Short answer
Something failed while the server was building the page, and the real reason is in the error log — the browser deliberately doesn’t show it. On shared hosting the usual causes are a
.htaccess syntax error, a PHP fatal error or wrong file permissions.Read the log before changing anything. Guessing at a 500 error is how people end up making three changes, fixing nothing and no longer knowing what state the site is in.
Learn more
- 500 Internal Server Error: how to fix itFind the real cause of a 500 error: read the error log, then check .htaccess, PHP errors, permissions and PHP version in order.
- How to find PHP errors (error logs and display_errors)Where PHP errors are recorded on Traxio, how to log errors without showing them to visitors, and how to set up logging for a custom application.
- What is .htaccess? A practical guideWhat .htaccess files do, where they apply, the rules people use most, and how to recover quickly when one breaks your site.
Step-by-step
- Diagnose a 500 Internal Server ErrorIntermediate · 20 min · 8 steps