How to Fix the HTTP Error 503 Service Unavailable

Every day, millions of internet users encounter HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) Error 503. So, when you encounter a 503 Service Unavailable error, the website or web application you are trying to access is currently unavailable to serve you for some reason.

There are numerous reasons for a 503 Error, such as an error in the underlying software or hardware, or even malicious activity on the part of someone who owns or operates the site. However, as per the web standards, error 503 is returned mostly when the server is either down for maintenance or overloaded.

The most appropriate way is to ascertain what happened and try to fix the 503 Error as quickly as possible. However, it is not obvious to know what to do in such a situation. Therefore, in this tutorial, we’ll investigate what is HTTP Error 503, the various reasons for it, and how to fix 503 Errors.

What Is an HTTP Error 503?

503 error means that the web server is temporarily unable to process your request. This can be due to server maintenance or server overloading. You might see texts like “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable” or “HTTP Server Error 503” on the webpage.

Facing 503 error is very frustrating and ruins your surfing experience. It is also harmful to the website itself as 503 error pages can ruin its reputation and harm its web presence. These issues should be resolved ASAP by the website owners, and they should make sure to avoid them in the future.

503 Error Variations

The 503 error can appear in various ways, but it’s always accompanied by the 503 code. Here are some variations you might encounter, depending on your server configuration and browser:

• 503 Service Unavailable
• 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable
• Error 503 Service Unavailable
• HTTP Error 503
• HTTP Server Error 503
• The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

What Causes an HTTP Error 503?

One of web users’ most common error messages is HTTP Error 503 (Service Unavailable). Unfortunately, it’s a situation that the user must remedy, almost always due to a server issue. An overloaded server, insufficient resources, or configuration error are all examples of server-side issues.

Since the 503 error only concerns the server side of things, you can safely ignore the client side of things, like HTML, JS, CSS, or any other frontend component.

How to Fix the 503 Error?

503 Service Unavailable Error is expected to occur anytime and it may become a hindrance at your work. There are Different ways to solve a 503 Service Unavailable Error as an end user are:

• Refresh the page
• See if the page is down for other people
• Restart your Router
• Wait for some time
• Stop Running Processes

How to Fix the HTTP Error 503 as a Website Owner

You’ll have to troubleshoot the problem and determine its origin to fix it. To fix the 503 error as a website owner, you can follow the given steps:

1. Restart Your Server

Visitors may see a 503 (Service Unavailable) error message when your website is unavailable. This is because the server where your website is hosted is unavailable, which means your website will be unavailable.

You can restart your server to address this issue. This is generally effective at resolving the problem and allowing people to return. However, if the problem persists, ensure that your server has all of the latest upgrades installed and try restarting it again.

Don’t hesitate to approach a hosting company or web host if you need help.

2. Check If Your Web Server is Running into Maintenance

You might get an HTTP 503 error when your web server is down for maintenance. The server is down and unable to serve requests due to this mistake.

If your web server is under maintenance and you want to check if it’s done, try reaccessing the website after it’s completed. Depending on your browser or server’s configuration, you may have to restart it if all of these steps fail.

3. Fix Faulty Firewall Configurations

Firewalls are required for computer and network security, but they may also Report HTTP Error 503.

It’s critical to determine what may be causing this problem and take action to correct it if you’re encountering it. This might consist of disabling any unnecessary services on the firewall that are causing issues or even rebooting your computer or router.

4. Sift Through Your Server-Side Logs

When there is a problem with your website or server, HTTP Error 503 is the most common status code. You’ll have to go through your server-side logs and locate the problem to solve it.

Sometimes, simply fixing the problem is sufficient, but other times you’ll need to contact your hosting provider or utilize a third-party service.

Making sure that server-side errors don’t reoccur is essential – this might mean keeping detailed error logs and using browser add-ons like Google Analytics to monitor web page visits.

How to Fix the 503 Error in WordPress

When attempting to access a WordPress website, you might get the HTTP error 503 (Service Unavailable). This may be because of various factors out of WordPress’s hands.

Follow these 8 easy steps to resolve the 503 error:

Step 1. Temporarily Deactivate Your WordPress Plugins

Go to the plugin’s settings page and uncheck the box that says ‘Enabled’ to disable it temporarily. Then, try restarting your WordPress site after you’ve disabled the plugin to see if the problem persists. You’ll have to manually delete or disable the extension from your server if it isn’t working.

