504 Gateway Timeout: What Does It Mean and How to Fix This Error

One of the common server errors nowadays is the 504 gateway timeout. It is very troublesome because it may suddenly appear with little or no forewarning and may be difficult to diagnose. Knowing how to fix it, however, is even more important for keeping your site functional.

What is 504 Gateway Timeout?

When you visit a site, your request may go through more than one server. If one of those servers takes too long to answer, the whole process fails, and your browser shows the 504 error. What a 504 Gateway Timeout error usually looks like:

• “504 Gateway Timeout”
• “The server didn’t respond in time”
• “This page isn’t working”

What Does 504 Gateway Timeout Mean​?

A 504 Gateway Timeout is an HTTP status code that occurs when a server doesn’t receive a timely response from another server upstream while acting as a gateway or proxy. In simpler terms, it means the servers behind a website aren’t communicating quickly enough. 

This typically occurs when a frontend server tries to connect to a backend server, but the backend takes too long to respond. After a set period, the connection times out, and the user sees a 504 error in their browser.

Variations of the 504 Gateway Timeout Error

A 504 Gateway Timeout error is displayed in various forms based on your browser, the hosting setup, or the platform you use, typically WordPress, Cloudflare, or Nginx. Regardless of how it presents, the problem is always the same: a server failed to respond in time.

Some of the most common ways you might see a 504 error include:

• 504 Gateway Timeout
• 504 Error
• HTTP Error 504 – Gateway Timeout
• Gateway Timeout (504)
• 504 Gateway Time-out (with a hyphen; often seen on Nginx servers)
• Error 504: Gateway Timeout
• 504 – Gateway Timeout – The server didn’t respond in time
• This page isn’t working – [domain] took too long to respond

502 Bad Gateway vs 504 Gateway Timeout​

If you’ve encountered a 504 Gateway Timeout, chances are you’ve also seen its close cousin: the 502 Bad Gateway error. These two are part of the 5xx family of server-side errors.

Both errors generally involve a gateway or proxy server trying to communicate with another server on your behalf. But the 504 error means there was no response in time, the 502 error means there was a response, just not a valid one.

• 504 Gateway Timeout – No Response in Time: A 504 Gateway Timeout means, “The gateway waited too long for a response, but got nothing back.”
• 502 Bad Gateway – Wrong Response Returned: This error happens when “The gateway received a response from the upstream server, but it was invalid, corrupted, or unrecognizable.” That’s what a 502 Bad Gateway is: a broken or unusable response.

Often grouped together in troubleshooting guides and developer forums, 502 Bad Gateway and 504 Gateway Timeout errors are both rooted in server communication issues. The symptoms can feel nearly identical. Most users (and some website owners) can’t immediately tell the difference, which is why they’re so frequently discussed as a pair.

Is a 504 Gateway Timeout Error a Client or Server Problem?

The 504 Gateway Timeout error is generally a server-side issue.

In fact, the problem happens when one server (like a CDN, proxy, or load balancer) tries to get a response from another server, and that second server either takes too long or doesn’t respond at all. That’s what triggers the 504 error you see in your browser.

The real issue is with the communication between servers. This could be due to a timeout or overloaded resources on the site’s backend.

On the rare chance it is a client-side issue, it’s usually due to a slow or dropped internet connection, misconfigured VPNs or DNS settings, or overzealous antivirus software. But even then, those usually trigger different kinds of errors, not a true 504.

So what’s the bottom line? A 504 error is almost always something the website owner or developer needs to fix. As a user, your best option is usually to refresh the page later or report it.

Top Cause of a 504 Gateway Timeout Error

To understand what a 504 Gateway Timeout error means, think of it as one server waiting too long for a response from another server, typically known as the upstream server. This upstream server could be a backend service or database that’s slow, unresponsive, or temporarily unreachable. In other words, the error happens when the first server doesn’t get a reply fast enough from the second server it depends on to complete your request.

