500, 502 and 503 errors

Something went wrong on the website's own server. It isn't your device or your connection. Sometimes it clears in minutes; sometimes the site needs fixing.

What you'll see

500 Internal Server Error
The site's software broke while making the page. Often after an update, a new plugin or a settings change.
502 Bad Gateway
One part of the site's setup couldn't get an answer from another part, often a busy or restarting server.
503 Service Unavailable
The site is overloaded or down for maintenance.

If you're visiting a site

  1. Wait a minute and refresh the page.
  2. Try again later. 502 and 503 errors often clear by themselves.
  3. If you were paying for something, check your email or bank before trying again, so you don't pay twice.

Stuck, and someone's helping you? Send them your details with My setup, or a screenshot and the error messages with PageKiwi for Chrome.

If it's your site

  1. Run Site health to see if the site answers at all.
  2. Did anything change just before it started: an update, a new plugin or theme, a settings change? Undo that first. On WordPress, turning off the newest plugin often fixes a 500.
  3. Ask your web host. They can see the server's error log, which says exactly what broke. Tell them the time it started and the page.
  4. 503s at busy times can mean your hosting plan is too small for your visitors.

Tools that help: Site health, Site Watch.