A "500 Internal Server Error" means something went wrong while your website was running. It's almost always caused by something on the website itself, and usually you can fix it yourself.
1. Find Out What Went Wrong
- Log in to cPanel (see How to Log In to cPanel)
- In the Metrics section, click Errors
- Look at the most recent lines. They usually name the file and the problem
2. Check What Changed Recently
Most 500 errors start straight after a change. Did you or your developer:
- Install or update a plugin or theme?
- Edit the .htaccess file?
- Change the PHP version?
Undo the last change and see if the site comes back.
3. Common Causes and Fixes
A Broken .htaccess File
- In File Manager, turn on hidden files and open public_html
- Rename .htaccess to .htaccess-old
- Reload your site
If that fixes it, the .htaccess file has a mistake. For WordPress, go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes to make a fresh one.
Wrong File Permissions
Files should be 644 and folders 755. Files set to 777 can cause a 500 error on our servers. Fix them in File Manager by right-clicking and choosing Change Permissions.
PHP Version
If the site broke after a PHP change, switch back in MultiPHP Manager. See How to Change Your PHP Version.
Running Out of Memory
If the error log mentions "Allowed memory size exhausted", raise memory_limit in the MultiPHP INI Editor, for example to 256M.
A WordPress Plugin
See How to Fix Common WordPress Errors.
4. Roll It Back
If you can't find the cause, restore your website files from before the problem with JetBackup.
Still Stuck?
Open a ticket with Technical Support with your website address and roughly when it started.
