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Common website errors and what they mean

500, 403, 404, "Error establishing a database connection" and more.

1 min read Updated

Error What it usually means What to try
500 Internal Server Error A problem in the website’s code or the .htaccess file Check Errors in cPanel (under Metrics) for details. Undo recent changes. Try a different PHP version.
403 Forbidden Wrong file permissions, or no index file Folders should be 755 and files 644. Make sure index.php or index.html exists in public_html.
404 Not Found The page or file doesn’t exist at that address Check the spelling and the upload location. In WordPress, go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save.
Error establishing a database connection The website can’t reach its database Check the details in the site’s config file (e.g. wp-config.php) match your database.
This site can’t be reached / DNS error The domain isn’t pointing anywhere See My domain isn’t working.
Account suspended Usually an unpaid invoice Pay the invoice under Billing → My Invoices.
Your connection is not private An SSL problem See Fix “Not Secure” warnings.
508 / Resource limit reached Your site is using more CPU or memory than your plan allows Check Resource Usage in cPanel. Add caching, or upgrade your plan.

Seeing the real error

In cPanel, open Errors (under Metrics) to see the most recent errors logged for your site. For WordPress, your developer can temporarily turn on WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php.

If the website broke after an update and you can’t fix it, restoring a backup from before the change is often quickest.

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