500 - Internal Server Error on our website

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
You are experiencing 500 - Internal Server Errors on your website, which may be due to insufficient server resources to handle WPML's operations, especially under high load.
Solution:
We recommend checking if the issue persists after applying the steps outlined in https://wpml.org/faq/why-is-htaccess-getting-overwritten-with-the-language-folder-on-my-wpml-website/#how-can-i-identify-the-plugin-causing-this-and-fix-the-issue.

If this solution does not resolve the issue or seems irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If problems persist, please open a new support ticket with us for further assistance.

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Tagged: Documentation request

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Last updated by Bruno Kos 5 months ago.

Assisted by: Bruno Kos.

Author	Posts
April 14, 2025 at 11:15 am #16928659
Mohamed Amine Samet	Background of the issue: I am trying to resolve 500 errors on our website, hidden link. A significant portion of these errors are related to the sitepress-multilingual-cms (WPML). We suspect that the server's memory and CPU are insufficient to handle WPML's operations, especially under high load. We have examined the requirements at https://wpml.org/home/minimum-requirements/. I am sharing log files and screenshots for investigation. Please include Pierre Veysset in any communication between us. Symptoms: 500 - Internal Server Error on our website, potentially due to insufficient server resources for WPML operations. Questions: What can be done to resolve the 500 errors related to WPML? Are there specific server requirements we need to meet to prevent these errors?
April 14, 2025 at 11:45 am #16929077
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Let me know if the issue is there even after you applied https://wpml.org/faq/why-is-htaccess-getting-overwritten-with-the-language-folder-on-my-wpml-website/#how-can-i-identify-the-plugin-causing-this-and-fix-the-issue
April 15, 2025 at 9:11 am #16932602
Mohamed Amine Samet	Hello, Thank you Bruno. We will try that and get back to you. Best regards,
April 15, 2025 at 11:42 am #16933859
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Ok, keep me posted!
April 15, 2025 at 3:16 pm #16935049
Mohamed Amine Samet	Hello Bruno, You have suggested changing the way URLs are written. This is too risquy, please provide more information. And how to fix the issue we encountered with the log files—500 errors related to WPML. You can find here all corresponding files hidden link to investigate. Best regards,
April 16, 2025 at 12:11 pm #16938649
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for your feedback — totally understand your concern. To clarify, the code I suggested is a non-invasive workaround that adjusts how WordPress generates rewrite rules. It does not alter WPML’s core behavior or modify any URLs at runtime. ### What it does: - It simply updates the base path used in `.htaccess` rewrite rules to ensure they match the actual site root. - This helps prevent WPML from unnecessarily adding a language folder (like `/en/`) to URLs when it’s not needed. ### Why it's safe: - The change is made via a theme-level filter (`functions.php`) and is fully reversible. - It only affects how WordPress generates rewrite rules — nothing is permanently altered. - Unless rewrite rules are flushed (e.g., by saving permalinks), this filter won't trigger any changes. ### Why we recommend testing it: At this point, we’re trying to determine whether this issue is the underlying cause of the 500 errors you've been encountering. Adding this filter will help us rule in or out one possible cause without making any permanent changes to your setup.
April 23, 2025 at 8:00 am #16958287
Mohamed Amine Samet	Hello, Thank you for your answer. We will try that and get back to you. Best regards,
April 23, 2025 at 10:44 am #16959018
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Okay, please keep me updated if the issue recurs or if you have any further questions regarding the matter.