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# How to Fix a 500 Internal Server Error by Regenerating Your .htaccess File

The 500 Internal Server Error is arguably one of the most frustrating and ambiguous errors a website owner can face. Unlike a 404 error (page not found) or a 403 error (forbidden), the 500 error gives you almost no clue as to what went wrong. It’s a general server-side problem that essentially means, “Something went wrong on the server, and I can’t tell you what.”
In WordPress, while this error can stem from various sources—such as PHP memory limits, faulty plugin code, or theme conflicts—one of the most frequent and easily correctable causes is a corrupted or improperly configured .htaccess file.
For beginners, the .htaccess file can sound intimidating. It’s a powerful, hidden configuration file that controls how your server handles requests, redirects, and most importantly for WordPress, permalinks. If this file contains a syntax error or has been corrupted by a bad plugin installation or update, it can instantly trigger the 500 Internal Server Error.
Fortunately, fixing a corrupted .htaccess file is often a straightforward process involving renaming the old file and allowing WordPress to generate a new, clean version. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to diagnose and correct the 500 Internal Server Error by regenerating your .htaccess file.
Understanding the Culprit: The .htaccess File
The .htaccess file is a core configuration file used by Apache web servers (the most common type of server). The “ht” stands for hypertext, and “access” refers to its control over directory access.
For a WordPress site, the .htaccess file’s primary job is to manage URL rewriting—the process that makes your website’s links clean and user-friendly (e.g., changing a link from /?p=123 to /my-awesome-post/). This feature is controlled by your Permalinks settings in the WordPress dashboard.
Common reasons why .htaccess causes a 500 error:

Corrupt Code: A plugin or theme modification inserted an incorrect or conflicting line of code into the file.
Incorrect Permissions: The file permissions were set too high or too low, preventing the server from reading it correctly.
Typos or Syntax Errors: A manual edit or migration introduced a simple typo, which the server cannot parse.

Prerequisites: What You Need
Since the 500 Internal Server Error typically locks you out of your WordPress admin dashboard, you must access your site’s files directly.

FTP Client: You’ll need an FTP client like FileZilla, Cyberduck, or Transmit to connect to your web server.
FTP Credentials: Your hostname, username, and password, provided by your web host.
A Text Editor: To view and potentially edit files (though we’ll only be renaming one initially).

Step-by-Step Guide to Regenerating .htaccess
The most effective way to test if the .htaccess file is the cause of the 500 error is to temporarily disable it. This is done by renaming the file.
Step 1: Connect to Your Server via FTP or File Manager
Use your FTP client to connect to your web host.

Enter your credentials into the client and connect.
Once connected, navigate to your website’s root directory. This is the primary folder containing the three essential WordPress directories: wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes.
Locate the .htaccess file. Note that since this file begins with a dot (.), it is a hidden file. If you don’t see it, check your FTP client’s settings to ensure “Show hidden files” or “Force showing of hidden files” is enabled.

Step 2: Rename the Corrupted .htaccess File
The goal here is to keep the original file as a backup while disabling it.

Right-click on the .htaccess file.
Select Rename.
Rename the file to something easily identifiable, like htaccess_old or htaccess_backup.

Action Summary: By renaming the file, you have effectively deactivated the existing configuration. The server will now ignore the old, possibly corrupted rules.
Step 3: Test Your Website and Login

After renaming the file, the server will operate without any custom rewrite rules.

Clear your browser cache (this is an essential step).
Visit your website’s front end and the WordPress login page (yourdomain.com/wp-admin).

Scenario A: The Site Loads Successfully! (The Fix Worked) 🎉
If your site now loads without the 500 error, you have successfully isolated the problem. The old .htaccess file was the culprit.

Immediate Caveat: While your site is back up, you’ll likely notice that any links to internal pages (permalinks) other than the homepage result in a 404 error. This is because WordPress needs to generate a new file with the correct rules.

Scenario B: The 500 Error Persists (The Fix Did Not Work) 😞
If the 500 error is still present, the .htaccess file is NOT the cause. You must immediately proceed to Step 6 (Advanced Troubleshooting) to restore the file and try other fixes.
Step 4: Regenerate the New .htaccess File
Since the error is gone, you can now log into your dashboard and have WordPress create a clean, new .htaccess file containing the correct permalink structure.

Log into your WordPress admin dashboard.
Navigate to Settings $\rightarrow$ Permalinks.
Do not make any changes to the settings (unless you need to).
Simply click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page.

Result: Clicking “Save Changes” forces WordPress to check for and write the standard, default rewrite rules to a brand new .htaccess file in your root directory.
Step 5: Final Verification

Verify the new file is in place by checking your FTP client. You should see a fresh .htaccess file alongside your old htaccess_backup.
Test all your website links. The homepage, category pages, and individual posts should now load correctly without any 404 errors.

Advanced Troubleshooting: When .htaccess is Not the Issue
If renaming the .htaccess file did not resolve the 500 Internal Server Error (Scenario B), you need to look at the next two most common causes:
A. Increase PHP Memory Limit
A 500 error can be a symptom of a script consuming more memory than your server allows.

Restore the Original .htaccess File: Via FTP, delete the temporary file you created (if any) and rename htaccess_backup back to .htaccess.
Locate wp-config.php: This file is also in your WordPress root directory.
Edit the file and insert the following line of code just before the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */:

PHP


define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');





Save and upload the file. Check your site again.

B. Deactivate All Plugins
Plugin conflicts are the second most common cause of the 500 error.

Via FTP, navigate to wp-content/ and locate the plugins folder.
Rename the plugins folder to something like plugins_deactivated. This instantly deactivates all plugins on your site.
Check your website.

If the error is gone, a plugin was the cause. Rename the folder back to plugins, log into your dashboard, and reactivate them one-by-one until the error returns. The last one activated is the problem.
If the error persists, plugins are not the cause.



What to Do with the Old .htaccess File

Once you’ve successfully regenerated the new file and confirmed your site is fully operational, you can delete the htaccess_backup file from your server.
However, if you had specific custom rules in the old file (such as custom redirects, security headers, or rules for caching), you can manually copy those sections from the htaccess_backup and paste them into the new .htaccess file, testing the site after each addition to ensure the added code doesn’t cause the error to return.
Conclusion
The 500 Internal Server Error is a frustrating roadblock, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent one. By using the methodical approach of isolating and fixing the .htaccess file, you address one of the most frequent causes of the problem. This process—renaming the file, testing, and allowing WordPress to regenerate a clean version—is a quick and non-destructive way to restore functionality. When coupled with advanced checks like increasing the PHP memory limit and deactivating plugins, you have a complete and powerful toolkit for troubleshooting and resolving the mysterious 500 error.