How To Fix A 502 Bad Gateway Error

We’ve all experienced HTTP errors in our online excursions. Error 502 is a “bad gateway error,” and this indicates problems with a website’s server communication. There are numerous ways to try to fix this situation, such as refreshing, rebooting your system, or even just waiting in case the problem isn’t on your end. We’ll go over all the usual culprits in this temporary error. But first, it’s helpful to understand a little more about HTTP errors in general. Here’s a great article about the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

What is an HTTP error?

A good starting question might actually be, what is HTTP? This stands for “HyperText Transfer Protocol.” This is the way your computer communicates with the world wide web. It’s a set of rules that oversee client/server involvement between your browser and the web page you’re trying to get to. It’s a way of sending your requests and getting a response from the server you’re attempting to communicate with.

An HTTP error happens when something goes amiss in this communication. There are all types, and you’ve doubtless run across plenty of them already. These errors are shown as numbers, which all mean different things. This is helpful for troubleshooting the error message and trying to fix the problem. There are tons of reasons for a bad gateway or other HTTP errors. Could be a problem with the origin server, your browser cache, the list goes on.

What is a 502 Bad Gateway Error and why does it happen?

This HTTP status code indicates issues with a web server. When you try to get to a website the request comes back with an invalid response. There are a few possibilities for this bad gateway error. Let’s break it down.

Reasons for a 502 Error

1. The server that hosts the site you’re trying to get to is unavailable or can’t be reached.
2. Server overload. Because of heavy traffic, the server can’t respond to all requests. This means a large number of user requests are all coming in at once, which can cause delays or even a 502 error. One of the many possible causes of heavy traffic could be a DDoS attack, (Distributed Denial-of-Service). This is a cyberattack where the server is purposefully flooded with internet traffic to stop users from accessing the site. Naturally, not all heavy traffic is caused by malicious intent. Often it’s simply because the website doesn’t have enough resources or bandwidth to handle so many users at once.
3. The request timed out because the server took too long to respond. One reason for this could be a PHP timeout. PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a scripting language used heavily in web development. It’s used by over seventy five percent of websites and typically has a default load time of thirty seconds. So if a request takes longer, it could time out. Luckily, there are ways to increase this load time if needed.
4. The DNS server couldn’t find the IP address of the site you wanted. DNS servers are basically the address book for the internet. When you enter a domain name or address into your browser search, the DNS servers are the ones who find the IP address of the site in question. Browsers need the IP address to access a website. If something is wonky with your DNS server, then you’re not going to be able to get to the site you need and you could get a 502 bad gateway error as a result.
5. Issues with your proxy server. If you’re using a proxy server to connect to a website rather than just connecting straight to it, you may run across some problems. These servers, sometimes called “forward proxies,” forward your traffic to the site you want to access and also send back this site’s response to you. Firewall set up issues can affect proxy servers and in turn, lead to a 502 bad gateway.

Recognizing other forms of 502 errors

“502 bad gateway,” isn’t the only name for this type of error. There are all kinds of variations, some even customized by specific sites to reflect their own message, along with other creative descriptions for HTTP errors. Overall, however, the most common versions of 502 error messages are these:

• 502 Proxy Error
• 502 Bad Gateway
• Error 502
• Temporary Error (502)
• HTTP 502
• 502 Service Temporarily Overloaded
• 502 Server Error: The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request
• Bad Gateway: The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server
• HTTP Error 502 – Bad Gateway
• That’s an error

These are all just different ways of saying that you’re having problems with the web servers connecting. Yes, there are nuanced differences in why this can happen, but it’s all usually pretty similar in terms of causation.

How to fix a 502 bad gateway error

There are lots of ways to troubleshoot a bad gateway error like this. This problem could be completely out of your control if it’s a server side issue. To put it simply, the server side is in reference to processes executed on the web server whereas client side processes take place on the user’s device. Most of these bad gateway errors are server side ones. It could be due to a server overload, problems with the site’s hosting provider, outdated IP addresses, etc. That said, it’s always important to make sure it’s not an issue on your end. Narrowing down the possible causes is pretty easy.

