500 Internal Server Error

What Is a 500 Internal Server Error?

The 500 Internal Server Error is a very general HTTP status code that means something has gone wrong on the web site's server but the server could not be more specific on what the exact problem is.
Note: If the 500 Internal Server Error is on a website that you operate, please see Fixing 500 Internal Server Error Problems on Your Own Site below for some better advice.
The 500 Internal Server Error message might be seen in any number of ways because each website is allowed to customize the message.
Several common ways that you might see the HTTP 500 error include 500 Internal Server Error, HTTP 500 - Internal Server Error, Temporary Error (500), Internal Server Error, HTTP 500 Internal Error, 500 Error, HTTP Error 500, and 500. That's an error... among others.
Since a 500 Internal Server Error is generated by the website you're visiting, you could see one in any browser in any operating system, even on your smartphone.
Most of the time, a 500 Internal Server Error displays inside the Internet browser window, just as web pages do.

Cause of HTTP 500 Errors

As I mentioned above, Internal Server Error messages indicate that something in general is wrong.
Most of the time, "wrong" means an issue with the page or site's programming but there's certainly a chance the problem is on your end, something we'll investigate below.
Note: More specific information about the cause of a particular HTTP 500 error is often provided when it occurs on a server using Microsoft IIS software. Look for numbers after 500 as in HTTP Error 500.19 - Internal Server Error which means Configuration data is invalid. See More Ways You Might See an Internal Server Error below for the complete list.