HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

Server error code, RFC 9110, section 15.6.1

What it means

Something broke on the server and it does not know how to describe it. The request itself may be fine.

A real response

This is the request and the answer our test server gave when we asked it to return 500.

GET /c/500 HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

HTTP/1.1 500 Internal Server Error
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2026 10:00:00 GMT
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: 11

<p>demo</p>

If you run the site

It is a catch-all for unhandled errors. Read the server or application error log at the time of the request: it has the real reason (a code exception, a wrong setting, a failed database call, a bad rewrite rule). Do not show stack traces to visitors.

If you are a visitor

Reload after a minute. If it stays, the problem is on the site and only its owner can fix it.

A common mistake

Showing technical details to visitors, or returning 500 for errors that are the client's fault (use 4xx).

Registered in the IANA HTTP Status Code Registry as Internal Server Error, defined in RFC 9110, section 15.6.1.

This is an independent guide. It is not connected with the IETF, IANA, any browser maker or any company named here. Meanings were checked against the RFC texts on 14 November 2026. Responses shown were recorded on 14 November 2026 from a small test server on the author's own computer.