful areas to check may include:
- cPanel Errors
- The website error_log file
- PHP error logs, if enabled
- Application logs, where applicable
The error log may show the file, plugin, theme, or script that is causing the issue.
If you are unsure what the error means, please send the error message to the Fastnet Helpdesk and we can advise further.
Check for recent changes
A 500 error often appears after a recent change to the website.
Consider whether any of the following have recently changed:
- WordPress plugins
- WordPress theme
- WordPress core version
- PHP version
- .htaccess file
- Website files
- Website permissions
- Custom code
- cPanel settings
If the issue started after a recent change, reversing that change may help restore the website.
Check disk space and resource usage
A 500 error can sometimes occur if the hosting account has run out of disk space or is hitting resource limits.
In cPanel, check:
- Disk usage
- File usage
- Resource usage
- Email storage usage, if the hosting package is also used for mail
If the account is out of disk space, you may need to remove unwanted files, clear old backups, reduce mailbox usage, or increase the hosting package allowance.
When to contact Fastnet
If your website is hosted on our cPanel platform and you are unable to resolve the 500 error, please contact the Fastnet Helpdesk.
When contacting us, please provide:
- The affected website address
- When the issue started
- Whether the whole site is affected or only certain pages
- Whether the WordPress admin area is accessible, if applicable
- Any recent changes, updates, or plugin installations
- Any error messages shown in cPanel or the website error log
- Screenshots, where available
Providing this information helps us investigate the issue more quickly and advise on the next steps.