Getting a 503 error on your website? Don't panic. Let's figure out what's happening and how to fix it.
What's a 503 Error Anyway?
A 503 error means your website is hitting a limit inside your web hosting account. Each website has specific resource limits, and when you exceed them, your site can't process requests properly.
The Limits Your Website Might Be Hitting
Every website has these limits:
- CPU limit - How much processing power you can use
- RAM limit - How much memory your site can use
- Process limit - How many things can run at once
- IO limit - How fast your site can read and write data
When your website hits any of these limits, you get a 503 error.
How to Find Out Which Limit You're Hitting
Here's how to find which limit you're hitting:
- Log into your DirectAdmin panel
- Go to the Resources page
- Check which limits you're hitting
Not seeing any limits being hit? Try clicking around on your website while keeping the Resources page open. Watch what happens to your plan limits. Sometimes the issue only shows up when your site is actually being used.
Three Ways to Fix the 503 Error
Once you know what's causing the problem, here are your options:
Option 1: Optimize your website
You can make your website more efficient by:
- Remove unnecessary plugins
- Secure your website against scanners and attacks
- Clean up your database
- Fix any programming bugs
Option 2: Add caching
Caching stores ready-made versions of your pages so your website doesn't have to create them from scratch every time someone visits your website. This significantly reduces resource usage. There are many caching plugins available. If you're on one of our Litespeed web hosting servers, we recommend using a Litespeed compatible plugin. And if your plan gives you access to Redis, we recommend using that as well.
Option 3: Upgrade your hosting plan
When you upgrade your hosting plan:
- You get higher limits for CPU, RAM, and processes
- Your website is less likely to hit those limits
- You only pay the difference in price when you upgrade
You can upgrade your plan right from your Site.eu dashboard. It's quick and easy.
A Word of Warning
Important: If your website has programming bugs or is very inefficient, even a bigger plan might not help.
Still seeing 503 errors after trying these solutions? Our support team is here to help you figure out exactly what's going on with your website.
Couldn’t find what you were looking for?
You can always chat with one of our experts for any questions you might have!