Learn How to Fix: Error 503 First Byte Timeout

Today I want to introduce you “error 503 first byte timeout“.

In this article, I tell you more than just tips.

I want to help you and for that reason, I will tell you what to do “error 503 first byte timeout”.

So Do not miss it! Do you want to know more? Well, keep reading this specialized article with the essential point of view.

Fix Error 503 first byte timeout

When Fastly want to establish a connection with the origin, then error 503 first byte timeout occurs.

At that time you try to configure first byte timeout but the origin doesn’t start to send a response.

15 seconds is a default for the first byte timeout system but you could extend this timeout maximum up to 600s.

But you should reduce the timeout maximum to the 60s.

You should be aware of these:

With a shield If your origin is configured, you should reduce the timeout maximum 60s.
Maximum 60s is Clustering limits the timeout.

Causes of the 503 Service Unavailable Error in WordPress

There are several reasons why this error could occur.

We will examine each of these causes and offer several solutions on how you can fix the 503 Service Unavailable error.

Here is a short summary of how to detect and resolve 503 errors in the future:

Deactivate your WordPress plugins, then activate them one by one
Disable your current WordPress theme by reverting to a default one
Enable WP_DEBUG mode
Detect and fix server-related problems

WordPress plugin with flaws

If you encountered the 503 error after installing or updating a particular plugin, then you have found the culprit.

Just remove the plugin in question and you have fixed it.

However, if you have no idea which plugin (or what exactly) is causing the 503 error, you should start the diagnosis by deactivating all plugins and activating them one by one.

Disable all WordPress plugins

You can remove your WordPress plugins through the File Manager in your hosting control panel.

In this example, we will use the Hosting Cpanel:

Access the Cpanel, then go to the File Manager s in the Files section
Once you have access to your files, select the folder public_html -> wp-content.
Locate the plugins folder and right-click.
Rename it to plugins_desactivados to disable all plugins at once
Rename the deactivated plugins folder to its original name: plugins.
Update your WordPress site and access your wp-admin area.

If the HTTP 503 Service Unavailable error goes away while the plugins are disabled, the problem is related to a specific plugin.

All you have to do is identify and remove the problematic plugin in your admin panel by following these steps:

Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to the Plugins -> Installed Plugins section.
Remove the plugin by accessing the public_html / wp-content / plugins folder from your File Manager.
In this example, the culprit plugin is in the WordPress-popup folder: right-click and select delete from the drop-down menu.

Once you’ve done all the steps above, the 503 Service Unavailable error should go away and you can access your website again.

Problematic WordPress theme

If your plugins aren’t causing the 503 Service Unavailable error, your theme could be the root problem.

Especially if you got an HTTP 503 error in WordPress after installing a new theme.

To address this issue, switch to a default WordPress theme, such as Twenty Nineteen or Twenty Twenty themes.

Deactivate a WordPress theme using File Manager

Disabling your WordPress theme using File Manager is similar to disabling your plugins.

In the Files section in your hPanel, go to File Manager -> public_html -> wp-content folder .
Find the themes folder and rename the theme you currently use. Suppose you have my-theme active: right-click on the folder and rename it my-theme-off. Your theme will automatically switch to the default WordPress theme.
Once this is done, you can reload your website to see if it is working.

Disable WordPress theme via phpMyAdmin

If you don’t remember the name of the theme you are using, there is another way to disable it.

In this example, we’ll change the Twenty Seventeen theme :

Open your CPanel, then go to phpMyAdmin in the Databases section. Select the Enter phpMyAdmin option.
Find the template and stylesheet values inside the wp_options table.
The name of the currently used theme will be in the option_value column. Double click on the name and rename it to twenty seventeen.
Please reload your site once you’re done to see the changes

The 503 Service Unavailable is a common mistake when your front-end and back-end are not displaying your content.

This is mainly due to faulty WordPress plugins or themes, but it happens for other reasons as well.

Increase server resources

If you get a 503 Service Unavailable error message, check your Google Analytics page.

If you get more traffic than usual, you are definitely lacking server resources.

However, if you don’t have the extra traffic but still see the 503 error in WordPress, your problem could be inadequate server memory.

Server related issues

If the above methods still fail, the problem could be with your web server.

You can try these three server-side methods to resolve WordPress error 503 Service Unavailable.

Limit WordPress Heartbeats

WordPress Heartbeat is a built-in API that allows your site to have an auto-save feature.

This function consumes your server resources, but you can limit it with the Heartbeat Control WordPress plugin or disable it completely.

Limit Google’s maximum crawl speed

To index your content, Google uses specialized scripts commonly known as crawlers.

They visit your site regularly to collect content and determine other ranking metrics.

This tracking process can affect your server resources. Consequently, this could slow down your site and cause the 503 HTTP error.

Fortunately, once you’ve integrated your site into Google Search Console, you can limit Google’s crawl frequency using Google Search Console.

You can do this from the crawl frequency settings page, or ask Google to limit your site’s crawl frequency.

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Conclusion:

Now you know what to do with the “error 503 first byte timeout” problem. Just follow our tips.

Hope it works. And do you have any other questions about the “error 503 first byte timeout”?

Leave it in the comment box.

Fix Error 503 First Byte Timeout