Error 524: What It Is & How to Fix It in 2025 

Key takeaways 

• Error 524 occurs when the server takes too long to respond, causing Cloudflare to cut the connection. 
• Server overload, slow queries and misconfigurations cause it. Optimizing resources, PHP limits and caching can prevent this.
• Frequent timeouts harm performance and SEO, increasing bounce rates, lowering rankings and reducing traffic. 
•  Fixing it requires server optimization, adjusting PHP limits and configuring Cloudflare settings. Bluehost users can track performance via cPanel. 
• Preventing timeouts needs proactive maintenance like hosting upgrades, caching and regular performance audits.

Introduction 

Seeing an Error 524 message when trying to access your website can be frustrating, especially if you don’t know what’s causing it. This HTTP error, commonly associated with Cloudflare, indicates a website timeout error, meaning the web browser or server took too long to respond. 

Think of it like calling a customer service line—if you’re put on hold for too long without a response, the call automatically disconnects. Similarly, when your server takes too long to reply, Cloudflare cuts the connection, resulting in Error 524. 

If your site experiences frequent Cloudflare 524 errors, it can affect user experience, SEO rankings and even conversions. The good news? This issue is fixable with a few troubleshooting steps. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through why Error 524 happens, how to diagnose it and step-by-step solutions to get your site back online quickly. Whether it’s a server issue, a misconfigured firewall or a hosting-related problem, — this guide has you covered.

What is Error 524? 

An Error 524 is a Cloudflare-specific timeout issue that happens when your server takes too long to respond. Cloudflare acts as a middleman between your website and visitors. If the server doesn’t send a response within 100 seconds, Cloudflare stops waiting and cuts the connection. This causes a website timeout error because of a built-in time limit.

Understanding the Cloudflare 524 timeout error 

This error happens only on websites using Cloudflare because Cloudflare has a strict time limit for server responses, especially for enterprise users. If your server is slow, overloaded or running long processes, Cloudflare disconnects before it gets a response. 

Common causes of Error 524: 

• Server overload from high traffic or resource-heavy tasks 

• Long-running database queries delaying responses 

• Firewall or security rules blocking Cloudflare requests 

• Web hosting issues causing slow server performance

How does Error 524 impact website performance? 

A slow or unresponsive website doesn’t just frustrate users—it can also harm your business. 

• Higher bounce rates & lost traffic – Visitors leave when a site takes too long to load, reducing engagement. 

• SEO ranking drops – Search engines prioritize fast, accessible websites. Frequent downtime affects rankings. 

• Lower conversions – A poor user experience means fewer leads, sales and returning visitors. 

If Error 524 is disrupting your site, it’s time to fix it fast. Up next, we’ll walk through potential triggers of the Error 524.

What are the causes of error 524? 

Error 524 isn’t random but happens when your server takes too long to respond, causing Cloudflare to drop the connection. This can be due to server overload, Cloudflare limitations or website misconfigurations. Let’s understand the causes in detail below –

1. Server-related issues

If your hosting plan isn’t powerful enough to handle requests, your hosting server might time out before responding. Common causes include: 

• Overloaded server resources – High CPU or RAM usage slows response times 

• Too many concurrent requests – Surges in traffic exceed hosting limits 

• Slow database queries – Large, unoptimized queries delay responses 

At Bluehost, we offer scalable hosting plans designed to handle growing traffic and resource demands. Upgrading to a VPS or Dedicated Hosting plan ensures your website runs smoothly without timeouts. 

2. Cloudflare-related causes

Cloudflare only waits 100 seconds for a response before cutting off the request. If your server takes longer, you’ll see Error 524. This issue can be caused by various Cloudflare-specific factors that disrupt normal website operations. 

• Cloudflare’s timeout limit – Free and Pro plans have a strict cutoff 

• Rate-limiting issues – Too many requests can trigger automatic drops 

• Incorrect Cloudflare settings – Misconfigured origin servers can block responses 

Using Cloudflare’s enterprise plan or optimizing your server speed can help reduce these timeouts. 

