How to solve WordPress 500 errors?

Several issues, including corrupted files, plugin conflicts, or server misconfigurations can cause a 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress on Hostinger. Here’s how you can fix it:

1. Enable Debugging Mode

• Connect to your website via File Manager (in Hostinger’s hPanel) or FTP.
• Open the wp-config.php file and add the following lines before /* That's all, stop editing! */:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);

Check the wp-content/debug.log file for error details.

2. Increase PHP Memory Limit

In wp-config.php, add this line

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

If the error is due to insufficient memory, this should fix it.

3. Deactivate Plugins

• Go to File Manager or use FTP and navigate to wp-content/plugins/.
• Rename the plugins folder to plugins_old to deactivate all plugins.
• If your website works, rename it back and activate plugins one by one in the WordPress dashboard.

4. Check .htaccess File

• In the File Manager, find the .htaccess file in the root directory (public_html).
• Rename it to .htaccess_old.
• Create a new .htaccess file and add the default WordPress rules.

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress

Save and check if the error is gone.

5. Change PHP Version

• Go to hPanel > Advanced > PHP Configuration.
• Try switching between PHP 7.4, 8.0, or 8.1 and check if the issue resolves.

6. Re-upload Core WordPress Files

• Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org.
• Upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders to replace the existing ones.

7. Contact Hostinger Support

If none of these work, contact Hostinger Support for assistance, as the issue might be on the server side.

Let me know if you need help with any step!

Thanks for reading 😊