What is a 500 internal server error and how do I fix it?

SEEING a 500 internal server error message pop up can be frustrating when trying to load a webpage.

As it's a generic response which covers a number of potential issues, diagnosing the problem straight away can be tricky - but here's some hints to get you started.

A 500 internal server error occurs when your server is unable to load a website but cannot identify the specific error.

When the problem is unable to be diagnosed, a generic internal server error message will be displayed.

As opposed to other error messages which indicate what is causing a glitch, this text can be displayed to cover a number of issues, according to HubSpot.

These can often be temporary glitches like a permissions error, faulty third-party plugins or themes, a corrupted or broken .htaccess file or the PHP memory limit has been exhausted.

There are a series of troubleshooting techniques you can try to get the page to load.

Often in the case of tech issues, the classic "try turning it on and off again" may prompt an eye-roll - but it can actually reboot the system.

Try refreshing the page first as if it's just a temporary glitch, you might get lucky.

If not, turn your device off at the wall, give it a couple of minutes and then turn back on.

When logging in, make sure your internet connection is stable. Check a few other websites, then give loading your desired webpage another go.

This will take a few minutes, which can also give the website time to sort out any issues on the server side.

If it's still not working, give it an hour and try again as developer's on the site end might need some time to sort.

In the case of it still failing to load, and the website's spelling is correct, you've refreshed, rebooted and waited some time, it's time to delete your browser's cookies.

Deleting the cookies might help reload the page if they are associated with the error-prone site.

You can also check what's going on with the website by typing it into 'downforeveryoneorjustme.com'.

If the website is down for multiple people, you will know it's an issue that you have to wait to be resolved on the server's side.