14 possible fixes for a 502 error message

1. Wait. This is the easiest one. If it’s an issue on the side of the server you’re trying to reach or they’re doing maintenance, you won’t be able to do much. Find something else to do and come back later to check the site status. If it’s an important or popular site, chances are they’re scrambling to fix it already.
2. Refresh by hitting F5 or clicking refresh/reload
3. Change up your DNS service by switching to a different one, such as Google’s DNS.
4. The golden rule with computer issues is always to reboot your system. While you’re at it, reset your wireless router and networking equipment too. This helps determine if the connectivity problems are on your side, not the website you’re trying to reach.
5. Plug in the domain information into downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This website helps you know if something is down based on visitor reports and server checks. You can then know if it’s a problem with your local area or it’s more widespread.
6. Ping the webpage/site through command prompt. It’s a great way to test if the site itself is up.
7. Reset your browser. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome both have ways to reset your browser settings to their default state. Make sure you already have your passwords and bookmarks saved, however. Here’s a tutorial on how to reset Google Chrome settings.
8. Make sure your internet connection is working. Try going to a different website. If that doesn’t work you may need to contact your internet service provider.
9. Close all your open browsers and start a new browser session. Sometimes this can nudge a minor networking error or other minor problem.
10. Clear your browser cache and restart your browser. This only works on the rare occasion but sometimes problematic cached files can lead to a 502 bad gateway. Clearing browser cookies can be similarly helpful.
11. Try to reach the website through a different browser than you usually use, such as Internet Explorer. You can also try reaching the site via your mobile device. If you can reach it through your cell phone but not your desktop it could indicate a client side issue. Speaking of different browsers, here is how to use alternate browsers on Chromebook.
12. Check the social media or support page for the website owners. Maybe they’re having issues with their hosting service or another generic error that has taken their site down. With the prevalence of social media, it’s very common for them to make announcements on these platforms so their customers or users can keep abreast of developments.
13. Contact your internet providers if you seem to be having connectivity issues in general or if the site seems to be up for everyone else but you, despite troubleshooting your browsers.
14. If you desperately need to access an unresponsive website, you can always try to find archived site data by browser search or using the Wayback Machine, which is a project by the Internet Archive to store past versions of websites. Here’s a link to learn more about the Wayback Machine. Just be aware that the information could be outdated.

Other common HTTP status codes

Here are some of the most common server error codes you’ll run across, other than the 502 bad gateway error.

401 Unauthorized: This is means the server had an unauthenticated request and could not load because the credentials were invalid.  

404 Not Found: One of the most common error codes, this is considered a client side error and means that the page can’t be found on the server. This could be due to the page being deleted, the URL being incorrect, etc.

500 Internal Server Error: This occurs when something is amiss with your server. It could be that you have faulty third party plug ins and themes, as you might find on your WordPress dashboard, the configuration data is invalid, or there is a concern with the PHP process. There are lots of possibilities for this, many of them not your fault. That said, here’s a fix for when you get this kind of error code in Google Calendar.

301 Moved Permanently: This is exactly like it sounds. The webpage has been moved or recently migrated to a different URL.

410 Gone: This is similar to 404, the webpage or site has been deleted. However, this is on a more permanent basis, hence the term “gone.”

Conclusion

No matter what errors you’re getting, a lot of the troubleshooting will remain consistent. Try more than one website to make sure your connection is working. Try a new browser, like Google Chrome or Mozilla. Be certain your firewall blocks aren’t unnecessarily restrictive. Clear your browser cache. Make sure the invalid response isn’t due to a network error from buggy network equipment. Look into your plugins folder to be sure that third party plug ins aren’t throwing things off. Make sure your operating system, browser extension, dns servers and other client side possibilities aren’t the problem. Then, if you’ve tried everything on this list? If you’re still getting the 502 bad gateway error or other such status code? Time to crack open a book or go on a walk til you can try again later. Because, at this point, it’s pretty likely that you’re not the one at fault.