3. WordPress & website configuration issues

Sometimes, the issue isn’t your server but how your site is configured. Certain WordPress settings and resource-heavy features can slow down responses, leading to Error 524. Below are common site-related issues that may trigger timeouts. 

• Unoptimized plugins – Some plugins put excessive load on the server 

• Long-running PHP scripts – Scripts that take too long to execute delay server responses, triggering Cloudflare’s 100-second timeout. Common culprits include heavy database queries and background tasks. 

• Too many external API requests – Frequent calls to third-party services (like payment gateways or analytics tools) slow down response times, increasing the risk of timeouts. 

If your site runs on Bluehost WordPress hosting, you get faster performance, built-in caching and resource scalability, reducing the risk of Error 524.

How to fix Error 524 (Step-by-step troubleshooting guide)

If you’re seeing Error 524, it means your hosting provider server is taking too long to respond. Fixing it requires checking your server load, optimizing your database and tweaking Cloudflare settings. If this issue persists, you might encounter an error code 524. Follow these steps to get your site running smoothly again. 

1. Check your server resource usage

A slow or overloaded server is one of the most common causes of Error 524. When the server is under heavy load, it fails to process requests quickly, leading to Cloudflare timing out before receiving a response. 

How to monitor server load in Bluehost cPanel

• Use Bluehost’s resource usage dashboard – This tool helps you track CPU, RAM and disk I/O (Input/Output) usage, showing real-time server performance. 

• Look for high spikes that could be slowing down your site – If your resource usage frequently reaches its limit, your server might be struggling to handle traffic or background processes. 

• Identify resource-heavy processes – Monitoring which tasks or applications consume the most resources allows you to optimize or upgrade them. 

By regularly monitoring your server load, you can detect and fix performance issues before they cause timeouts. 

Fixing high server load 

If your server is struggling to keep up with traffic or processing demands, here are some ways to reduce the load and prevent timeouts: 

• Restart your web server (Apache/Nginx) to refresh resources – Restarting your server clears temporary bottlenecks and improves response times. 

• Upgrade to VPS or Dedicated Hosting if your site has outgrown shared hosting – A growing website needs more processing power, memory and bandwidth to function smoothly. VPS or Dedicated Hosting provides dedicated resources, reducing the chances of slowdowns and timeouts. 

• Enable LiteSpeed caching and implement a CDN to reduce server load – Caching stores static website elements to load faster, while a Content Delivery Network (CDN) distributes content across multiple servers, reducing the strain on your primary hosting server. 

By implementing these solutions, you can improve your website’s performance, reduce server response times and prevent Cloudflare timeouts.

2. Optimize your database performance

A slow database can delay server responses, leading to Error 524 when Cloudflare’s 100-second timeout limit is exceeded. Unoptimized queries, excessive requests and inefficient database structures can strain your server resources and slow down performance. 

Identifying slow MySQL queries 

Detecting and optimizing slow database queries is crucial for improving response times and preventing server overload. 

• Use phpMyAdmin or MySQL slow query log to find lagging database queries – These tools help identify queries that take too long to execute, allowing you to troubleshoot performance issues. 

• Check for outdated queries or heavy requests slowing down performance – Queries that fetch large datasets, use inefficient joins or lack proper indexing can increase database load and slow down site performance. 

• Monitor query execution times – Tracking query response times helps pinpoint problematic areas in your database structure. 

Regularly monitoring and optimizing database queries ensures faster response times and improved overall website performance. 

Fixing database issues 

• Run optimization queries to clean up unnecessary data 

• Switch to MariaDB for improved speed and performance 

• Enable object caching with Redis or Memcached to reduce database load

3. Increase PHP execution limits

When PHP scripts take too long to execute, they can delay server responses leading to Cloudflare’s 100-second timeout. This happens when heavy processes like large file uploads, database migrations or background tasks run longer than expected. Optimizing script execution and increasing PHP limits can help prevent these timeouts. 

