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My website shows an error. What does it mean?

A 404 means one page is missing. A 500, 502, 503 or 504 means the server had trouble. Here is what each one means and what you can check.

When a page cannot load, the server sends back a three-digit code. Codes that start with 4 usually mean the page itself is the problem, such as a missing page. Codes that start with 5 mean the server had trouble answering. The number tells you where to look, and it tells our team where to start.

The codes you are most likely to see

CodeWhat it means for you
404 Not FoundThe server works, but this one address has no page. The link may be old, mistyped, or the page was moved or deleted.
500 Internal Server ErrorSomething went wrong on the server while it built the page. It is a general "something broke" message.
502 Bad GatewayOne server asked another server for the page and got a bad answer back. It often clears up on its own within minutes.
503 Service UnavailableThe server is up but cannot take the request right now. It may be busy or in planned maintenance.
504 Gateway TimeoutOne server waited for another and gave up because the answer took too long.

What you can check

  1. Reload the page. Wait a minute, then try again. Short 502, 503 and 504 errors often pass by themselves.
  2. Check the address. For a 404, look for a typo in the address bar. Try going to your home page and clicking through to the page instead.
  3. Try another device or network. Open the page on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off. If it works there, the problem may be your computer's saved copy or your network.
  4. Clear your browser cache. An old saved copy can keep showing an error after it is fixed. See our guide to clearing your cache.
  5. Check whether it is one page or every page. One broken page is usually a link or a moved page. Every page showing a 5xx error means the whole site is affected.
  6. Think about recent changes. A domain change, a new page address, or a recent edit can explain a sudden error.

When to open a request

Open a request when:

  • every page on your site shows a 500, 502, 503 or 504 error for more than a few minutes
  • a page you rely on, like your contact or booking page, shows any error
  • a 404 appears on a page that should exist, or on a link people use often
  • the error keeps coming back

Include the full page address, the exact code or message, the time you saw it, and a screenshot. That helps our team find the cause faster.

We can do this for you. Open a request in your client portal and our team will look into the error and fix the cause.

Google treats these codes differently. A page that keeps returning 404 is slowly dropped from search results. A short burst of 5xx errors makes Google slow down its visits, but a 5xx error that lasts for days can also lead to pages being dropped. That is why errors that affect the whole site are worth reporting right away.

Common problems

  • If you see an error only on your computer, clear your browser cache or try a private window.
  • If you see an error right after a domain change, it may be the change spreading across the internet. See our guide on why a domain change is not showing yet.
  • If a page shows a friendly "not found" message but the address bar looks right, the page may have been renamed. Tell us the old address so we can point it to the new one.
  • If the page says "This site can't be reached" with no number, that is not a server code. It usually points to a domain or network problem, so open a request.

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My website shows an error. What does it mean? | Website Wannabe Support