Troubleshooting 500 and Server Errors
What a 500 error means on your WSM site, the checks to run first, and what to send support so it gets fixed fast.
A 500 (Internal Server Error) means the server hit a problem building the page — unlike a 404, which means the page does not exist. This article covers the checks you can run yourself and exactly what to report if the error persists.
Step 1: Determine the scope
- One page only — usually content- or template-related on that page (a recent edit, a malformed embed, or bad data on a product).
- Whole site — check the WSM service status page first (see "Where can I see the service status of Web Shop Manager?"). If an incident is posted, our team is already on it.
- Only for you — if customers can load the site but you cannot, clear your browser cache and cookies (see "Troubleshooting Browser errors") and test in an Incognito window and a second browser.
Step 2: Rule out recent changes
Most single-page 500s follow a recent change. Ask yourself (and anyone else with admin access):
- Was a template, snippet, or page HTML edited in the last day? Re-check the edit or revert it.
- Did an import just run? Malformed rows (broken characters, wrong delimiters) can break the pages that display those products. See IMPORTING BASICS for safe import practice.
- Was a new integration, feed, or embed script added to the affected page?
Step 3: Clear the site cache
After reverting or fixing a change, clear the site-wide cache so all visitors get the fresh version:
- In Web Shop Manager, hover over System and click Configuration.
- Click Save Changes (saving configuration clears the site cache).
- Reload the affected page in an Incognito window.
Step 4: Report it
If the error persists, submit a service desk ticket with the following — this is what lets our engineers find the exact request in the server logs:
- The full URL(s) showing the error
- Date and time you saw it, including your timezone
- A screenshot of the error page
- What you were doing when it happened (viewing, checking out, saving in admin, importing)
- Whether the front end, the admin, or both are affected
Note: Time-sensitive outage? The status page always carries the latest incident updates, and posted incidents do not require a ticket per affected site.
Related errors
- 404 Not Found — the page does not exist; see 404 ERRORS for finding and redirecting them.
- SSL / handshake warnings — certificate-related; if the status page shows no incident, report with a screenshot including the browser's error code.
- Slow pages rather than errors — often crawl- or image-related; see RESOLVING CRAWL ERRORS and image best practices.