Optimizing PHP execution limits ensures your server can handle long-running processes without exceeding Cloudflare’s timeout restrictions. 

• Increase max_execution_time and memory_limit in cPanel – Extending execution time and memory allocation allows longer scripts to run without being forcefully terminated. 

• Modify php.ini, .htaccess or wp-config.php to allow longer script execution – Adjusting these settings prevents PHP timeouts and ensures smooth script execution for resource-intensive tasks. 

• Monitor script execution times – Regularly checking PHP logs helps identify and optimize slow-running scripts, reducing the risk of timeouts. 

By adjusting PHP execution settings and optimizing scripts, you enhance site performance, reduce timeouts and improve server efficiency—ensuring a stable and fast website experience. 

4. Configure Cloudflare to prevent timeouts 

Cloudflare has a strict 100-second timeout limit on its Free and Pro plans, meaning any request that takes longer is automatically disconnected. This often happens when servers take too long to process requests, leading to Error 524. For websites handling long-running tasks, adjusting Cloudflare settings can help prevent timeouts.  

Adjusting timeout settings (For enterprise users) 

Cloudflare’s Enterprise plan offers custom timeout settings, allowing long-running processes to complete without interruption. 

• Upgrade to Cloudflare’s Enterprise plan to extend timeout limits – Unlike Free and Pro plans, it allows users to customize timeout thresholds. This ensures longer requests process smoothly without disruptions. It helps prevent timeouts for resource-heavy tasks like large database queries or complex scripts. 

• Whitelist your server IPs in Cloudflare settings to prevent false timeouts – Adding your server’s IP to Cloudflare’s allowlist ensures legitimate traffic isn’t mistakenly blocked, reducing the chances of unexpected timeouts. 

• Optimize server response times – Even with extended timeout settings, improving server performance and caching helps process requests faster, reducing the need for longer execution times. 

By adjusting timeout settings and optimizing server responses, websites can handle extended processes efficiently without experiencing Cloudflare disconnects. 

5. Identify and fix problematic WordPress plugins

Certain WordPress plugins consume excessive server resources, leading to slower response times and timeouts. Heavy plugins can overload CPU, RAM and database queries, making it difficult for the server to respond within Cloudflare’s 100-second timeout limit. Identifying and optimizing plugins can help prevent Error 524. 

How plugins contribute to timeouts

Not all plugins are optimized for performance. Some can significantly increase execution time, slowing down the server. 

• Security and backup plugins can overload the server – Real-time malware scans, frequent backups and firewall monitoring consume high CPU and memory, leading to delays. 

• Outdated or poorly coded plugins increase execution time – Plugins with inefficient scripts or unoptimized database queries slow down requests, making the server take longer to respond. 

• Too many active plugins – Running multiple plugins at once creates unnecessary background processes, straining server resources. 

Regularly auditing and optimizing plugins can help maintain a fast and stable website. 

How to disable & debug plugins 

If plugins are causing timeouts, troubleshooting them efficiently can restore website performance. 

• Deactivate plugins from the WordPress dashboard or via FTP – Disabling plugins one by one helps identify the culprit causing performance issues. 

• Use a staging site to test plugin performance without affecting your live site – Running tests in a staging environment ensures plugin updates and removals don’t disrupt your main website. 

• Check plugin resource usage – Some hosting dashboards, like Bluehost’s cPanel, offer resource monitoring to detect high CPU or memory-consuming plugins. 

By managing plugins efficiently, you can prevent unnecessary load on the server, reduce timeout errors and ensure faster website performance.

6. Contact Bluehost support if the issue persists

If you’ve tried all troubleshooting steps and still encounter Error 524, it may indicate a deeper server-related issue. In such cases, reaching out to Bluehost support ensures you get expert assistance to diagnose and resolve the problem. 

When to contact support 

Some server-side issues require professional intervention, especially when standard fixes don’t work. 