Step 2. Deactivate Your WordPress Theme

From the WordPress Theme Repository, deactivate your theme before installing a new one. Also, ensure all your plugins and themes are the latest versions. If these procedures fail, you’ll need to contact your theme’s creator to resolve the problem.

Step 3. Temporarily Disable Your Content Delivery Network (CDN)

You can temporarily disable it if your WordPress site uses a content delivery network (CDN) to see if the error goes away. First, look for the ‘Security’ section on your server’s configuration page. There are several options listed under the heading ‘Configure CDN.’ For now, disable it and see if the problem goes away.

Step 4. Limit the WordPress ‘Heartbeat’ API

Limiting the WordPress’ Heartbeat’ API usage might be your best option if you’re running into 503 errors regularly and need help figuring out the root cause. To do so, there are six simple steps:

Go to Settings > General > Performance and set the Limit HTTP Requests field to 100/day or 500/day, etc. Otherwise, your server will only work under heavy load if the configuration is correct or the resources are sufficient.

Step 5. Limit Google’s Crawl Rate

Google’s crawler is a piece of software that collects and organizes information on the Internet in an index to investigate the contents of websites. The crawler travels from site to site and Internet page to page, hunting for fresh material or potential updates of previously explored material.

Another factor that causes 503 errors in WordPress is Google’s maximum crawl rate, which can be avoided by following these steps:

• Upgrade the hosting plan.
• Take a break from the task and do not update anything for a while. You’ll miss visits, but it’s necessary at times.
• The regular use of the internet will return when traffic levels normalize.
• If you have a flood of visitors, optimize WordPress to prevent it from sucking up too many resources and causing a 503 error.

Also Read: How to Tell Google Which Pages Not to Crawl

Step 6. Increase Your Server’s Resources

Increasing your server’s resources may be your only option if you cannot resolve the problem using any of the preceding methods. To increase your server’s resources, ask your hosting provider and request additional resources (CPU/memory).

Step 7. Review Your Logs and Enable WP_DEBUG

It may be beneficial to review your logs and enable WP_DEBUG if the problem persists after increasing your server resources. Then, you’ll have more insight into what’s happening inside the machine.

Step 8. Use a VPN

Since there is a chance that the website isn’t just operating in your region, a virtual private network would suffice as a remedy since some sites have separate servers for various nations. You may easily create your VPN using a third-party service.

Conclusion

Web admins and users commonly encounter HTTP Error 503, a standard error code. 503 error code indicates that the server on which the web page is hosted is unavailable for some reason. Network problems, server overload, or unannounced server maintenance are the most common causes of 503 errors.

In most situations, changing the web page’s server location or moving it to a different server fixes the problem immediately. neveropen has provided simple and easy solutions to fix the 503 error.

Also Read:

• What are HTTP Status Codes?
• How To Troubleshoot Common HTTP Error Codes?
• 10 Most Common HTTP Status Codes

Frequently Asked Questions – HTTP 503 Error

What does “503 servers temporarily unavailable” mean?

The 503 Server Temporarily Unavailable Error means your website is thrown by server overload. Where your websites are hosted is known as a server. For example, you can imagine it as the land on which your home is constructed.

Is Error 503 user’s fault?

No, the 503 error is rarely a user’s fault. If you are seeing it in your browser, you should let the website owners know, if you can.

What is Error 503 backend fetch failed?

Any browser, including Windows 11, back to Windows XP, macOS, Linux, etc., may experience 503 Service Unavailable errors. Even your smartphone or other non-traditional devices can do it. You may get a 503 in certain circumstances if you have internet access.

Is 503 error permanent?

No, 503 error is t typically never permanent. It just indicates that the web server temporarily can not process your request. You will be able to see the page contents, after the web server is resolved.

How do I fix 503 network error

Fixing 503 network error depends on whether you are a user or website owner. Here are some solutions you can try:

for users:

• refresh the page
• clear cookies and cache
• restart router
• use a different browser/device

for website owners:

• fix technical glitches
• manage server overloading
• check for server maintenance
• contact web-hosting provider