Slow or Unresponsive Upstream Server

We’ve seen 504 Gateway Timeout errors crop up most often when the upstream server is too slow or completely unresponsive. Usually, this happens when the backend is overloaded, the database is bogged down with long queries, or a third-party API is struggling to keep up.

DNS Resolution Errors

One of the sneakiest causes of a 504 Gateway Timeout error is DNS resolution failure. And when it happens, it’s incredibly frustrating.

For instance, your server is set up as a gateway or proxy, and it tries to forward a request upstream. But it can’t even figure out the IP address of that upstream server because DNS resolution fails. 

Why do DNS resolution errors happen? 

This usually comes down to DNS settings that are either broken or overlooked. Maybe the DNS server your machine relies on is down or misconfigured. We’ve seen this happen a lot with internal DNS setups that don’t have redundancy. Everything looks great in staging, but live traffic gets hit with 504s. 

Or sometimes it’s something like an incorrect DNS record. Or DNS propagation delays, or worst of all, a poisoned or stale DNS cache.

Faulty Server Configuration

We’ve learned the hard way that a simple misconfiguration in Nginx or Apache can be all it takes to trigger a wave of 504 Gateway Timeout errors. 

For example, the proxy_read_timeout on Nginx is set to 60 seconds, but the backend process occasionally needed just a bit more. That tiny difference caused requests to fail, though the backend was functioning fine. 

Network Congestion or Timeout

Network issues are another area where 504 Gateway Timeout errors sneak up on you without much to go on. There is a situation where both your servers are functioning perfectly, the backend is up, the frontend is waiting, but nothing is getting through. Turns out it is packet loss and high latency between two data centers. 

What makes it worse is that it wasn’t consistent; sometimes requests would go through, and other times they’d vanish. A heads-up from the hosting provider or better routing diagnostics could’ve saved hours of head-scratching.

Server Overload

Let’s say your server is running smoothly. But then a sudden spike in traffic hits, maybe from bots, a DDoS attack, or even a viral post. The server gets flooded with more requests than it can handle, and before it has a chance to recover, upstream responses start timing out. 

Even though the infrastructure is technically still up, the overload prevents it from replying fast enough, which leads to 504 errors being thrown at the gateway. It’s a good idea to plan for these surges ahead of time.

Hosting Issues or Server Downtime

Whenever you’re dealing with 504 Gateway Timeout errors and everything in your own setup looks fine, try checking if your hosting provider is the source of the problem.

Infrastructure issues, including server maintenance, regional outages, or overloaded shared hosting environments, can cause upstream servers to become temporarily unreachable, even if your application is well-optimized. 

Using uptime monitors and infrastructure health checks can help you catch these backend issues early. If performance becomes inconsistent or parts of your site randomly stop responding, it might be time to reach out to your host directly.

Firewall Misconfigurations

Firewalls are not configured properly, which can become the very thing blocking your traffic. A gateway server might try to reach an upstream service, only to have the request blocked by a misconfigured firewall. In setups using a CDN or WAF, we’ve even seen backend requests get flagged as threats.

How to Fix 504 Gateway Timeout Error​ on Your Website

So, how should you go about fixing a 504 error on your site? Well, that depends on your setup. Either way, this guide will help you work through the most common fixes.

1. Check Hosting or Server Uptime

You should first confirm whether your server is actually reachable. To do this, you’ll be checking your hosting provider’s status and monitoring availability in real time. Visit your hosting dashboard or status page to look for any reported outages or scheduled maintenance.

If no issues are listed, try pinging your server manually or using tools like UptimeRobot or Pingdom to test whether your server is overloaded or unresponsive.

2. Review DNS Configuration

Make sure your domain is actually pointing to the right server. We’ll do this by checking your DNS settings and flushing outdated records. Start by verifying that your DNS records, especially the A record, are correctly mapped to your server’s current IP address.

If you recently changed hosts or DNS providers, keep in mind that DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours to complete. You can also flush your local DNS cache to remove old records that may still point to the wrong server.

