What Do 403, 404, 500 and 503 Errors Mean and How Do I Fix Them?

If you see an error code when opening your website, the code helps you understand where the problem is. You can find detailed error logs in Plesk under Websites & Domains > Logs, and in cPanel under Metrics > Errors.

403 Forbidden

The server does not allow access to the requested page.

• Make sure there is an index.php or index.html file in the root folder.
• Check file permissions: folders should be 755, files 644.
• Check whether the .htaccess file has lines that block access (Deny from all).
• A security plugin or firewall may have blocked your IP address.

404 Not Found

The requested page or file does not exist on the server.

• Make sure the address is typed correctly; upper and lower case matter on Linux servers.
• Check that the files were uploaded to the right folder (httpdocs or public_html).
• If all pages return 404 in WordPress, go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save without changing anything.

500 Internal Server Error

There is an error in your site's code or settings.

• The most common cause is a broken .htaccess file. Temporarily rename it to .htaccess_old and try again.
• Disable the last plugin or theme you installed (by renaming its folder).
• If you changed the PHP version, switch back to the old one.
• Increase the memory_limit value.
• The last lines of the error log show exactly which file has the problem.

503 Service Unavailable

The server cannot handle the request at the moment.

• Your account's resource limits (CPU, memory, concurrent processes) may have been exceeded. A sudden traffic spike or bot attack is a common cause.
• WordPress may be in maintenance mode during an update. If a .maintenance file is left in the root folder, delete it.
• If the problem continues, open a support ticket.

Other common errors

• 502 / 504: The server did not get a response from the background process in time. Usually caused by a long-running PHP request.
• ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: There is a redirect loop. Check your .htaccess redirects and that the site address (http/https) in WordPress is correct.