How To Fix 500 Internal Server Error NGINX (2024)

Are you getting internal server error 500 in NGINX? If your answer is YES then look no further as we have got you covered.

A lot of users took to social media platforms and complained that they are encountering the internal server error 500 in NGINX while accessing a website.

You must be thinking that this error is happening due to your internet connection or some other issues in your device.

Unfortunately, this error is nothing to do with your device or your internet connection. There are multiple reasons that could cause the internal server error 500 in NGINX and of them is a server outage.

In this guide, we will not only teach you how to fix the NGINX internal server error 500 but also explain all possible reasons that could lead you to this frustrating error.

Without any further ado, let’s get started:

What is a 500 Internal Server Error in NGINX?

NGINX is open-source software that is widely used for web serving, reverse proxying, caching, load balancing, media streaming, and more.

But because of the issue in the background servers, people are getting the 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX.

This error occurs due to many reasons such as faulty script, missing files, improper file permissions, etc.

Irrespective of what reason cause this NGINX error, we have mentioned a bunch of ways that can be used to fix it.

How to Fix 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX

To make your work easier, we have got you a bunch of ways that can be used to resolve the internal server error 500.

To know what those methods are and how they work, you need to keep on reading:

1. Hard Refresh

Sometimes, users encounter the 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX because they attempt to access the website or web service the moment it is restarted.

Another reason for getting this error is that there are too many requests on the server and it does not have enough resources to handle them.

In that case, you need to hard refresh the web page to fix the 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX.

To do so, press the following keys on your keyboard,

  • Windows: Ctrl + F5
  • Mac: Apple + R or Cmd + R
  • Linux: F5

2. Examine Server Logs

If hard refresh does not for you then you should try to Examine the Server Logs.

For the unversed, the server stores information about requested URLs and response codes for each request in the Server Logs.

To find out which request results in 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX, you need to open the server log.

In the logs, you need to find out which request actually caused the 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX.

Once you find out the request that causes the problem, you have to request them again in the browser.

3. Check File/Folder Permission

You must be getting the 500 Internal Server Errors in NGINX because of improper file or folder permissions.

To fix this issue, you need to check the permission of your files and folders.

Generally, files need 644 permission, and folders need 755 permission to run properly.

If you find any file or folder that has permissions other than these then you need to change it.

FileZilla command in Windows and chmod command in Linux to modify file permissions.

4. Increase Script Timeout

500 internal server error in NGINX could also occur because your web server is timing out on the request.

In such a case, you need to increase the time-out value of your webserver to resolve this error.

That’s all you need to know about how to fix the NGINX internal server error 500.

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