When a site breaks, the number on screen is not decoration: it tells you which side the problem is on. Three or four of them are worth knowing how to read.
| Code |
What is happening |
| 500 Internal Server Error |
The server tried to run the site and something blew up. Usual suspects: a broken .htaccess, wrong permissions, or a plugin/theme that failed after an update. |
| 403 Forbidden |
Access was refused. Either the folder has no index file, or permissions are wrong, or our security system blocked the request as suspicious. |
| 404 Not Found |
The address does not exist. If it hit the whole site at once, on WordPress it is usually .htaccess — saving the permalinks again fixes it. |
| 508 Resource Limit Reached |
Your plan hit its resource limit (CPU, memory or simultaneous processes). The site is not broken: it is asking for more than the plan allows. Check Resource Usage in cPanel. |
| 502 / 504 |
The service behind it took too long to answer. Usually a heavy database query or a process that got stuck. |
| Error establishing a database connection |
The database credentials in wp-config.php no longer match, or the database is not responding. |
| Blank white screen |
A PHP error with no visible message. The error_log in the site folder has the exact line. |
Error 508 deserves its own note
It is the most misunderstood one. It is not a fault on our side, and the site is not "broken": it is your site consuming more than the plan allows, and the server stopping it before it affects the neighbours. It typically shows up when the site has grown, when a new plugin is too heavy, or when someone is hammering the site with automated requests.
| 1 |
In cPanel, under Resource Usage, see which limit is being hit — CPU, memory or processes.
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| 2 |
If it started suddenly, disable the last plugin you installed and test again.
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| 3 |
Install a cache. It is the single change that usually cuts consumption by more than half without touching the content.
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| 4 |
If the site has genuinely grown, the limit no longer fits. Then the answer is a bigger plan, not more squeezing.
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Where to find the exact cause
In cPanel, under Errors, you get the server's latest messages. In the site folder, the error_log file holds the same with more detail. One line from those logs beats an hour of guessing — if you write to us, send it.
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Before you change anything, keep a way back. Rename .htaccess instead of deleting it, and keep a recent copy — see how to restore your data with JetBackup . Plenty of sites got worse while being fixed.
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