My website has disappeared, error 500 showing

Internal server errors (error 500) are often caused by plugin or theme function conflicts, so if you have access to your admin panel, try deactivating all plugins. If you don’t have access to your admin panel, try manually resetting your plugins (no Dashboard access required). If that resolves the issue, reactivate each one individually until you find the cause.

If that does not resolve the issue, try switching to the default theme for your version of WordPress to rule-out a theme-specific issue. If you don’t have access to your admin panel, access your server via SFTP or FTP, or a file manager in your hosting account’s control panel, navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and rename the directory of your currently active theme. This will force the default theme to activate and hopefully rule-out a theme-specific issue.

If that does not resolve the issue, it’s possible that a .htaccess rule could be the source of the problem. To check for this, access your server via SFTP or FTP, or a file manager in your hosting account’s control panel, and rename the .htaccess file. If you can’t find a .htaccess file, make sure that you have set your SFTP or FTP client to view invisible files.

If you weren’t able to resolve the issue by either resetting your plugins and theme or renaming your .htaccess file, we may be able to help, but we’ll need a more detailed error message. Internal server errors are usually described in more detail in the server error log. If you have access to your server error log, generate the error again, note the date and time, then immediately check your server error log for any errors that occurred during that time period. If you don’t have access to your server error log, ask your hosting provider to look for you.

Hello David,

A 500 error could be the result of anything from a problem with your file system to an issue with your hosting server. It is always worth contacting your web host directly for an error like this. They may be able to resolve it for you.

Do you have access to your site via FTP? One thing to check is your .htaccess file, which should be found in your main WP directory (you may need to enable “Display Hidden Files” depending on your FTP program).

Sometimes a 500 error can be resolved by re-naming the current .htaccess file (to something like “.htaccess.bak“) and then creating and uploading a fresh .htaccess file.

You can copy the text for a basic .htaccess file here: Codex>htaccess

The other thing you could try via FTP is removing plugins &/or themes from the live site and see if it loads with just the default (something like no plugins and the Twenty SIxteen theme). If it does, you’ll then need to upload each plugin and theme individually to discover which one might be interfering with the site as a whole.

Plugins are found in: wpcontent>plugins
Themes are found in: wpcontent>themes

Hope this helps.

Thanks guys, I have limited knowledge of what you are talking about. In English, I update a site called Irish links.ie, it was set up on WordPress by a company called gravitate. When I wanted to login I had to follow a http:/irishlinks.ie/wp-login.php link. Which led me to login and subsequently to the dashboard, none of which work now. The last plugin I used was jetpack, and I opened a WordPress.com account. The webpage info came across to this site too back then, now that information has disappeared from the wordpress.com account too. I’m not sure what you guys mean by FTP or SFTP. really struggling..

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) refers to a method of uploading and downloading files to a website.

You can download Filezilla, a free FTP program that is really easy to use. It’s very similar to managing files on your own computer.

Then follow the directions the other posters have provided about disabling all your plugins using the FTP program, and hopefully that will give you access back into the site where you can start troubleshooting the problem by activating the plugins one at a time.

Hello David,

Sorry it is proving difficult. There are a lot of moving pieces!

Like sitedoctor911 noted above, FTP and SFTP are method used to directly upload and download files on your site. This is different from logging in to a WordPress dashboard. You will need your hosting information to use FTP or SFTP.

I still think you would be best served by contacting the support people at your web hosting company. You will want to rule out that this is a server issue first, before you start spending time trying to troubleshoot other possibilities. I have worked in web hosting and quite often a simple server reset was the answer to a 500 error with WordPress site.

According to a WHOIS search, your site is using servers at Blacknight Solutions. Here’s their Contact page.

Good luck!

Hello Tara,

I just noticed that my response and yours seem to have occurred at roughly the same time. I’m afraid I did not preview the thread before posting mine – I did not mean to simply repeat much of what you had offered as advice.

I’ve only just started offering help in these forums and I guess I’m still learning the ropes.

??

@homemadejam,

no problem. thanks for help.

@david Colley,

Here is a tutorial about how to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress, try reviewing it:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-fix-the-internal-server-error-in-wordpress/