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How to Fix 501 Not Implemented Error in WordPress

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Many times you might see error 501 in WordPress. Although, it is not that common that doesn’t mean that you won’t come across it. If you come across such an error, here is the complete tutorial to fix it. You can follow the tutorial and you won’t fix 501 not implemented error in WordPress.

You need to understand that this is not a normal error. Google might take off your website from the ranking results if the error is there for a long time.  The Google bots will take this error as an “offline” error. So, they will not only take the website from the ranking list but might also deindex it. So, it is necessary to solve this error as soon as possible.

Overview of Error 501

The 501 error is known as not implemented error in WordPress. You will see this error when the server couldn’t complete the request. Alternatively, it can happen when there is no proper defined way to complete this request.

Just like many other errors, it can be seen in various ways. These are the common ways of how an error is displayed.

  • “501 Not Implemented”
  • “The server either does not recognize the request method, or it cannot fulfill the request.”
  • “Error 501”
  • “HTTP 501”
  • “HTTP Error 501 Not implemented”

In most cases, you will see the first two combined. It will say that Error 501 not implemented. Thereafter, the complete line will also be written (the second point).

Usually, there are very few things you can do here. In most cases, this is caused by the server-side. That is, if you are using shared hosting, the chances are that the server itself is down. So, you have very limited things to do.

Without wasting more time on how the error is displayed, let’s see the possible solution for it. You can surely try all of these.

Fix 501 Not Implemented Error in WordPress

There are numerous ways this error is happening. However, there are three main reasons for it.

  • Your computer’s problem
  • Virus or Malware
  • Server Side Error

Of course, we won’t start by saying “Reload the page” because probably might have reloaded the page quite a few times before searching for it.

So, the reloading option goes without saying. Other than this, here are possible solutions for it.

Before you start making the changes on the server-side, make sure that you have taken the proper backup of your websites. You don’t need to start taking it now as first, we will see some of the changes in your computer. If the error doesn’t solve then we will move on to the server-side. At that time, you can take the backup before making the changes. This will make sure that your website is safe just in case something goes wrong.

Clear the Browser Cache

How to Fix 501 Error in WordPress

The beginners might not have tried this. However, if you are experienced, we are sure you would have tried this too. So, you can directly move on to the next step if you tried this.

For other people, you can try to open the website again by clearing the cache memory. You can either go to browser settings and do this or you can also hit Cltr+shift+F5, this will reload the website without cache memory. So, if the website opens successfully, it was your browser’s fault.

You can also try opening it in incognito mode. All you have to do is open the website without any cache memory. If the website is still not working, you can also try opening it in a different browser. Sometimes, the browser might be misbehaving due to the proxy servers or a VPN.

With that being said, we are here to the next point.

Check Proxy

Your next job is to check for your proxy connection. You can go to the settings and remove the proxy servers (if any). Also, if you are using any VPN, you can try disabling the VPN connection. This might help.

However, if you are still not able to fix 501 not implemented error in WordPress, you can try checking the website in the down detector tools.

Many online tools can check if the website is down for you or everyone, you can try using isitup.org to see whether your website is down for you or everybody. If it is for everybody, you can try going through the next step.

However, if the website is working for all the other people, there might be something wrong with your computer. You can try to fix it or check using other devices. In such a case, it is always better to check using other devices to be sure about it.

You can also try using a different browser if another device isn’t available. It is surely your choice. The end goal is to make sure that your PC or your browser doesn’t have any issues. Once this is clear you can continue with another method which is where we will see the server-side and see what can be done from there.

Virus or Malware

How to Fix 501 Error in WordPress

One of the most common reasons for error 501 is the virus or malware. If some of the malicious code is misbehaving, it can put the entire website into the error phase. So, you need to get rid of the virus or malware.

First, we will see some easy ways to get rid of it. The easiest way will be to head over to your cPanel and then look for a virus scanner. There will be a tool available that you can use. Just click on the scan now button and it will start the scanning process. You need to make sure that you remove all the detected files or quarantine it.

Now, when it comes to the virus scanning process you don’t need to keep the tab open. You can close the current tab and virus scanning will continue. It will undergo on the server-side. So, you don’t have to worry about the virus or malware scanning. Once it is completed, it will show you the complete list of affected files that you can remove.

It is highly recommended to replace those files or check the files manually for viruses or malicious code. Generally, the malicious code is encrypted and you will easily know it if you check the code. The best way would be to replace the files with the new ones. You can find the new files from the source from which you downloaded the files.

If it is a plugin, you can check the plugin source. In the same way, if it a theme file, you can download it from the theme source. The same goes for the core files too.

For the people who are using repeated hosting, you can also use their virus scanning tool.

Rollback the Changes

There are very few chances of this happening with the plugin or something similar. However, it is always better to do it. If you recently made some changes to your WordPress, you can try to rollback it. For example, if you added a plugin to your WordPress website, you can try deactivating that plugin.

There are very chances that this might be the reason for the failure. However, it is surely worth the try. You can just rename the folder name in your file manager to deactivate that plugin. For example, if you want to deactivate the Jetpack plugin, you can rename jetpack to jetpack1 or similar. In this way, the plugin will be deactivated.

Contact the Hosting Provider

The last thing you can do is contact your hosting provider. This is a server-side error and it will be harder for you to check the details. So, you can contact the hosting provider and they will help you out with the entire issue.

You can contact them via live chat and they will tell you what to do next. In most cases, they will solve the error from their side only. Therefore, the error will be gone in no time.

Final Words

To conclude, these are some of the ways you can solve the error. Like we mentioned previously, make sure you have a proper backup before you start making any changes in your server. Talking about backup, you can also restore the previous backup and get the website running if nothing works.

Once the error is solved, you can also check the website in the Google search console. So, if you see the same error in the future, Google will notify you (search console issue). In this way, you will save your rankings with the error. Further, if you are seeing the error more often and the server-side is responsible, you should change the hosting and upgrade to a better one. This will make sure that the website has the least possible errors and your website is running smoothly without any issues. It’s always better to take regular backups of your WordPress website once you fix 401 not implemented error in WordPress.

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