FIX: Internal Service Error 500

This article will focus on WordPress related Internal Service Error 500 fixes.

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You may have a Corrupted .htaccess File 

Let’s troubleshoot by creating a new .htaccess file.

1. Login to cPanel
2. In the Files section, click on the File Manager icon.
3. Check the box for Document Root for and select the domain name you wish to access from the drop-down menu.
4. Make sure “Show Hidden Files (dotfiles)” is checked.
5. Click Go. The File Manager will open in a new tab or window.
6. Look for the .htaccess file in the list of files. You may need to scroll to find it.
7. Right-click on the .htaccess file >Rename it .htaccess.bak. Alternatively, you can click on the icon for the .htaccess file and then click on the Rename icon at the top of the page.

1. Back in the left-hand Navigation

• Click on Settings > Permalinks.
• Review settings to be sure they are set up properly.
• Click the Save Settings button.
• Try reloading the site to see if the 500 Internal Server error has been resolved.

Another cause could be the PHP Limit. You can increase your limit and see if that helps.

This can be done in your cpanel:

1. Software >
2. Select PHP Version >
3. Switch to PHP Options >
4. Locate Memory Limit >
5. Increase to max. 

One more cause could be plugin compatibility. Let’s say you just installed a new theme and now you’re receiving the error. You can disable them all by:

1. Log into cPanel.
2. In the Files section, click on the File Manager icon.
   Select Web Root (public_html/www) and the Document Root for the domain using the WordPress install, then click Go.
3. Click to expand the public_html folder, and navigate to the /wp-content/plugins folder.
4. Right-click on the /wp-content/plugins folder and rename it plugins.old. This will deactivate all of the plugins. In most cases, this will also lock the WordPress admin area as well. You will still be able to perform these steps from within the File Manager.
5. Reactivate the plugins folder by following the above instructions and renaming the folder plugins. This will allow you to reactivate each plugin individually to isolate the offending plugin and resolve the 500 Internal Server Error. This should also allow access to the WordPress Dashboard again.
6. In the wordpress dashboard Reactivate each plugin (one at a time) and refresh the website to see if the issue has been resolved.

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