HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

What HTTP 500 Internal Server Error means

500 Internal Server Error is the generic server-side failure — something went wrong on the server and it couldn't be more specific. It always points at the server or application code, never the client's request format.

Which category is it?

500 is a 5xx code — Server error. 5xx means the server failed to fulfil an apparently valid request. It's the server's responsibility, not the caller's.

Common causes

• An unhandled exception in application code
• A misconfiguration or failing dependency
• A database or downstream call that threw

How to fix it

• Check the server logs for the actual stack trace
• Reproduce locally and fix the failing code path
• Add error handling so failures return a clearer code

Other server error (5xx) codes