3. Disable CDN or Firewall Temporarily

We’ll test whether a third-party service like a CDN or firewall is causing the timeout. Temporarily disable services like Cloudflare or Imperva to check if they’re interfering with your origin server connection.

In Cloudflare, for instance, go to the DNS tab and switch the orange-cloud icon to gray to bypass their proxy. Also, review your firewall settings and whitelist any valid IP addresses that may have been accidentally blocked.

4. Review Server Logs

Timeout messages, failed upstream connections, or scripts that take too long to execute will usually show up there. Once you locate the bottleneck, whether it’s a plugin, external API, or slow database query, you’ll have a much clearer path to a fix.

5. Optimize Server Resources

As you can see, even the best configurations can’t make up for limited server power. If your site is running out of CPU or memory, performance will suffer, and 504s will follow. Upgrading your hosting plan, streamlining background processes, and using caching or database optimization tools can all help prevent these issues.

6. Scan for Bots or Spam Attacks

As mentioned above, if your server is suddenly flooded by bots, scrapers, or spam attacks, it can choke under the pressure, leading to 504 errors. That’s why it’s important to monitor for unusual IP activity or traffic spikes. Once you identify the culprits, you can block them at the server level, apply rate limits, or use CAPTCHA to stop the abuse before it slows your site down.

How to Fix 504 Gateway Timeout Error​ (WordPress-Specific)

Alongside the fixes you can do above, you’ll find more solutions depending on how your WordPress site is hosted. Shared hosting, VPS setups, and CDN services can all play a role in triggering a 504 Gateway Timeout error. Check out several effective ways to fix a 504 error, whether you’re using a basic setup or a fully managed WordPress plan.

1. Increase PHP Execution Time

If WordPress scripts take too long to run, your server may time out and return a 504 error. Increasing the max execution time in your PHP settings can help. You can do this by editing the php.ini or .htaccess file.

This change gives WordPress more time to complete tasks like processing large images, updating plugins, or running import/export operations.

2. Deactivate Plugins and Themes

Poorly coded or incompatible plugins/themes can cause scripts to hang or overload the server. If you can’t access your WordPress admin, use FTP or your file manager to rename the plugins folder. If the error clears, you’ll know a plugin was the cause.

Next, restore the folder and rename the plugins one by one to find the culprit. Do the same with your active theme by switching to a default one.

3. Restore from a Backup

If the error started after a major update, site migration, or file change, restoring a recent working backup may resolve the issue quickly. Most WordPress backup plugins let you restore from the dashboard or directly from the host. Be sure to back up the current state first in case you need anything from it.

4. Inspect .htaccess Rules

The .htaccess file controls how your server handles requests, redirects, and other configurations. Corrupted or conflicting rules in this file can lead to errors like 504 Gateway Timeout. If you’re using Apache, you’ll typically find .htaccess in the root directory of your website.

Before making any changes, download a backup copy of the current file. Then, simplify or reset the contents to eliminate any problematic custom rules. If you’re unsure, try restoring it to a minimal, clean version. Once saved, refresh your site to see if the error resolves.

5. Repair Corrupted Database

Use your control panel’s database tools (like phpMyAdmin) to check and repair tables. If you have regular backups, restoring a clean version may also solve the issue. Keeping your database optimized helps prevent timeouts and performance issues.

6. Enable Debug Mode and Error Logging

In case you’re not sure what’s causing the 504 error, enable your server’s error logging or debug mode to gather more information. You can often do this in your hosting control panel, or by editing server config files like php.ini, httpd.conf, or.user.ini.

Look for logs related to PHP errors, gateway timeouts, or delayed scripts. Error logs are usually stored in a /logs directory or accessible via your hosting dashboard. These logs can reveal if a specific script or external request is causing delays.

7. Check Cloudflare or Other Firewall Rules

If you’re using Cloudflare or a similar security service, improper firewall settings or rate limits can interfere with server communication. 

Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard and look for blocked requests or high WAF sensitivity. You can also temporarily pause Cloudflare to see if the problem lies in its configuration. Make sure your hosting IP is whitelisted and that no important endpoints are being accidentally restricted.

How to Fix 504 Gateway Timeout Error​ (7 Quick Fixes for Visitors)

In fact, there are several fixes you can try before giving up on accessing a site. While basic client-side steps are worth attempting, 5xx errors, especially 504s, generally need to be resolved at the origin server or CDN level.

1. Refresh the Page

You can just hit refresh in your browser and see if the site loads properly again.

2. Try a Different Browser or Device

If the error persists, test the same page using a different browser or device. Switch from Chrome to Firefox, or open the URL on your phone instead of your laptop.

3. Use a Website Status Checker

To find out if the site is down just for you or for everyone, run a quick status check. Go to tools like downforeveryoneorjustme.com or isitdownrightnow.com and enter the affected URL. These tools confirm whether the problem is widespread or limited to your connection.

4. Restart Your Router

Just unplug your router and modem, wait around 30 seconds, then power them back on. Let the connection fully re-establish before reloading the site.

5. Flush Your DNS Cache

DNS tells your device where to find websites. But if the cached DNS data is outdated or corrupted, it may send your request to the wrong server, or none at all. This can sometimes result in connection errors or timeouts, like a 504. Flushing your DNS cache forces your device to fetch fresh DNS records, which can help resolve routing issues or address mismatches.

6. Temporarily Disable Proxy or VPN

VPNs and proxies reroute your traffic, which is great for privacy but can slow things down or trigger timeouts. Temporarily disable any VPNs or proxy settings in your browser, then try visiting the site again.

7. Contact the Website Owner

504 Gateway Timeout errors are generally caused by issues on the server side or disruptions with services like Cloudflare. At that point, the best way is to report the issue to the website owner or admin. They’re the only ones who can investigate server logs or fix upstream timeouts. In case they’re already aware of the outage, your report can help confirm its scope.

If the site uses Cloudflare, the error might stem from temporary rerouting between data centers. Cloudflare automatically shifts traffic to less-impacted regions, but brief connection issues may still show up as 504 errors for some users.

SEO Impact of a 504 Gateway Timeout

Note, if your site experiences frequent 504 errors, you’re not just losing visitors in the moment; you could also be missing out on valuable search rankings. When Googlebot encounters a 504, it may skip indexing that page, which can impact your site’s visibility. 

These errors also hurt user engagement metrics, including bounce rate and session time. In fact, 88% of users are less likely to return after a poor experience. And if you’ve built strong backlinks, be careful, a persistent 504 can block link equity from passing through, weakening your SEO profile over time.

How to Prevent 504 Errors Going Forward

There are several ways to keep these issues in check. 

Upgrade Your Hosting Plan

Shared hosting plan is affordable and easy to manage, but it also means your site is competing with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of others for the same pool of bandwidth and processing power.

Upgrading to a VPS, dedicated server, or managed cloud hosting plan with more dedicated resources, your site is far better equipped to handle traffic spikes and heavy workloads.

Implement Auto-Scaling or Load Balancing

Auto-scaling automatically adds resources when needed, while load balancers spread the traffic across multiple servers to keep everything running smoothly. Of course, not every setup includes these by default, but platforms like AWS and Azure, and many managed hosting providers offer these features.

Optimize Code and Database Performance

Audit and clean up your website’s code regularly. Minimize external HTTP requests, use caching wherever possible, and streamline your database with indexing and optimization routines. If you’re running a CMS like WordPress, keep plugins updated as well as disable unused features.

Monitor Site Uptime and Set Alerts

Consider using uptime monitoring tools to check your site regularly. Set up real-time alerts so you can respond immediately when a timeout or downtime occurs. Several tools also provide performance reports and response time trends to help you catch issues.

Conclusion

504 Gateway Timeout errors remain one of the more frustrating server issues. But now we’ve got a clearer picture of what actually causes them and how to fix them. And it’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact cause, but most sites can stay well ahead of the problem.