Status Codes 404, 408, 500 or 503

Websites may occasionally return specific HTTP status codes that indicate different types of issues. Each status code points to a distinct cause, ranging from configuration changes to temporary maintenance or critical errors.

This KB explains the most common causes of 404, 408, 500, and 503 errors and how to resolve them.

A 404 error means the requested page or site cannot be found.

Common Causes

• Primary domain was removed or changed

• Incorrect redirect configuration

• Homepage URL misconfiguration

• Page or content was deleted

A 408 error usually indicates the site has been disabled and is no longer responding to requests.

Common Causes

• Site manually disabled

• Account or site paused

• Access restrictions applied

A 500 error signals a critical issue preventing the site from loading properly.

Common Causes

• Plugin conflicts

• Theme-related errors

• Faulty custom code

• PHP errors during execution

A 503 error indicates the site is temporarily unavailable.

Common Causes

• Plugin or theme updates in progress

• Maintenance or troubleshooting activity

• Temporary resource limitations

• Site being actively worked on

• Verify the primary domain is correctly assigned

• Check redirect rules, especially homepage redirects

• Confirm the homepage URL exists and is published

• Reach out to support to confirm why the site is disabled

• Support can re-enable the site once verified

• Disable recently added or updated plugins

• Switch to a default theme to test for theme conflicts

• Check error logs for PHP or fatal errors

• Allow time if maintenance or updates are in progress

Contact support if:

• The site is returning a 408 error

• You cannot identify the cause of a 500 or 503 error

• The site remains inaccessible after basic troubleshooting

• You need help restoring domain or redirect configurations

Provide the site URL and any recent changes to help speed up resolution.