The 504 Gateway Timeout Error is one of the most common errors. This error tends to appear when a server which is acting as a gateway does not receive any sort of response from the server.
Understanding the 504 Gateway Timeout Error is important because it directly impacts your website’s accessibility and user experience. When visitors encounter this error, it indicates that your website is not functioning correctly, potentially leading to frustration and abandonment of the site. This can result in a loss of potential customers and damage to your business’s reputation.
Hence it is essential to know how to fix 504 Gateway Timeout Error. But before that, let us take a detailed look at the error itself.
What Is the 504 Gateway Timeout Error?
You are bound to encounter this error when the server which is acting as a gateway fails to receive any kind of response from another server within a given period.
Simply put, the 504 Gateway Timeout Error occurs when one server does not get a timely response from another server it is trying to access while loading a webpage or completing another HTTP request.
What Causes 504 Bad Gateway Timeout Error?
Knowing the causes of the 504 error can help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue more effectively. Here are some of the causes of the 504 Gateway Timeout Error:
- Server Overload: When a server is flooded with traffic or requests, it may take longer than usual to respond to each request. If the server takes too long to respond, the gateway server may time out while waiting for a response. This results in the 504 Gateway Timeout Error being displayed to the user.
- Network Issues: These are like a bad phone connection between your computer and the website’s server. If the connection is slow or gets interrupted, your request to the server might not get through in time, leading to a 504 Gateway Timeout Error.
- Server Misconfiguration: 504 Gateway Timeout Error can happen if the server is not set up correctly. This could mean it is not talking to other servers or services properly. For instance, if the server gives up waiting too quickly for a response from another server, it might show a 504 error.
- Firewall or Security Software: Firewall and security measures can sometimes delay communication between servers, causing timeouts. So, if a firewall is configured to inspect all incoming and outgoing traffic very thoroughly, it might take longer than expected to process each request. If this processing time exceeds the timeout limit set for the communication, the 504 Gateway Timeout Error occurs.
- DNS Issues: At times, you can witness delays or failures in establishing connections between servers if there are problems resolving domain names to IP addresses.
- Backend Server Errors: This error can occur when the backend server responsible for fulfilling the request encounters an issue. In such cases, the gateway server attempting to communicate with the backend server can experience a Timeout Error.
How to fix 504 Gateway Timeout?
Experiencing the 504 Gateway Timeout Error can be frustrating, particularly when it interrupts critical tasks. However, several steps can be taken to resolve this issue and restore the functionality of the website or web application.
1. Refresh the Page:
One of the simplest ways to solve this issue is by refreshing the website. To refresh the page, you can press Ctrl + F5 or Cmd +Shift + R on Mac. This should hopefully resolve the issue.
2. Check Other Websites:
If you have gone through the other sites as well and you find out that a particular page is displaying the 504 error then it is likely that there is a problem with that specific site itself. However, if you are facing this issue on another website too, it is advised that you should check your internet connection or network.
3. Wait and Retry:
Trying to reload the website or a page after some time might resolve the issue because by then the server would have cleared the backlog of requests.
4. Check Server Status:
When the server is down, you can use the online tools and services to check the status of the website’s server and if the problem still prevails then all you must do is to wait for the server administrators to fix the problem.
5. Contact Website Support:
You should call up the website support if the error prevails even after you have tried and implemented every solution mentioned in this blog. The website support might as well offer you some specific steps for troubleshooting.
6. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies:
Clearing out the browser cache and cookies is one of the most effective ways to sort out this problem. Most of the time cached data and cookies are the primary cause of 504 error.
7. Try Another Browser or Device:
If the error continues to persist, then you can access the website from another device. This will further clarify your doubts about whether the issue prevails with your current setup.
8. Check DNS Settings:
You should also have a look at the DNS settings because incorrect DNS settings can also cause communication issues between your device and the website’s server.
9. Disable Proxy or VPN:
This error may also occur at times when you are using a proxy or a VPN service, in this case you can try to access the website by disabling the VPN connection and see if it resolves the issue.
10. Upgrade Server Resources:
You can prevent the 504 error by increasing the server capacity or optimizing the server configurations. You can reach out to your web hosting provider for better server resources.
11. Optimize Website Performance:
You can also implement performance optimizations like content delivery networks (CDNs), caching, and code optimizations to minimize the likelihood of 504 errors which occur due to the server overload or slow response.
It is particularly important for you to implement the necessary solutions for a 504 Gateway Timeout Error to maintain and provide a seamless experience to the users.
With BigRock‘s managed web hosting, experts will keep an eye on server performance and ensure your website will not have to suffer the 504 Gateway Timeout Error.
