In a number of cases, a server may display an error message instead of the standard 200 response. Each error has its own code, a number. This helps diagnose the issue and solve it. In this article, we will look into the most common errors and how to solve them.
Errors and possible reasons for them
Error 403
The server may display this error message due to a few reasons:
The website’s folder lacks an index file. That file is often index.php or index.html The first step should be to make sure that these files are present in the folder. Otherwise, the index file within the .htaccess file (used for individually setting up an Apache server for a specific website) can be changed by default using this directive: DirectoryIndex
If you have a file named index.php and the server still displays error 403, check if .htaccess contains a line like: DirectoryIndex default.php In that case, check if the line was added by mistake or if the file has been renamed.
.htaccess can also be used to block access to the website using these directives: Allow, deny
If the file contains this line: deny from all this means that access to the website is denied to all users.
You can also check after this line: deny from all IP addresses prohibited from visiting the website might be listed there. Make sure that your IP isn’t among them or delete these directives altogether.
Error 500
This error usually appears when the .htaccess file contains directives that clearly contradict the web server’s settings or repeat them. Such errors are logged in the website error log available through ISPManager in the “Log” section. In particular, they could be cause by directives for changing the php settings. In such cases, the line will begin with: _phpflag or _phpvalue
Considering the fact that php works in fastCGI mode instead of mod_apache in web hosting, php settings cannot be set up this way; they should be contained in the php.ini file.
The error can also be cause by directives related to working with symlinks. For example, Options +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch is going to cause an error, the line should be replaced with Options +FollowSymLinks
Attempts to process a file that is too large can also cause the issue. In that case, check the folders of your website that contain the logs.
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