5xx Server errors
500 Internal Server Error
The server hit an unexpected error and couldn't finish the request.
Common causes
- A bug or unhandled exception in the application.
- A broken configuration after a deploy.
- A database or other dependency failing.
How to fix it
- Check the application's error logs for the stack trace.
- Roll back the latest deploy if it started right after one.
- Add a monitor so you hear about 500s before your users do.
Find out the moment your site returns 500
Spot Downtime monitors count this as down and alert you, since visitors see an error. (The public “Is it down?” checker treats 4xx answers from big sites as online, because many refuse automated requests.)