How to Fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error in WordPress

If you’re experiencing a 502 Bad Gateway error in WordPress then you’re going to want to find a quick fix. This can be a challenging error to solve, but here are some of the easiest solutions that you can use that even those who aren’t tech-savvy can do.

What is a 502 Bad Gateway Error?

A 502 bad gateway error happens when the hosting server to your WordPress website gets an invalid response to the page that is trying to be reached. It is a fairly common WordPress error that most people experience at least once when they run a WordPress website. There are numerous reasons why this happens and there are different styles that this error might display as.

The most common reason for the 502 Bad Gateway error is that the response from the server is taking too long. This can be just a temporary error that will go away when there is less traffic to the site or the server isn’t completing another task. Or the error could be caused by a theme or plugin with bad coding. Finally, it can also be caused by a server misconfiguration.

So how do you fix the error? Here are some solutions.

Step 1 – Try Loading the Website Again

The first problem might be there is high traffic to your website at the moment you were trying to access it. This often means that the problem will solve itself after a few minutes. Therefore, try again in a few minutes.

If this has fixed the problem, then there are no more fixes at present. However, you can try to prevent this from happening again by adding bandwidth and resources to your website, especially if this is a regular occurrence on your website.

You might also want to clear your browser cache. Sometimes the problem has been resolved, but your browser cache is keeping the error page showing.

Step 2 – Disable the Firewall or CDN

If you’re using a website firewall or Content Delivery Network, then there is a chance that the servers there are acting up. To ensure this is not the case, temporarily disable them. Once disabled you can check the website again.

If this is the problem, then you can contact the provider of the Firewall/CDN and see what they can do.

Step 3 – WordPress Themes and Plugins

Plugins and themes are often a problem with WordPress errors. Therefore, access your website’s FTP and then deactivate all the WordPress plugins and check if the problem has been resolved. If it has, then one of your website’s plugins was the issue.

If you find the problem is a plugin, reactivate the plugins one by one on your website. When the problem reoccurs, the last plugin was the problem. You can then go back to your FTP, deactivate that plugin and then remove it from your website.

Step 4 – Check the Hosting Server

If the other options above don’t work, then you are likely looking at a problem with your host. Contact your hosting provider and see if there are any problems that might be affecting your business’ website. Most hosts will act quickly if there is a problem.  A host like Cloudways will respond within minutes.

Final Word: How to Fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error in WordPress

Above are the instructions on you can fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error in WordPress. This is a simple process that anyone can do and you don’t need to be a top-of-the-line website developer for the work.