Internal Server Error
The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
Root Cause
An unhandled exception, null pointer dereference, database connection failure, or any unexpected server-side error.
How to Fix
Check server logs for the stack trace. Fix the underlying bug. Implement proper error handling and monitoring.
Quick Summary
500 is a generic server-side error. Check server logs for the stack trace. Implement error monitoring (Sentry, Datadog) to catch these in production. Never expose stack traces to clients.
Key Takeaways
- Always log the full stack trace server-side
- Never expose stack traces or internal details to clients
- Implement error monitoring (Sentry, Datadog, Rollbar) to catch 500s in production
- Return a generic error message to the client; log the details server-side
When to use it
- Unhandled exception in request handler
- Database connection failure
- Null pointer dereference
Common Mistakes
- Exposing stack traces to clients, this leaks implementation details and aids attackers
- Not monitoring 500 errors, use an error tracking service
500 Internal Server Error, Frequently Asked
How do I prevent 500 errors from reaching clients?
Add a global error handler that catches all unhandled exceptions, logs them, and returns a generic 500 response without internal details.
Still having issues?
Check your network logs or use our developer tools to inspect headers, decode tokens, or validate your requests.