PrestaShop is a popular e-commerce platform that allows you to create and manage your online store. However, sometimes you may encounter a problem that prevents your website from functioning properly and displays a white screen with a “HTTP 500 error” or “Internal server error”. This is a frustrating situation that can affect your sales and reputation, so it is important to know how to fix it quickly and efficiently.

What is PrestaShop Error 500?

A HTTP 500 error (or internal server error) is a generic message that indicates that something went wrong on the web server that hosts your website, but the server cannot provide more details about the cause of the error. This means that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request from the browser.

There are many possible reasons for this error, such as:

• Incorrect PHP settings
• Programming errors
• File or folder permissions issues
• Corrupted .htaccess file
• Incompatible modules or themes
• Server overload or downtime

Since the error message is vague and does not point to a specific source of the problem, it can be challenging to troubleshoot and fix it. However, there are some steps that you can take to identify and resolve the issue.

How to Fix PrestaShop Error 500?

The first thing you should do when you encounter a PrestaShop error 500 is to enable the debug mode in your PrestaShop back office. This will allow you to see more detailed information about the error and its location in the code.

To enable the debug mode, go to Advanced Parameters > Performance > Debug Mode and turn it on. Then, refresh the page that caused the error and you should see something like this:

The debug mode will show you a stack trace of the functions that were executed before the error occurred, along with the file name, line number, and code snippet for each function. You can use this information to narrow down the possible causes of the error and look for solutions.

Here are some common scenarios that may cause a PrestaShop error 500 and how to fix them:

The error is caused by your own modifications in the theme templates

If you have made any changes to the theme templates of your PrestaShop store, such as adding or removing PHP or Smarty code, calling a non-existent resource, or using incorrect syntax, you may have introduced an error that breaks your website.

To fix this, you need to undo your modifications or correct them according to the PrestaShop documentation and best practices. You can also compare your modified files with the original ones from your theme folder or from a backup and look for any differences.

The error is caused by an external module

If you have installed or updated any modules from third-party sources, they may be incompatible with your PrestaShop version, with other modules, or with your theme. They may also contain bugs or errors that affect your website functionality.

To fix this, you need to disable or uninstall the problematic module and contact its developer for support. You can also check if there are any updates or patches available for the module that may solve the issue.

The error is caused by PrestaShop itself

If none of the above scenarios apply to your case, then the problem may be related to PrestaShop itself. It may be due to a bug in the core code, a corrupted file, a missing dependency, or a configuration issue.

To fix this, you need to check if there are any updates available for your PrestaShop version that may address the issue. You can also try to clear the cache, regenerate the .htaccess file, reset the file permissions, or reinstall PrestaShop from scratch.

If none of these solutions work, then you may need to report the bug to the PrestaShop GitHub repository and wait for a response from the development team. Make sure to provide as much information as possible about your issue, such as:

• Your PrestaShop version
• Your PHP version
• Your server configuration
• The steps to reproduce the error
• The debug mode output
• Any relevant screenshots or logs

PrestaShop error 500 is a common problem that can occur on any website hosted on a web server. It indicates that something went wrong on the server side, but it does not specify what exactly caused it. Therefore, it requires some investigation and troubleshooting to find and fix the source of the problem.

The best way to start is by enabling the debug mode in your PrestaShop back office and looking at the detailed information about the error. Then, you can try some of the common solutions mentioned above depending on whether the error is caused by your own modifications, an external module, or PrestaShop itself.

We hope this article helped you understand what PrestaShop error 500 is and how to fix it on your online store. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.