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What does 502 mean?

A 502 Bad Gateway error means one server got a bad or empty answer from another server it relies on.

Many websites sit behind a gateway, such as a CDN, security service or load balancer, that passes requests to the main server. 502 Bad Gateway means that gateway asked the main server for the page and got an invalid answer back. Common causes are the main server being down or overloaded, a crash in the site's code, a firewall blocking the gateway, or DNS pointing to the wrong place after a change.

Why it matters for your business: A 502 often means the hosting server behind your site is in trouble, so the whole site may be affected, not one page.

What to do if you see it

  • Wait a minute and reload.
  • Check the site on another device or network.
  • If it is your own website and it lasts, open a request with the time it started and any recent changes, such as DNS or hosting work.

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What does 502 mean? | Website Wannabe Support