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WordPress Critical Error vs. 500 Internal Server Error: What’s the Difference?

Editorial Staff
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You’re working on your WordPress website, sipping coffee, and feeling productive. Suddenly… BAM! Your screen flashes a weird error. Panic sets in. Is it a WordPress Critical Error? Or is it a 500 Internal Server Error? You’re frustrated and confused. Don’t worry — you’re not alone!

These two errors are often misunderstood. They sound scary, but they don’t have to be. Let’s break them down and understand the differences in a fun, easy way.

What’s a WordPress Critical Error?

Imagine your WordPress site is a fancy coffee machine. Each plugin, theme, and line of code is a different part of that machine. Now imagine one part starts to malfunction — the milk frother goes wild or the water tank doesn’t fill.

That’s a WordPress Critical Error. It means something in your WordPress code is completely jamming the system.

Common causes include:

When this happens, WordPress gives up and displays the message: “There has been a critical error on your website.”

Sometimes, it also sends an email to the admin. This email includes a recovery link. Big time saver!

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Okay, So What’s a 500 Internal Server Error?

While a WordPress Critical Error is about problems within WordPress itself, a 500 Internal Server Error comes from the server — the computer that hosts your website.

This error is like your coffee machine suddenly losing power. The machine may be fine, but something is wrong with the electricity.

The server tries to process your request but fails. It doesn’t even know why it failed! So it throws its hands up and gives you a super vague message: “500 Internal Server Error.”

Common causes include:

This is a backend issue. Sometimes WordPress isn’t even the one to blame.

Key Differences at a Glance

Let’s compare both errors side by side:

Error Type WordPress Critical Error 500 Internal Server Error
Source of Problem Within WordPress (themes, plugins, code) On the server hosting the site
Error Message “There has been a critical error on your website.” “500 Internal Server Error”
Access to Site Possible with recovery mode Usually not accessible
Fix Involves Debugging plugins, themes, PHP errors Server settings, files, memory limits

How To Fix a WordPress Critical Error

Step-by-step, here’s how you handle it:

  1. Check your email — look for that recovery link from WordPress.
  2. Log into recovery mode — disable the plugin or theme causing problems.
  3. Turn on WordPress Debug Mode — open your wp-config.php file and add this line: 
    define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
  4. View the error logs — find what’s causing the crash.
  5. Update or replace the plugin/theme — or revert any code you changed.

Once you’ve fixed the issue, breathe easy. Your site should be back.

How To Fix a 500 Internal Server Error

This one can be trickier since the server is hiding the details. But here’s a good plan:

  1. Rename or delete your .htaccess file — corrupt settings can break things.
  2. Increase PHP memory limit — modify your wp-config.php to add: 
    define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
  3. Deactivate plugins — do this manually using FTP or file manager.
  4. Revert recent changes — did you just edit a file or install something?
  5. Ask your host for help — if all else fails, it could be a server issue on their end.

Tips To Avoid These Errors in the Future

Prevention is always better than panic. Here are some easy tips:

Can One Error Lead to the Other?

Great question! Sometimes, yes.

If a WordPress plugin writes bad code to the server, it might trigger a 500 error. And a 500 error might block WordPress from loading properly, causing a critical error.

They may be different problems, but sometimes they hold hands and mess you up together!

Final Thoughts

Both the WordPress Critical Error and the 500 Internal Server Error are unpleasant guests. But now you know how to deal with them without the stress.

Just remember:

Either way, with a little detective work (and a useful backup), you can fix it and get back to building your amazing website!

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