• If your site experiences frequent timeouts despite optimizations – Continuous Error 524 occurrences may indicate server misconfigurations or resource limitations. 

• When your error logs show unknown server-side issues – Detailed logs can reveal specific causes, such as failed processes, database timeouts or firewall conflicts. 

• If your website recently faced a traffic surge or major updates – A sudden spike in traffic, plugin updates or migrations may have caused server overload or misconfigurations. 

How Bluehost support can help 

Our 24/7 expert support team is always available to help troubleshoot and resolve server-related problems. 

• Provide details like error logs, recent changes and traffic spikes – Sharing specific information helps us quickly identify the root cause of the issue. 

• Get personalized solutions – Our team can optimize server settings, suggest hosting upgrades and recommend best practices for better performance. 

• Ensure minimal downtime – We work to restore your website quickly, keeping it fast, secure and reliable. 

 If Error 524 persists, contact Bluehost support. Our experts are here to help restore your site’s performance quickly. 

Following these steps will help resolve Error 524 and keep your site running smoothly. With Bluehost’s optimized hosting and expert support, you can ensure your website stays fast, reliable and secure. 

How to prevent Error 524 in the future? 

 Fixing Error 524 is important but preventing it in the first place is even better. By upgrading your hosting, optimizing caching and regularly auditing performance, you can keep your site fast, responsive and error-free. 

1. Upgrade to the right hosting plan

Shared hosting might not provide enough resources or complex applications, leading to performance issues. As websites grow, more traffic and complex processes demand more server resources. If your site is outgrowing Shared Hosting, it’s time to upgrade. 

• VPS Hosting – Dedicated resources to handle high traffic and demanding scripts  

• Dedicated Hosting – Full control over your server with maximum performance and security 

• Optimized WordPress Hosting – Built for speed with pre-configured caching and scalability 

With our VPS and Dedicated Hosting, your website gets the power and stability it needs to prevent timeouts. 

2. Implement caching and performance optimization

Faster website experience fewer timeouts, ensuring a smoother user experience and better overall performance. 

If your server processes every request from scratch, it slows down and causes timeouts. Caching reduces server load and speeds up response time. By implementing these steps, you can improve your website’s performance and reduce the chances of encountering Error 524. 

• Enable Cloudflare’s cache rules to deliver static content faster 

• Use server-side caching with Nginx or LiteSpeed to store frequently accessed data 

• Optimize your database and scripts to process requests more efficiently 

At Bluehost, we provide built-in caching and CDN integration, ensuring your website stays lightning-fast and responsive. 

3. Regularly audit your website performance

Be proactive in monitoring your website’s performance to detect and fix issues before they cause errors. Regular performance checks help detect slowdowns before they cause issues. Below are a few auditing processes you can follow- 

• Run Google PageSpeed Insights & Lighthouse tests to find bottlenecks 

• Monitor server logs and uptime with New Relic to track slow scripts and resource spikes. Ensure you have the correct credentials for access. 

• Review plugin and theme performance to prevent excessive server load 

With our performance monitoring tools and expert support, you can keep your website optimized and running at peak efficiency without unexpected Cloudflare 524 errors. 

Taking proactive steps today will save you from downtime and lost traffic in the future. With the right hosting, caching strategies and regular performance audits, your website will always be fast, stable and ready to grow.

Final thoughts 

Error 524 happens when a server takes too long to respond, causing Cloudflare to time out. Fixing it requires optimizing server performance, improving caching and ensuring your hosting plan can handle your traffic.  

Proactive website optimization, including regular performance audits and choosing the right hosting, helps prevent future timeouts. A fast, stable server keeps your website running smoothly, ensuring better user experience and SEO rankings. 

With Bluehost’s VPS and Dedicated Hosting, you get more power, better performance and fewer website errors—so your site stays fast and reliable. 

Need a hosting upgrade? Get Bluehost VPS or Dedicated Hosting for a timeout-free website!

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