Does your screen often get interrupted by the dreaded 502 Bad Gateway error? Navigating the online space has always been challenging. Hence, the gateway to success might face technical difficulties.
The possibility is that servers may face a storm of errors, causing a disruptive 502 Bad Gateway situation. Wondering what does 502 Bad Gateway mean? similar to 503-error but there is a deference. It’s like a traffic jam on the information highway, the flow of information has stopped abruptly.
In technical terms, it refers to an HTTP status code. This error code indicates that the server on the internet is receiving invalid responses from another server. The fact that it happens quite often around the web.
Although you are open to getting help from experts, it is ideal to learn how to access a site or manage your own server. As you know how to tackle this issue, it will save you time as well as prevent stress.
So, if you are done with this error and now want to learn what causes it and potential solutions to fix it, just go through this guide. We are sure that you’ll get all the answers to your questions.
What Does 502 Bad Gateway Mean?
As we said above, 502 bad gateway errors signal a problem when one server acts as a gateway or proxy receives an invalid response from another server.
In simple terms, it indicates that the website you are trying to reach isn’t communicating properly with its upstream servers.
Do not think the other way, like your device is at fault or something like that. Instead, it is often linked to issues on the web server side.
Not only the 502 error code, but you may receive various messages related to this error across different browsers and platforms. At one point, they all point back to the same underlying issue.
502 Bad Gateway Error Type and Error Variations
Since the 502 bad gateway error is an HTTP status code, it means that it is part of a standardized system that is used to communicate between web servers and clients.
Here are the types of errors, you may expect to witness and their variations:
HTTP 502 Error Types
- “502 Bad Gateway”
- A blank white screen
- “Error 502”
- “502 Service Temporarily Overloaded”
- “502 Proxy Error”
- “HTTP Error 502 – Bad Gateway”
502 Error Code Variations
- “HTTP 502”
- “502 Server Error: The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request”
- 502. That’s an error
- 502 bad gateway Cloudflare
- Bad Gateway: The proxy server received an incorrect response from downstream server
- Temporary Error (502)
Common Causes of 502 Bad Gateway Error
Now that you know the basics of what a 502 Bad Gateway error is, let’s explore some of the most common causes behind it:
- Server Overload: It happens when a website experiences a sudden surge in traffic. This eventually overwhelmed the servers leading them to crash.
- Misconfigured Proxy Servers: If the intermediary servers that sit between clients and web servers are not set up correctly, then it may cause communication issues and result in a 502 bad gateway error.
- Plugins and Themes Errors: When you are accessing a site that is built on a CMS like WordPress, then the 502 error code could be caused by faulty plugins or themes.
- DNS Issues: DNS problems might misdirect user requests altogether.
- Web Host Issues: A request failed with status code 502 could also occur due to problems with the web hosting provider. It happens when the server is down, experiencing technical difficulties, or undergoing maintenance.
- Firewall Blocks: If the firewall is configured too strictly, it can prevent traffic from reaching the website’s server.
- Browser Issues: The browser you are using could be outdated. Otherwise, it may have corrupted files stored in the browser cache.
How to Fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error: 12 Solutions Explained
Here is what you have been looking for. In this section, you can find 12 potential solutions that can fix the 502 bad gateway if ever you encounter this error while trying to access a website:
Reload URL/Page
The first and the simplest thing you can do is simply reload the URL or refresh the page. Sometimes, errors are temporary, and reloading the page can fix it. For that, press F5 or Ctrl+R on the keyboard or simply click on the refresh/reload button.
Restart Computer
If reloading the page doesn’t work for you, try restarting the computer. What happens is that it clears temporary glitches and temporary issues with the computer may be causing the error code 502.
Try a Different Browser
Sometimes, the problem appears to be specific to the browser you are using. In such scenarios, individuals are suggested to try accessing the site using a different browser. Try anything from Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox.
If the site loads successfully, then it is safe to say that the issue is most likely with the browser you were using initially.
Check the Site Status
Imagine you are accessing a site, at first, it doesn’t load, and you keep trying to load the site by refreshing the URL. In such a situation, it is possible that the site is experiencing technical difficulties or is temporarily down.
Although you can’t do much about it, you can check the site’s status via site status checker tools like downforeveryoneorjustme, Montastic, Atatus, etc. By using them you might have at least an idea of what the issue is.
Try Incognito Mode
In Incognito mode, none of your browsing history, cookies, site data, and information get saved on your device, meaning your online activity doesn’t show up in your Chrome browser history.
With that said, you can try accessing the site in incognito mode. The Gateway error doesn’t appear on the screen. Well, you have an idea that one of the browser extensions is causing an error. When you exactly know about the culprit extension, just delete that.
Check DNS Issue
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses so that the browsers can load internet resources. Possibilities are issues with DNS is not working which causing a bad gateway error 502.
When DNS servers start taking time to respond, remember, that it usually happens when you have recently migrated the site to a new host. If that happens, it is ideal to allow time and wait until things are in place.
How much time does it exactly take? As of now, there is no fixed time that we can mention, but it depends on the TTL value of DNS records.
In addition, there is one more way to get rid of DNS issues i.e. flushing the local DNS cache.
Clear Browser Cache
The process of caching involves storing temporary data to provide faster access, load times, and a faster browsing experience. Over time, when it gets ignored, the system gets overcrowded with the browser cache or corrupted files.
Ultimately, this could be a reason behind bad gateway error 502 could be a reason behind bad Gateway error 502. Clearing your browser’s cache can fix this error.
Restart Networking Equipment
Restarting your networking equipment like the modem, router, switches, or other networking devices can help resolve network-related issues that may be causing the error code 502.
Start Browser in Safe Mode
For those who don’t know, a safe mode in a browser is a diagnostic mode in computer systems. What it does is it disables all extensions and plugins. However, it runs the operating system with default settings, without any advances or extensions.
Doing this will help you determine which of the plugins or extensions is causing the HTTP 502 error. Apparently, if the site works in safe mode, then you may need to disable or remove any recently added extensions.
Check Plugins and Themes
If you are still struggling with bad gateway error 502, then it’s time to check the plug-in and themes. Because it is seen that the queries usually get canceled due to bad code that may occur from a third-party plugin or theme.
There are various workarounds around it. Some of them are as follows:
- Deactivate all the plugins.
- Update plugins, themes, and WordPress core.
- Reach out to your host for assistance.
Restart PHP
Are you the owner of the website that you are trying to access? In that case, you have an opportunity, or you can see a benefit to restart the PHP service on your server to fix the 502 bad gateway error.
There is one thing to keep in mind you will require help from your hosting provider as it depends on them. So if that happens, feel free to contact them for assistance.
Try Later
If all else fails, it’s possible that there is an issue with the website’s server, and it may just need some time to resolve itself. At this point, the problem is either with your ISP or with the website’s network.
Now, the only option left is to contact them directly or access the website later.
Conclusion: Stay Informed and Prepared for Technical Difficulties
Towards the end, it’s safe to say that technical difficulties are a part of the online experience. When you encounter the 502 Bad Gateway error, you will find it frustrating, but understanding its meaning and potential causes empowers you to tackle it head-on.
As you just read, the request failed with status code 502 happened mainly due to an issue between online servers.
The fact that you have no control over it, but familiarizing yourself with what is a 502 bad gateway error and how to fix 502 bad gateway is beneficial, you can often resolve issues quickly.
With this knowledge available to you, we hope you’re better equipped to navigate your digital journey hassle-free.
