How to Fix the 504 Upstream Request Timeout Error (5 Ways)

The Upstream Request Timeout error typically occurs when there’s a breakdown in communication between the upstream server and the origin server. However, it’s one of the most difficult errors to solve because the message doesn’t explain what happened.

The good news is that there are a handful of tried-and-tested methods that can help you fix timeout errors. Sometimes, it can be a temporary issue caused by traffic surges. But for prolonged errors, you might need to turn off your firewall, clean up your database, or deactivate plugins.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the Upstream Request Timeout error. Then, we’ll discuss some common causes and show you how to fix it. Let’s get started!

What Is the 504 Upstream Request Timeout Error?

Website owners tend to be familiar with different types of server errors. However, the 504 Upstream Request Timeout error can be difficult to fix, since the error message doesn’t provide any details about what happened.

Essentially, this error occurs when an upstream server doesn’t provide a timely response to a request.

An upstream server provides a service to an additional server like your web hosting server. It processes the request and sends the data back to the origin server. However, if this process takes too long, you might encounter the Upstream Request Timeout error.

Note that as an HTTP issue, this error message can also present as a Gateway Timeout Error, 504 Gateway Timeout, HTTP 504, 504 Error, and other combinations. Whatever it looks like, it usually means that there’s a communication issue between servers.

It’s often caused by server-side problems like configuration settings. That said, the delay in processing can also be a temporary issue (caused by too much traffic on your site or connectivity problems). Or, you may have a single resource on your site that takes too long to load.

Naturally, error messages are not a good look for your website since they disrupt the user experience (UX). But prolonged 504 errors can also interfere with traffic and revenue. Plus, search engines can take notice and penalize your site with lower rankings.

Common Causes of the Timeout Error Message

Now that you know more about the Upstream Request Timeout error, let’s take a look at some common causes:

• Client-end issues like a poor internet connection.
• An overloaded server, caused by sudden traffic spikes or inefficient server configurations.
• Application performance issues, typically caused by resource-intensive themes/plugins, poor coding practices, or a bloated database.
• Server-side network connectivity problems, often due to misconfigurations in network devices like firewalls.
• A misconfigured load balancer (like a content delivery network).
• Problems with the Domain Name System (DNS), like if the DNS system can’t correspond a domain name to an IP address.

The error can be temporary if it’s caused by client-end issues like network connectivity problems. Additionally, if your site receives too much traffic, your server may become overloaded with requests.

It’s important to note that hosting configuration problems can also trigger the Upstream Request Timeout error. That’s why it’s important to use a reputable hosting provider like NameHero:

NameHero provides free migrations to your new hosting server. Some plans even come with a free domain name and an SSL certificate.

Your website also receives round-the-clock protection thanks to NameHero’s Security Shield, and you’ll get 24/7 access to a support team.

How to Fix the Upstream Request Timeout Error (5 Ways)

If the Upstream Request Timeout error is a temporary problem (caused by too much traffic or problems on your web hosting server), you may simply need to refresh the page. You’ll need to wait a few seconds/minutes before reloading it.

If this doesn’t work, here are five tried-and-tested ways to fix the Upstream Request Timeout error.

1. Deactivate Your Firewall

Some website owners install a web application firewall that filters incoming traffic to help prevent malicious attacks. Firewalls come with default timeout settings that are sufficient for most applications. But if your site fails to respond in that timeframe, the firewall may serve timeout errors.

Therefore, it can be a good idea to turn off your firewall for a short while to see if it’s causing the problem. While deactivated, the browser is able to establish a direct connection with your WordPress server.

If you can load your site afterward, it may be the case that your hosting server has restricted the firewall IP addresses. This can block legitimate users and lead to such errors.

To fix it, you should obtain a list of IP addresses from your firewall service provider and check that your web host isn’t blocking them. Even if this doesn’t solve the issue, deactivating the firewall often reveals the actual server error notification, which can take the guesswork out of troubleshooting.

2. Change Your DNS Servers

If you’ve recently transferred your site to another web server, you should have changed your DNS records. Even so, your site may serve HTTP 504 errors to your visitors until the DNS change is recognized globally.

But if you haven’t migrated to a different server, it may be the case that your DNS servers are too slow, or they’re experiencing issues, which can result in timeout errors. In this instance, you might want to switch to a different set of DNS servers.

Even if you don’t have web hosting with NameHero, you can still access the DNS Management Service when you register a domain with NameHero. This allows you to point your domain to your web host using a reliable system. Better yet, it only takes 24 hours for your nameservers to fully propagate.

3. Clean Up Your WordPress Database

The WordPress database can quickly become bloated with unnecessary data, old posts, and archived content. Naturally, this can lead to performance issues and timeout errors.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to clean and optimize the WordPress database to fix the Upstream Request Timeout issue. You’ll have to use phpMyAdmin, which you can access through your web hosting control panel.

First, however, you’ll want to back up your website in case anything goes wrong.

Once you’re in the phpMyAdmin interface, check the boxes next to all the tables that need to be optimized. You might prefer to simply use the Check allbox at the bottom of the page:

Then, open the dropdown menu next to this button and select Optimize table.

4. Check WordPress Plugins and Themes

Sometimes, WordPress themes and plugins can conflict with other software on your site. But they can also conflict with server configurations which can cause timeout errors.

Therefore, we recommend deactivating all unessential WordPress plugins and switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four:

If the error message clears, you know that it was one of your plugins (or your theme) that caused the problem.

Next, try re-activating each plugin one at a time until you encounter the issue again. You may have to do this via FTP if you don’t have access to the WordPress dashboard. And once the problem has been identified, you should look for an alternative plugin or theme so you can safely remove it.

5. Turn Off Your Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A content delivery network (CDN) enables you to improve WordPress performance by caching content and delivering it from servers that are located closer to your visitors. However, CDN issues or misconfigurations can result in timeout messages.

In particular, this problem can be caused if one of the servers within the network goes down. That’s why it can be useful to temporarily turn off your CDN to determine whether it’s the cause of the Upstream Request Timeout error.

If that still doesn’t work, it can be useful to debug your WordPress site and review your server logs. After that, you may need to contact your internet service provider or get in touch with your web host to alert them of the issue.

Conclusion

Timeout errors can be very frustrating for your visitors, but they can also impact your search rankings. That’s why it’s important to attend to them as soon as possible.

The 504 Upstream Request Timeout message occurs when the upstream server stops responding. So, here are five ways to fix it:

1. Deactivate your firewall.
2. Change your DNS servers.
3. Check WordPress plugins and themes.
4. Clean up your WordPress database.
5. Turn off your content delivery network (CDN).

Misconfigurations of your hosting server are also a prime cause of timeout errors. Therefore, it’s best to choose a quality web host like NameHero. Lots of our packages come bundled with domains, an SSL certificate, emails, security features, and more. Check out our plans today!