A 502 Bad Gateway error is an HTTP status code indicating that one server on the internet received an invalid response from another server while attempting to fulfil a request. This typically occurs in scenarios where a gateway or proxy server, which acts as an intermediary between a user’s device and the web server hosting the requested content, encounters issues when communicating with upstream servers.
When users encounter a 502 Bad Gateway error, they are usually unable to access the desired webpage or resource. This can be caused by various factors including server overloads, network errors, misconfigurations in web applications, or issues with third-party services that the website relies upon.
Consistent occurrences of 502 errors can negatively impact a website’s performance and search engine rankings. Search engines like Google may interpret frequent downtime as poor site reliability, potentially leading to lower visibility in search results.
