How to Fix the WordPress 500 Internal Server Error
Wordpress 500 error fix
Updated: December 28, 2025 • Use this as a practical workflow. Provider dashboards change—adapt the steps to your UI.
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Quick triage
- Disable plugins by renaming the plugins folder.
- Switch to a default theme temporarily.
- Increase PHP memory limit if possible.
Logs
- Check server error logs.
- Enable WP_DEBUG on staging to pinpoint issues.
Common root causes
- Plugin conflicts
- PHP version mismatch
- Corrupt .htaccess
Next steps
- True Cost Calculator (avoid billing surprises)
- Core Web Vitals checklist (speed basics)
- WordPress backups best practices
- Best WordPress hosting for X